September 6, 2023
FOX26 NEWS
Second chance flights: Over 120 Merced County animals airlifted to new homes in other states
“The non-profit Dog Is My CoPilot flies into Merced once a month to give these unwanted animals a second chance. On Tuesday’s flight pilot Frank Maresca moved his seat forward to stack more crates behind him.”
September 3, 2023
NBC5 CHICAGO
Clear the Shelters: a suburban shelter rescues more than a dozen dogs from Texas
“Overcrowding continues to plague animal shelters nationwide. One way they manage this issue is by transferring animals to partner shelters that have room to spare. LeeAnn Trotter tell us about a suburb shelter that received more than a dozen animals from Texas last week.”
August 9, 2023
PEOPLE MAGAZINE
‘Shy’ Golden Retriever Being Wheeled to ‘Euthanasia Room’ Saved in Final Moments by Rescuers (Exclusive)
“Austin Pets Alive! already had a transport flight planned with Dog is My CoPilot to Mile High Lab Mission for a few other canines, so the organization was hopeful the Colorado shelter had room for one more.”
August 5, 2023
KTAB/KRBC
Abilene animal rescue organization gives 50+ pets a chance for a forever home in Canada & Montana
“ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – 52 dogs and one cat named Pearl was flown out of Abilene Aero early Friday morning. Rescue the Animals SPCA, in collaboration with Dog is My Co-pilot and All Kind Animal Initiative, rescued these pets from the streets and hoarder houses. Now these animals have been given their chance to find a forever home in Canada and Montana.”
August 1, 2023
DENVER7
Denver foster family saves 8-month-old Golden Retriever from euthanasia in Texas shelter
“A Denver foster family has saved an 8-month-old golden retriever puppy from euthanasia at a Texas animal shelter that has struggled to save half of the 8,000 pets dropped off there every year.”
July 28, 2023
MISSOULIAN
LA dogs fly to Missoula to find new homes
“Small noses pushed themselves against kennel doors, tails wagging. One by one, 11 orphan dogs sniffed the runway of the Missoula airport as they greeted their new home.”
July 27, 2023
NBC MONTANA
Rescue flies 11 dogs to Missoula to find new homes
“The nonprofit Dog is My CoPilot made the flight possible. One organizer calls it a “wonderful collaboration.””
July 26, 2023
IDAHO (KIFI)
Cats on a plane: Idaho Falls Animal Shelter relocates cats to Spokane, WA
“IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO (KIFI) – 42 cats made their way from the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter to a rescue in Spokane, Washington via plane Tuesday. The SpokAnimal shelter is making room for the group after the City of Idaho Falls Animal Shelter became overwhelmed with kittens.”
July 21, 2023
WKOW
WKOW – Madison, WI
Local News
“Romeo’s a six-month old shepherd mix from Texas. He and 20 other dogs flew in from an overcrowded shelter there on Thursday thanks to Dog is my Copilot.”
July 20, 2023
KBND
KBND – Bend, OR
Local News
“Street Dog Hero brought 29 dogs to Bend Wednesday from a shelter in Oklahoma. The local rescue organization partnered with the animal transport non-profit “Dog Is My Copilot” to fly them into the Bend Airport.”
July 19, 2023
CENTRAL OREGON DAILY NEWS
32 dogs escape euthanasia on Street Dog Hero flight to Bend
The dogs left Norman, Oklahoma, at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. Their flight stopped in Grand Junction, Colorado, for fuel and arrived in Bend after nine hours of flying.
“Mostly, they are really good passengers,” said Frank Maresca, pilot of the Dog is My Co Pilot flight. “There’s a few smells, as you can imagine. For the most part they quiet down. Every once in a while there’s one making some noise.”
June 30, 2023
6ABC
WPVI-PHI (ABC) – Philadelphia, PA
Action News
“One hundred and thirty four rescue pets from Texas will be some of the animals available for adoption starting tomorrow. and brandywine valley spca welcomed them to chester county airport last night.”
June 29, 2023
6ABC
WPVI-PHI (ABC) – Philadelphia, PA
Action News
“One hundred and thirty four rescued pets from Texas arrived tonight in Coatsville Chester county in preparation for a mega-adoption event this weekend.”
May 18, 2023
THE BHARAT EXPRESS NEWS
Shelter dogs in Los Angeles County flee to find forever homes
It was a big day for some dogs in the Antelope Valley as they boarded a plane Thursday morning to find their new FURever home.
A non-profit organization called my Dog is My CoPilot has made it possible for 33 shelter dogs to be sent to shelters in Montana and Utah where they need animals.
May 18, 2023
CBS LOS ANGELES
Los Angeles County shelter dogs take flight to find forever homes
It was a big day for some dogs in the Antelope Valley as they boarded a plane to find their new FURever homes Thursday morning.
A non-profit called my Dog is My CoPilot, made it possible for 33 shelter dogs to be sent to shelters in Montana and Utah, where they are in need of animals.
May 16, 2023
CENTRAL OREGON DAILY
Street Dog Hero welcomes 32 dogs on cross-country flight to find new homes
Thirty-two VIPs arrived at Bend Municipal Airport Tuesday. Four-legged passengers on a private flight, looking for a new home. Bend-based nonprofit Street Dog Hero partnered with Dog Is My Copilot to bring dogs, via plane, halfway across the country.
May 3, 2023
The Big Bend Sentinel
Presidio celebrates former Animal Control Officer Sergio Carrasco
On April 14, longtime Presidio Animal Control Sergio Carrasco clocked in for his last day after seven years of working for the city. To celebrate, a pair of animal rescue nonprofits helped him wrap up upgrades to the shelter in order to mark a fresh start for the facility and threw a going-away bash in his honor.
