COOL pilots

Pilots N Paws, started back in February of 2008, is a program that flys animals in shelters scheduled for euthanizing to no-kill shelters that have the space to take them in.

Pilots in the program donate their time, planes, and fuel to fly dozens of animals a month several states away from the overcrowded shelters they are in to shelters that commit to find them permanent homes.

Within months of the program starting nearly 85 pilots had signed on and nearly 200 dogs flown to a variety of shelters and rescue groups. The number of private pilots volunteering at their own expense now totals over 1,000 and the number of animals transported is over 1,000 as well.

Each flight costs hundreds of dollars in fuel alone, which doesn't take into account the cost of routine maintenance and other operating expenses. Michele McGuire, a small-plane pilot who pays her own costs states, "Doggy kisses are worth the cost of a gallon of fuel." Another pilot, Nick O'Connell expresses that transporting these pets is rewarding beyond his wildest dreams.

Dawn Thompson, a volunteer who has taken in and re-homed over 100 dogs a year for the past 18 years, sees another benefit to Pilots N Paws, "the dogs that arrive by plane rather than ground support don't have stress that two days on the road creates, and that makes them almost instantly adorable."

So, Pilots N Paws Pilots, here's to you-keep flying high, stay positive, stay generous, and STAY COOL!

If you would like more information on this COOL program-Pilots N Paws-visit http://pilotsnpaws.org. At least check out the video "I Will Care For You"-Lyrics by: Jory Gora and Performed by: Andrea Stolpe, it shows you some of the pilots along with some of the animals they have rescued-it is inspiring and COOL!

What do you think of the efforts of Pilots N Paws and the pilots that make it work?