Nearly two dozen dogs and cats from a South Carolina shelter have been given a second chance at finding a home, thanks to Pilots To The Rescue. The New York City-based nonprofit organization flew animals from an overcrowded South Carolina shelter to rescues with space in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where they have a better likelihood of being adopted.
Now entering its tenth year, the organization has saved 3,289 animals at risk of being euthanized during its 270 missions.
In 2014, Michael Schneider discovered that two groups of puppies were to be euthanized because there wasn’t any room at their local shelter. He and another pilot flew to North Carolina to pick up the puppies and brought them to shelters with room to spare. The following year, Pilots To The Rescue became a reality.
Along with saving at-risk shelter animals, Pilots To The Rescue helps during disasters, such as Hurricanes Milton and Helene. The organization moved animals from multiple shelters affected by the storms to shelters able to accommodate the animals in states not impacted by the hurricanes.
Courtesy of Kelsey Dubinsky / The Hartz Mountain Corp.
According to Schneider, a larger organization already on the ground will typically contact them, asking them to pick up animals from point A and deliver them to point B by flight or ground transportation. They use their diesel Mercedes Sprinter van almost as much as their aircraft, and have an army of dedicated volunteer drivers that assist with driving the animals.
“Everybody asks how they can get involved,” Michael Schneider told Lady Freethinker. “If you have a vehicle and you’re willing to drive, all shelters need that service — especially down south.”
Over 900,000 animals are euthanized every year in the US, often because of shelter overcrowding. Pilots To The Rescue is making a difference, bringing animals who may be in overcrowded shelters and at risk for euthanasia, to a new location where they can finally get noticed and find their forever homes. And with a new, larger plane nicknamed “Big Paw,” Pilots To The Rescue is eager to be able to carry larger groups of animals on more missions for years to come.
Lady Freethinker applauds Pilots To The Rescue for saving so many precious lives. Thanks to the organization, thousands of innocent animals have a second chance.
.png)