April 27, 2023
MLIVE
11 dogs were saved thanks to a plane ride to Jackson County
A plane carrying some unexpectedly cute passengers landed at the Jackson County Airport on Wednesday. Eleven dogs were flown in on April 26 from a shelter in Athens, Texas to the Jackson County Animal Shelter.
April 26, 2023
WILX10
Dogs from overcrowded shelter in Texas find hope in Michigan
12 dogs from an overcrowded animal shelter in Texas, landed in Mid-Michigan Wednesday afternoon.“They make a little bit of noise when you first take off, but normally they go to sleep,” said Frank Maresca, a full-time pilot with the nonprofit Dog is my Copilot.
April 26, 2023
Brainerd Dispatch
Finding a furever home: Babinski Foundation welcomes dogs from Texas
The Pequot Lakes animal shelter partnered with the nonprofit ‘Dog Is My CoPilot’ to rescue dogs from overcrowded shelters in Texas.
April 26, 2023
JTV
Jackson County Animal Shelter Dog Rescue Photo Gallery
See photos from the Dog Is My Copilot flight for life with Jackson County Animal Shelter on April 26, 2023.
April 18, 2023
KFOX14
El Paso Animal Services partners with Dog is My CoPilot to transport pets to other shelter
The El Paso Animal Services is partnering with Dog is My CoPilot to transport pets to other shelters in other communities on Tuesday. About 37 pets are being sent to other shelters
April 10, 2023
LMTonline
LACS, Dog Is My CoPilot partner to save Laredo cats and dogs
Laredo Animal Care Services and the nonprofit Dog Is My CoPilot, Inc. resumed their partnership with their first flight of the season on Easter Sunday celebrating the holiday by transporting cats and dogs to give them a second chance at finding a forever home.
September 28, 2022
People
Golden Retrievers, Frenchies, and Pugs Saved from Dog Meat Trade Ready for Adoption in the U.S.
The long journey of 31 rescue dogs is finally over.
According to a release from China Rescue Dogs, the animal welfare nonprofit rescued the canines — 16 golden retrievers and a mix of French bulldogs and pugs — from the dog meat trade in China in April.
August 31, 2022
VoyageUtah
Meet Peter Rork
Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Rork.
Hi Peter, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
August 22, 2022
Herald Democrat
DAWG to use air to transport local animals in need
This weekend, the Denison Animal Welfare Group will take to the skies in search of forever homes for local animals in need. The welfare group announced a partnership this week with Dog is my CoPilot, a nonprofit that helps transport animals from high inflow shelters to areas of the country with high adoption rates.
May 24, 2022
Jackson Hole Press
Dog is My CoPilot flies cats too
Dog is My CoPilot is not just about dogs. The Jackson-based rescue charity that helps fly pets to their ‘furever’ home just made a feline flight.
Pilot Maresca and his wife Margo departed Driggs, Idaho last week with a load of cats from PAWS of Teton Valley.
May 22, 2022
NEWS4SA
Who said dogs can’t fly? These pups are on their way to find furever homes
San Antonio Pets Alive! partnered with Dog is My CoPilot to transport 31 very special dogs across the country to find their furever homes. They left Sunday from Stinson Municipal Airport to fly to Montana, Colorado, and Wyoming.
May 9, 2022
Fox 7
Austin Pets Alive! helps rescue 60 animals from euthanasia lists
Austin Pets Alive!, Dog Is My CoPilot, and Wondercide helped 60 cats and dogs find homes.
The organizations are preparing life-saving transport for 30 cats and 30 dogs who were previously on euthanasia lists from Texas shelters outside of Austin.
May 4, 2022
Fox13 Salt Lake City
Wyoming pilot rescues dogs by flying them to Utah
A small plane with more than two dozen passengers landed at the Logan-Cache Airport on Tuesday, April 26.
The passengers on board the Cessna aircraft weren’t ordinary jet setters. The plane was loaded with 23 animals rescued from overcrowded shelters in west Texas.
April 27, 2022
NewsWest9
Odessa Animal Shelter sends 14 dogs on first animal flight this year
“Dog is my CoPilot” made a stop in Odessa to pick up a number of dogs from different rescues.
At 4:30 a.m. this morning, the Odessa Animal Shelter helped 14 of their rescue dogs board a plane run by the nonprofit “Dog is my CoPilot”.
April 1, 2022
KXAN
50 animals flown out of Texas in new Austin Pets Alive! partnership
Several pets from Austin Pets Alive! took to the skies Thursday for their next chapters at other shelters in the country.
APA! posted photos and videos to its Instagram page of the transport, where 50 pets left on a flight with Dog Is My CoPilot, a nonprofit animal rescue air transport organization that flies pets to new shelters in order to find them a home.
March 31, 2022
CBS Austin
Austin Pets Alive! helps rescue dogs from being euthanized at other Texas-based shelters
Austin Pets Alive! helped give 50 pets a second chance at life as they boarded a flight from Austin early Thursday morning.
This morning’s airplane ride took off around 5 a.m. carrying 48 dogs and two cats to place them in out-of-state shelters for another opportunity to be adopted into loving homes.
It was coordinated by Austin Pets Alive! and Dog is My CoPilot and supported by Cuddly.com.
March 31, 2022
Fox 7 Austin
Pets get second chance for adoption thanks to Austin animal shelter
March 31, 2022
KVUE
Dozens of dogs scheduled to be put down get a second chance with help of Austin Pets Alive!
Around 50 dogs are getting a second chance at life, thanks to an early-morning transport coordinated by Austin Pets Alive!, Dog is My CoPilot and Cuddly.com.
Dogs from nine other Texas-based shelters were being taken care of by Austin Pets Alive! volunteers and staff. The dogs were set to be euthanized at other shelters but were taken to Austin to get health certifications and another opportunity to find their forever homes.
Winter 2021/2022
Teton Valley Magazine
Non-profit takes animal rescue to the skies
There isn’t typically much activity in the predawn hours at Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport. But on any given day, from early spring until the snow flies, you might catch a glimpse of a brightly painted blue plane taking flight on a unique mission: rescuing dogs across the Southwest.
October 20, 2021
Corridor News
Dogs take life-saving flight in San Marcos to avoid euthanasia
Early morning on Sunday, October 17, 41 dogs boarded a flight from the San Marcos Airport to shelters in Colorado, Utah and Idaho to avoid euthanasia due to shelter overcrowding.
According to a Facebook post by Austin Pet’s Alive! Partnered with nine under-resources shelters across Texas to rescue the 41 pups and give them a second chance at life.
August 22, 2021
KENS 5
New chance at life for over a dozen rescue dogs
June 19, 2021
NPR
COMIC: Adopted Pandemic Dogs Got Us Through. Now They Need Our Help.
Interest in pet adoption has boomed during the pandemic. According to a report from Shelter Animals Count, the adoption rate for dogs and cats has increased 9% in 2020.
June 2021
Wondercide
Fierce Love Saves us All
The morning of May 24, 2021, started earlier than usual for Sunny and fifty of his furry friends who had been collected from shelters in Texas where they were at risk. Life hadn’t been easy so far for these pups and today started out no differently. Uncertainty unfolded as they were put into small crates and into transport vehicles. Expecting to go to another crowded shelter, there was a surprise, no doubt when they arrived on a tarmac and unloaded next to a plane.
June 16, 2021
JH News and Guide
Dog Is My CoPilot Gets Some Love
Things weren’t looking good for Moxie, a peppy little Texas pup who loves people but didn’t have any to call her own.
The 1-year-old, 10-pound Italian greyhound was found as a stray, and unfortunately shelters in her home state are so overcrowded that many dogs are euthanized.
Lucky for Moxie, she got a new lease on life on June 5, thanks to Dog Is My CoPilot, a rescue flight organization co-founded by former Jackson Hole orthopedist Peter Rork.
June 11, 2021
Dallas Observer
Dallas Animal Services Doesn’t Cry Wolf. When They Ask for Help, They Need It.
As rain poured over North Texas, 90 cats and dogs from Dallas Animal Services (DAS) and other local shelters took flight out of DFW International Airport bound for a new life in Colorado, Utah, Idaho or Wyoming. The national nonprofit Petco Love partnered with Dog Is My CoPilot and DFW shelters to make the life-saving trip happen.
June 9, 2021
TVN
A Shepherd in the Sky
Today is a day where pilots, as well as the passengers they are carrying, smile while traveling through the sky surrounding the impressive Teton Range.
The plane that touched down around 2 p.m. was carrying the most smiles of all. Uniquely, most of the passengers will have four legs, a tail, and a penchant for scratches behind the ear.
June 4, 2021
Buckrail
Dog Is My CoPilot, Petco Love and local shelters partner to airlift 50 dogs from Texas
Nearly 50 dogs and cats will be airlifted from Dallas-Fort Worth to shelters in Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming on Saturday June 5.
The efforts are made possible through partnerships between national nonprofit Petco Love, Dog Is My CoPilot and local shelters including PAWS of Jackson Hole, Aska’s Animal Foundation of Victor and Teton Valley Community Animal Shelter.
June 2, 2021
People
Over 45 Dogs Saved From Overcrowded Texas Shelters and Flown to Forever Homes in Oregon
Dog is My CoPilot and Wondercide teamed up to save over 45 shelter dogs from being euthanized by flying the canines from Texas’ overcrowded shelters to forever families waiting for the pups on the West Coast
June 2, 2021
FOX7 Austin
Austin-based Wondercide teams up with Dog Is My CoPilot for Rescue Flight
Some at-risk animals from Texas now have homes in Oregon thanks to a rescue flight that started in El Paso and ended in Portland. Wondercide founder/CEO Stephanie Boone has all the details.
May 27, 2021
FOX12 Oregon
Dozens of dogs make trip to Portland to find forever families thanks to local rescue group
Dozens of dogs touched down in the Portland area on Wednesday. They made their way from Texas, hoping to start a new life here in the Pacific Northwest with their forever families.
May 26, 2021
KFOX14
Rescue dogs from El Paso flown to Portland to be adopted
At least 50 at risk dogs from El Paso were flown from the El Paso International Airport early Wednesday morning to be placed with foster families. in Portland, Oregon.
The transport was organized by a national non-profit called ‘Dog Is My CoPilot,’ in an effort to prevent overcrowding in shelters.
May 26, 2021
KVIA
More than 40 at-risk shelter dogs flown from El Paso to Oregon to find new homes
More than 40 at-risk shelter dogs were flown from El Paso to Portland, Ore. Wednesday morning to be hand-delivered to adoptive and foster families.
The flight was run by Dog Is My CoPilot, a national nonprofit that transports animals from overcrowded shelters to adoption centers in other geographic regions.
May 18, 2021
HJ News
Salvation in the skies: Local rescue groups partner with air-based service to save more dogs’ lives
As soon as the pilot cut the engine, yelps of excitement and apprehension could be heard coming from the passengers inside. A group of about a dozen people standing by for the arrival sprang into action as the cargo door swung open, gathering crates and loading them into waiting vehicles.
May 16, 2021
KOB4
Nonprofit transports 80 animals from overcrowded New Mexico shelters
More than 80 dogs and cats from the Socorro Animal Shelter and Valencia County Animal Shelter boarded a private flight at the Sunport Sunday morning to head to Salt Lake City.
The animals will be moved to animal rescue groups in Utah where they can be adopted.
April 23, 2021
ABC4 Utah
Foster families sought after nearly 100 animals arrive in Best Friends Animal Society transports
After receiving nearly 100 animals in a week, Best Friends Animal Society is looking for foster families. On Tuesday, 35 cats arrived by private plane from Casper, Wyoming, shuttled by Dog Is My Copilot, a nonprofit that transports at-risk animals from overcrowded shelters to areas that can better find them a loving home.
February 25, 2021
Buckrail
After winter storm, AAC welcomes seven new dogs from Texas
The Animal Adoption Center (AAC) welcomed seven dogs from Laredo, TX into their rescue and adoption program on Wednesday, Feb. 24. While this transport marks the first from Laredo in 2021, it is the 16th rescue mission the AAC has completed with Texas groups in the past year.
February 23, 2021
The Farmer’s Dog
The Pilot’s Dogs: Flying Dogs in Need to a Better Life
Pilot Peter Rork’s passengers are dogs (and cats, too) bound for happy lives. Rork flies across the United States in his Cessna—nicknamed The Big Dog—transporting animals who may have been euthanized at overcrowded shelters in states like Texas and New Mexico to no-kill animal rescues in the Northwest that can place them in loving homes.
December 14, 2020
Texas Optimism Project
Finding Forever Homes A Plane Ride Away
Throughout the country, nearly 6.5 million dogs and cats enter animal shelters each year. But while a shelter in Dallas might have too many potential pets to handle, another shelter in Jackson, Wyoming, may have a long list of hopeful adopters waiting for a chance to give a dog or cat a forever home. That’s where animal transport nonprofit Dog Is My Copilot comes in, to connect the dots.
November 10, 2020
CoronaTV
The Saint, Peter Rork AKA Dog Is My CoPilot
Peter Rork is a saint. 8 years ago, he co-founded Dog Is My Co-Pilot, a 501(c)3 that transports at risk animals from overcrowded shelters to adoption centers in other geographic regions where loving families are waiting.
To date, Peter and DIMC have has saved 16,728 animals…and counting.
November 9, 2020
Pet Central
Heroes of the Month: These Animal Lovers Are Going the Extra Mile in Alabama, Minnesota and Wyoming
Packing as many as 251 dogs and cats into a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan and flying them across the country is a major logistical challenge, especially when it comes to keeping track of where each animal is going.
October 28, 2020
AOPA
Dogs are his Co-Pilots
More time working from home gives pet owners more time with their four-legged companions. According to The Washington Post, beginning mid-March, “Shelters, nonprofit rescues, private breeders, pet stores—all reported more consumer demand than there were dogs and puppies to fill it.”
October 21, 2020
Columbia Community Connection
Dog Is My CoPilot Visits The Columbia River Gorge
Yesterday, Dog is My CoPilot paid an unexpected visit to Columbia Gorge Regional Airport in Dallesport when weather and logistics rerouted them from their usual stop in Troutdale. Dog is My CoPilot is a non-profit organization dedicated to the safe transport of at risk animals in overcrowded shelters at no cost.
October 11, 2020
LMTonline.com / Laredo Morning Times
Dog Is My CoPilot rescues 368 Laredo animals, eyes bigger 2021
The last flight of the year from the Dog Is My CoPilot organization took off early Saturday morning from Laredo with another 68 animals ready to find new homes in northern states.
October 9, 2020
Ruff Talk with Victoria Stillwell
Ruff Talk is back with Dog is my Co Pilot
Dog is My Co Pilot joins the Ruff Talk team to talk about their mission to rescue pets around the nation
October 6, 2020
Hallmark Channel Home & Family
Dr. Peter Rork’s Animal Rescue Mission
It was such a pleasure welcoming Peter Rork, co-founder of Dog Is My CoPilot, Inc., to our Home! Watch as he shares how he helps thousands of animals move from overcrowded shelters across the country to ones that have room and love to spare.
September 28, 2020
This Dog’s Life
This Pilot is Saving Dogs’ Lives One Flight at a Time
While most of us are sound asleep, Peter Rork is getting ready to fly hundreds of dogs from shelters to their new lives at 5:00 a.m. Rork has devoted his life to helping others — both humans and animals.
September 12, 2020
NBC Nightly News
Wyoming pilot flies rescued pets to forever homes with nonprofit
Pilot Peter Rork, a retired surgeon, flies high-risk rescue animals from overcrowded shelters to adoption centers through his nonprofit Dog Is My CoPilot.
September 10, 2020
Now This News
Dog Is My CoPilot has helped usher thousands of animals from overcrowded shelters to loving homes.
Dr. Peter Rork isn’t just using his pilot’s license as a hobby; he’s using it to save animals.
September 6, 2020
FOX News
Wyoming non-profit flies rescue dogs to their forever homes
Founder of ‘Dog Is My CoPilot’ Dr. Peter Rork joins ‘Fox Report’ to discuss the mission of his non-profit to fly rescue dogs to their forever homes.
September 5, 2020
Mountain View News
Happy Tails
Every now and then, a unique concept comes down the pike, expressed by an individual who had an original thought, and I just have to slap my forehead and say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” For example, I spend lots of time trying to come up with creative ways to help resolve our clear-and-present pet overpopulation problem.
September 4, 2020
KGNS.tv
Pets take flight in hopes of landing forever home
LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) -A group of animals are taking off in hopes of finding a forever home in other communities across the country.
Since last month, the Laredo Animal Care Services along with a non-profit called “Dog is My Co-pilot” has been helping the pets in our community find a new place to call home.
A total of 93 dogs and cats were taken from the shelter to a home in just hours.
August 31, 2020
WASHINGTON POST
How this former doctor ended up flying thousands of dogs across the country to save them
It’s 4 a.m. in Los Angeles, and Peter Rork is loading dozens of animals onto an aircraft.
“By 5 a.m., it’s wheels up,” said Rork, who typically spends an hour attempting to securely fit 150 crates into his Cessna Caravan.
“It’s like a giant Tetris game,” he explained.
This is a typical morning for Rork — a 67-year-old former doctor who dedicates his life to rescuing dogs and cats that would otherwise be killed in shelters that don’t have room for them.
August 26, 2020
CBS 2 | Idaho News
A Rescue for old dogs that otherwise would be killed
STAR, Idaho (CBS 2) — When Tim Toy with Mountain America Credit comes knocking on your door, it’s good news.
He knocked on Shannon Bennecke’s door to hand over a $500 Pay It Forward.
Shannon is the founder of Green Heart Rescue. In just its first two years, Green Heart has taken in 70 dogs from around the west that would otherwise die in a shelter.
August 24, 2020
KLAQ 95.5
‘CBS this Morning’ Highlights El Paso Shelter Dogs’ Journey Home
“CBS This Morning” had an animal rescue segment on their Sunday show that featured some local shelter dogs on their journey to their forever homes. If you caught the latest episode of “CBS This Morning” on Sunday, you may have noticed a familiar animal shelter being highlighted during the show. The show did a feature on one rescue dog’s journey from the Sun City to his forever home in Oregon.
August 23, 2020
CBS Sunday Morning
Flying dogs to their forever homes
On a 100-degree day in El Paso, a Texas terrier named Tumble is enjoying a bit of fresh air while trying to beat the heat. However, most of Tumble’s time is spent inside a cage at El Paso Animal Services. She was brought to the shelter after she was found on the street, her head trapped in a fence.
“Usually in any given year, we have 25,000-30,000 animals come through the door,” said Kyla White, whose job is to help get those animals out the door. But there are far more dogs in El Paso than there are willing adopters. It’s a common story at shelters in several cities, but it’s not the story in every city.
July 25, 2020
Buckrail
Dog is My CoPilot marks 15,000 animals saved
Dog Is My CoPilot, a nonprofit air transport organization, just celebrated saving its 15,000th animal passenger.
“S’mores” just happened to be part of a well-loved group of 17 animals in El Paso, Texas. Her owner passed away this spring and the family was overwhelmed by the care needed to support all the pets. El Paso Animal Services was able to assist the family with their pets and knew she would be a good candidate for their transport program with Dog Is My CoPilot.
July 13, 2020
Waco Tribune-Herald
Pup, pup and away
Pilot group to fly Waco shelter dogs to Idaho for adoption.
Ryker and Tori wasted no time mixing it up Monday as they burst in to Waco Animal Shelter play yard, running and roughhousing with each other.
The young, mixed-breed dogs need more wide-open spaces than the shelter kennels can give them, and they stand a good chance of getting it as they board a plane to Idaho on Wednesday.
They are among 10 Waco dogs hitching a ride to the Northwest with an animal rescue group Dog Is My CoPilot, Inc.
July 10, 2020
LMT Online
Laredo animals saved from death as 104 flown to new homes
In the early morning hours of Thursday, a major operation was ongoing in the city’s airport to save the lives of more than a 100 animals.
A total of 54 dogs and 50 cats were saved from a local animal shelter when a plane came to the Laredo International Airport at around 4 a.m. on Thursday morning to retrieve the animals and take them to a better home.
In a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Laredo Animal Care Services (LACS), American Pets Alive and Dog is My Copilot, the rescue mission was successful as all of these animals were flown to bases and adoption centers in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, where new homes were waiting for them by pre-adoption chosen individuals.
Jun 24, 2020
Jackson Hole News & Guide
Pet adoption puzzle
With its own pet population controlled, Jackson Hole comes to the aid of other animals.
The 8-month old shepherd/mastiff thumped her tail and looked out of her crate as the tailgate opened on the gray GMC Denali. The staff of the Animal Adoption Center peered in, greeting the big dog with coos and a few “good girls.”
Her transport, loaded with puppies rescued by the Lander Pet Connection, arrived on a day in late May. Two litters of puppies also traveled in the vehicle, five tiny furballs snuggled in a lump with another puppy next to the driver for extra comfort on the three-hour drive.
May 26, 2020
Eye on Sun Valley
Big Dog Transport Marks a Semblance of Normalcy at Mountain Humane
The Big Dog that set wheels down at Atlantic Aviation Monday night didn’t have stewardesses decked out in face masks handing out pretzels. Nor were any of its passengers wearing seatbelts.
And the 12 who got off in Sun Valley had no idea that they had just landed in doggie heaven.
June 12, 2020
Big Country Homepage
Abilene Animal Shelter dogs & cats flown out to shelters in need of pets for adoption
ABILENE, TX — The City of Abilene’s Animal Services has teamed up with the nonprofit organization Dog Is My Copilot to relocate more than 60 animals to shelters experiencing a shortage of adoptable pets.
Abilene Animal Services staff and volunteers were at the Abilene Animal Shelter as early as 2 a.m. Friday, June 12th to begin preparing and gathering dogs and cats for their big travel day. By 5 a.m., the crated animals were on their way to Abilene Aero, and by 7 a.m., everyone was in the air, flying toward their new homes.
June 8, 2020
NewsWest9
99 homeless Odessa dogs take a flight to their new home
Dog-Rescue-R-Us is a non-profit rescue group that started in January of 2019 and has cut down on the number of animals the shelter is having to put down.
ODESSA, Texas — West Texas has been dealing with an overpopulation of homeless animals for years.
Last year, the Odessa Animal Shelter put down over 3,000 animals.
Dog-Rescue-R-Us is a non-profit rescue group that started in January of 2019 and since then they’ve made a huge dent in the number of animals the shelter is having to put down.
June 8, 2020
Sweetwater Now
Green River Animal Control, Red Desert Humane Society Work Together to Rescue Animals
GREEN RIVER — Over the past 10 years, the Green River Animal Control (GRAC) has made it their mission to improve their ability to rescue animals; and by doing so they’ve created a rescue network where they can work with other agencies to ensure animals find good forever homes.
Lydia Holmes, Animal Control Officer (ACO), started with the GRAC about eight years ago and has worked tirelessly to make connections with rescue organizations across the state, as well as other states, to help rescue as many animals as possible.
February 26, 2020
Rutgers University Alumni Association
Rescue at 15,000 Feet
As founder of the nonprofit Dog Is My CoPilot, Peter Rork uses his Cessna Caravan turboprop plane to ferry dogs and cats from overcrowded shelters in which they face euthanasia to shelters that have pledged never to kill an animal in their care. Since its formation in 2012, Dog Is My CoPilot has saved the lives of more than 13,000 animals, with Rork RC’74 at the helm and in the cockpit.
January 29, 2020
Las Cruces Sun News
Former Las Cruces shelter dog to be in Puppy Bowl XVI
LAS CRUCES — A former Las Cruces shelter dog is heading for the small screen after being drafted in this year’s Puppy Bowl XVI. It’ll air Sunday on Animal Planet before the evening’s big game.
Dracula is an adorable 6-month-old, standard bull terrier mix who was impounded at Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley as a stray along with her mom, Meena, and her brother Biggie, on July 9, 2019.
November 9, 2019
Buckrail
Dog is my Copilot honored at Petco Foundation Lifesaving Awards
JACKSON, Wyo. — On November 14, a local organization, Dog Is My CoPilot, will be honored along with six other organizations at the Petco Foundation’s Lifesaving Awards in San Diego, Calif.
Dog Is My CoPilot, which could also be referred to as one man with a small plane and a big heart, will be presented with the Love in Action Award. This award recognizes and celebrates an organization that put their love into action to save animals across the country.
October 30, 2019
Best Friends
Giant polar bear of a dog inspires so many people to help him find a home
These words are often attributed to the German poet Goethe: “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” They’re words Melissa Lipani just might have taken to heart the day she first saw Walter’s face.
How could she not? In one photo the pit bull and mastiff mix (who resembles a polar bear) looks tired and sad. That was taken the day he arrived at Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley (ASCMV) in Las Cruces, New Mexico. In the other, he looks happier. A kind smile lights up his face and his eyes reveal wisdom, along with a little playfulness.
August 15, 2019
Buckrail
Dogs fly to new homes
JACKSON, WYO – Wednesday morning at 11:30am Peter Rork aka “Pilot Peter” founder and chief pilot of Dog is My Copilot, landed at the Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport, with him 44 dogs on an adventure for new homes. Peter is relocating the dogs from the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control center in Phoniex, AZ. Driggs was not his first or his last stop of the day today, first stop was in Utah where a receiving agency took 25 of the 69 dogs. Wednesday afternoon he was headed to Spokane, WA as his final destination on this relocation mission. Peter donates 100% of his time, flying 2 flights a week April through October.
June 6, 2019
KENS5 News San Antonio
SA Dogs travel to find families in Colorado
Volunteers with San Antonio Pets Alive helped load several dogs this morning to be transported to Colorado to find forever homes.
April 18, 2019
CBS4 News El Paso
Dogs take flight in hopes to find new homes
Dog Is My CoPilot (DIMC) will be transporting nearly 60 dogs on Thursday to new shelters in hopes they’ll find their forever home.
DIMC is partnering with Tails from the Shelter, a division of Uncaged Paws, Inc., who rescue dogs and cats from overcrowded New Mexico municipal shelters, and El Paso Animal Services in El, Paso, Texas to fly dogs from the overcrowded animal shelters to animal rescue groups in Idaho that have adopters waiting for them.
Borderland shelter pets take flight to find their forever homes
KTSM 9 El Paso, April 18, 2019
Thursday morning 57 shelter dogs departed from the Las Cruces Airport in search of forever homes. The nonprofit organization called Dog Is My CoPilot flies shelter animals all over the country. Here in the Borderland, the shelters are all full. However, in Idaho, they have a low number of shelter animals, along with people eager to adopt.
Douglas Budget, October 25, 2018
Headlights from a Washington-bound transport van illuminated the roadway in the darkness along I-25 in the wee morning hours Saturday. Inside, Connie Bowen, Kammie Stone and Laura Barriga of Texas were on their way to Seattle in a cargo van. In the back, 47 dogs in kennels were on a ride from kill shelters in Texas to homes throughout the northwest and to the families who had adopted them.
Special Rescue Mission A Huge Success!
KPAX 8 Montana, October 21, 2018
In the early morning on Saturday, October 20th a vehicle transporting 47 dogs from Texas heading to Montana and Washington was involved in a car accident in Douglas, Wyoming. The dogs that were left stranded needed immediate transport and Dog Is My CoPilot was grateful to be able to help carry out this rescue mission on Sunday, October 21.
Jackson Hole News & Guide, August 8, 2018
Hobbs, a sturdy, older chocolate Lab, is like most dogs. He likes table scraps and head scratches, and he never goes long without wagging his tail.
50: Peter Rork, Dog is My CoPilot: Up in the Air for Animal Rescue & Welfare
Pawprint Animal Rescue Podcast, June 17, 2016
Peter Rork is Co-Founder and Chief Pilot for Dog is My CoPilot (DIMC). He and Co-Founder Judy Zimet have rescued over 4,000 dogs and cats by flying them from high kill shelters in places like California to the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions.
Nonprofits Fly Dogs and Cats to Colorado to Find Forever Homes
Dogs and cats in need of families got off a plane Sunday morning in Centennial. Officials hope those animals will be placed with people in Utah, Montana and Colorado.
More than 40 Dogs to be Flown to Idaho to Find Forever Homes
The San Antonio Pets Alive!’s transport program provides an outlet for dogs facing euthanasia at city shelters.
“The real hero isn’t the guy flying the dogs to safety, it’s the people who walk into the shelter every single day and deal with those animals,” said Peter Rork, the pilot, founder and president of Dog is my Co-Pilot.
San Antonio Homeless Dogs Flown Northwest for Adoption
Dr. Peter Rork, pilot and co-founder of Dog is my CoPilot, coordinates with San Antonio Pets Alive! staff members and volunteers as they put more than 40 former stray dogs on his Cessna bound for Idaho.
It was a bittersweet time Tuesday, just before dawn at Kelly Field Airport, for medical care technician Michael Belmarus.
Belmarus had to say goodbye to a chow mix named Aisling that he’d fostered for the past six weeks.
Nonprofit brings animals from overcrowded shelters to the Wood River Valley
‘Dog Is My CoPilot’: Taking Animal Rescue to New Heights
As often happens in life, tragedy turns into blessing. When Peter Rork’s wife passed away six years ago, her death gave the breath of life to thousands of dogs and cats which would otherwise have been euthanized.
‘Dog Is My CoPilot’: Giving New Lives To San Antonio Strays
It’s the pre-dawn hours at Port San Antonio Kelly Field and the scramble is on.
The challenge is to fit 49 dogs in their kennels into a single engine plane, a Cessna Caravan.
Flying Abandoned Animals to Safer Havens
“We fly animals — 80 percent dogs and 20 percent cats — from about 20 source shelters, where they are in danger of being euthanized because of lack of space, to some 62 receiving animal rescue organizations where these animals are more likely to be adopted.”
Dr. Peter Rork, co-founder of Dog Is My CoPilot
Dr. Peter Rork—a retired orthopedic surgeon and pilot who co-founded Dog Is My CoPilot, an organization that flys shelter animals to different parts of the country, boosting their prospects of being adopted—recalls his lifelong love of flying, taking his first lessons at age 12.
October 16, 2017- New Mexico shelter pets get second chance
October 16, 2017- Local non-profits fly abandoned pets
October 12, 2017- A new leash on life for hurricane-hit pets
October 7, 2017- Dogs and cats from Texas arrive in Boise
October 6, 2017- Pets lost in Hurricane Harvey fly out of sate for new lease on life
October 6, 2017- Over 50 Hurricane Harvey animals find new homes in the northwest
October 2, 2017- Animals, Rescued From Hurricane Harvey
August 30, 2017- DIMC Story of flying Korean Meat Dogs to Idaho
August 26, 2017- 406 Bark- DIMC Magazine Article page 6
August 25, 2017 – Plane full of dogs rescued from kill shelters arrives in Billings
August 25, 2017- Homeless dogs get a second chance at finding a forever home
August 3, 2017- Rescued dogs, cats down to Colorado to find forever homes
August 3, 2017- Animal Rescue Organization Gives Dogs A Second Chance At Life
August 3, 2017- Rescue Dogs From South Plains Take “Flight for Life”
August 3, 2017- Dogs rescued from crowded NM shelters travel to forever home in Colo.
August 3, 2017- Dozens of dogs rescued by plane from high-kill shelters
August 3, 2017- Adoptable pets take flight to find home
June 21, 2017- Korean Dogs Avoid Ending Up On The Menu
June 14, 2017 – Dog Is My CoPilot helps 54 Texas canines get to new Idaho homes
June 13, 2017 – San Antonio volunteers send 54 dogs to homes in Idaho
June 13, 2017- Over 50 dogs from a San Antonio kill shelter land in Boise to find a forever home
June 13, 2017- SAPA! Dogs Take Flight to ‘Forever’ Homes
June 5, 2017- “I like dogs better than most people I know”
June 2, 2017- Dogs rescued from S. Korean meat farm arrive in Boise
June 2, 2017 – More dogs pulled from the depths of the South Korean dog meat trade
June 2, 2017 – Twelve dogs rescued from South Korean backyard dog meat facility
May 15, 2017- PUP, PUP, PUP….AND AWAY!
May 12, 2017- Dogs Take To Air to Find New Homes
May 12, 2017- Pets Alive, Dog is My CoPilot and Atlantic Aviation Transport dogs from San Antonio to Idaho
May 12, 2017- Dozens of dogs taken to Idaho for better chance to find forever homes
April 19, 2017 – These animals flew out of Long Beach Airport for a chance at life, thanks to nonprofit
October 13, 2016 – Flying puppies make the life-saving trek to the heartland
October 13, 2016- Dog Is My CoPilot transports animals after natural disaster
October 7, 2016- Bakersfield shelter dogs flying to Idaho to find new homes
September 15, 2016- Shelter to house canine flood victims
September 10, 2016- Dogs Stranded after Louisiana Flood of 2016 flown west
September 9, 2016- Dog is My CoPilot flies dogs from Louisiana shelter to Hailey
September 9, 2016- Dogs in diaster zones have safely arrived in Idaho
September 8, 2016- Pilot flying dozens of shelter dogs out of disaster zone
May 6, 2016 – Plane brings pups a brighter future
May 6, 2016 – Giant plane rescue saves dogs from high-kill shelters
May 5, 2016 – Unwanted pets find new homes in ‘dog-friendly’ Utah
May 4, 2016 – Nearly 100 rescue dogs flown to Colorado to find new homes
May 4, 2016 – 95 Rescued Animals Arrive In State’s Largest Airlift
April 12, 2016 – Pups on a plane: Man flies to save 49 furry friends
March 18, 2016 – Colorado rescue groups airlift Roswell, New Mexico dogs
October 20, 2015 – Denver Dog Resuer Taking Animals From SE NM
August 21, 2015 – 28 Chihuahuas from Arizona adopted in 90 minutes at Idaho adoption event
March 19, 2015 – New Mexico rescue dogs travel to forever homes in Utah and Colorado
March 18, 2015 – Group tries to save NM pups
March 16, 2015 – Exchange Dogs Fly Into Oakland
December 25, 2012 – UPDATE 2012: 161 ‘littles’ from California find homes in Montana
August 16, 2012 – Groups work together to find dog a new home
April 15, 2012 – Bingham County dogs head to new homes in Montana
The Jackson Hole Connection
Flying Our Furry Friends to Their Forever Home with Peter Rork
Second Act Stories
Animal Rescue is Dr. Peter Rork’s Second Act
Rotary Club of Chicago
Dr. Peter Rork — Dog Is My CoPilot
Calling All Creatures
Dog Is My CoPilot
FIREBREATHINROB
Former Doctor Flying Around The Country Saving Over 20,000 Animals And Making Sure They Get Adopted
Sporty’s Fast Five Podcast
Episode 7: Backcountry flying and family airplanes, with the RAF’s John McKenna
August 8, 2021
Dogs In This Town by Cody Melville
June 18, 2021
Maximum Health: “Quality Living” Radio
Dog is My CoPilot Founder, President, and Pilot, Dr. Peter Ernest Rork on Saving Mans Best Friend and Building Families One Flight at a Time
Dog is My Copilot Founder, President, and Pilot, Dr. Peter Ernest Rork is a retired Orthopedic Surgeon that is Saving Mans Best Friend and Building Families one Flight at a Time. For over a decade Dr. Rork has answered a National calling to save thousands of dogs a year. Dog is My Copilot transports dogs that would be euthanized to shelters that would never euthanize and homes looking for a new friend.
Dan May
Forever Home
Philadelphia singer-songwriter Dan May has six critically-acclaimed albums and his music has appeared on radio, in television and film, as well as orchestral performances and his warm baritone and folk-pop songs with their rootsy embellishments that “brim with hooks and heart as well as intelligence and grace” have been embraced by live audiences from coast to coast.
February 2, 2021
The Long Leash with James Jacobson
Best Day of Their Life
How do you find your heart’s work in the middle of heartbreak? James Jacobson finds out by speaking with Dr. Peter Rork, pilot-turned-orthopedic-surgeon-turned-shelter-dog-rescuer. The founder of Dog Is My CoPilot traces his personal history and how it intersects with the personal histories of the thousands of dogs he’s flown to their forever homes. Along the way, you’ll get glimpses of wild mountain ranges and bluebird skies. Fly high and listen in for a conversation that perfectly captures what it is to be a human who loves dogs.
September 13, 2020
Something On My Mind Podcast
Dr. Peter Rork Talks About His Charitable Organization, Dog Is My CoPilot
David and Cindy interview Dr. Peter Rork, the co-founder of Dog Is My CoPilot. He created a charity where used his own airplane to fly dogs and cats to adoption shelters to save them from being euthanized. He has saved over 15,000 dogs and cats over the past eight years.
July 27, 2020
KGEZ Radio Kalispell, Montana
Peter Rork Interview on KGEZ Radio
April 17, 2023
El Paso Animal Services Partners with Dog is My Copilot to Save More Lives
May 22, 2022
31 San Antonio Pets Alive! dogs are flying to their new homes this Sunday, May 22, 2022 with Dog is My CoPilot
August 19, 2021
San Antonio Pets Alive! Dogs Really Can Fly!
May 28, 2021
Dogs and Cats Take Air to Find Homes
March 25, 2021
Dog Is My CoPilot Prepares for Powerful Texas Flight in 2021 with 50+ Furry Friends on Board and Headed to Their New Homes
September 2, 2020
Dog Is My CoPilot’s 16,000th Passenger Lands a Fresh Start
at the Animal Adoption Center
July 24, 2020
Dog Is My CoPilot Celebrates Saving 15,000 Animals
November 7, 2019 Petco Foundation
Local Organization, Dog Is My CoPilot, Honored at the Petco Foundation Lifesaving Awards
September 24, 2019 San Antonio Pets Alive!
Dogs Soar to Forever Families in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming Thanks to New Petco Foundation and Dog is My Copilot Partnership
August 5, 2018
Dog Is My CoPilot reaches its goal of saving 10,000 lives
June 20, 2018
Summer Solstice is the First Day of a Sunnier Life for Homeless Pets
October 31, 2017
Dog Is My CoPilot transports their 8,000th passenger
September 26, 2017
Dog Is My CoPilot transports animals impacted by Hurricane Harvey
August 3, 2017
Flight for Life from NM to Colo. & Utah
July 31, 2017
DIMC Saves 7,000th Passenger
June 21, 2017
Animal Rescue Flight
May 2017
Twelve Dogs Rescued From South Korean Backyard Dog Meat Facility
