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Pilots N Paws

First PnP Mission is a Doozy

When David Tan decides to get involved, he sure goes all out…

My first PnP mission went off great! I’m amazed how we managed to get 5 legs to work together flawlessly.

I flew from Middleton, WI (C29) down to Lee’s Summit, MO (LXT) to pick up the above poodle and a Chihuahua to take to Milwaukee, WI (MKE). We were supposed to have two more chihuahuas, but the breeder got spooked when we asked for crate dimensions and only brought one. I could have flown all 3.

Dogs in flight to Milwauke.

At MKE, the dogs were met by Mary Hall who will be fostering the chi and keeping the poodle.

In the meantime, Sean Berry picked up a bat in Anoka, MN to fly to Milwaukee. The bat had suffered a serious wing injury and is non-releasable. Sean handed over the bat, and I flew the bat to Columbus, OH (CMH) to stay the rest of his life with Ohio Nature Education where humans will tend to his every need.

Sean hands over the bat

Brian Renn flew two orphaned cats (owner died in an accident) from Cincinnati, OH (LUK) to Columbus. The bat got off and the cats get on my plane. I flew them to Waukesha, WI (UES) to their new adopter. Then, it was finally home to C29.

Two cats with their new adopter.

Long day, 10 hours flying for me, 2 dogs, 1 bat and 2 cats got to their destinations! Sean and Brian made legs two and three work. Very satisfying work!

I’m looking forward to doing more missions,
David

11 thoughts on “First PnP Mission is a Doozy”

  1. Michele Williamson says:

    I have a female chihuahua , 8 lbs and approx. 1yr. and not spayed yet. II had to move to a smaller apt. and don’t feel good about having to leave “lady” inside most of the day because of my job. “Lady” was a rescue and she needs a family who can love her and walk her regularly. She has developed some separation issues. Please help me find her a safe and secure loving family. I will miss her but I realize it’s best for her. I saw a story about PnP and thought this was a wonderful idea. Living in Sheboygan, WI it is difficult to find good homes for pets. That’s why I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS LITTLE LADY in the first place and now have to give her up. It hurts to do this but this loving pup needs security.

  2. kathryn says:

    David,

    I just saw a story about Pilots n Paws on the national news. Several years ago I flew a commercial flight from Minneapolis airport to Memphis and then took a connecting flight to Mobile Alabama where I met a couple who couldn’t keep a beautiful Border Collie pup they’d rescued froma terrible car accident. They had found a generous Vet who performed surgery on the little guy for $200 which was all they had.

    It was July and therefore there was a ban on flying animals comercially from the lower Southern states because of excess heat. I then rented a car in Mobile, and I and the puppy drove up to Birmingham where we spent the night and then took a flight back to Minneapolis in the morning.

    I tell you this story because I searched the internet to find a way to transport my new dog to Minneapolis to no avail. I felt fortunate to be able afford to make trip to him. I knew that if I hadn’t, he wouldn’t have found a home in that small community where he was rescued.

    I’m so thrilled to learn that there are now angels flying in the skies saving other creatures like my precious dog, Duncan. It’s very hard to place these guys in certain locations as you know. Thank you for being one of those angels! I know your kind act of charity will be repaid many times over.

  3. Elise Marmon says:

    I saw your program featuring your animals and would love the opportunity to adopt one of these dogs. How do I go about adopting one?
    Thank You-
    Elise Marmon

  4. LeticiaE20 says:

    You should spay the dog. That should be the first thing on your list. You are risking more unwanted dogd, millions get put down every year because people are irresponsible and don’t fix their pets. Contact your local shelter they may have a inexpensive project. People need to realize that a pet is a lifetime commitment and need to take into account lifestyle changes..and the cost with that. Never bring into your home a pet that you cannot envision providing for until the end of it’s life. That means finding apartments/homes where the the pet can also live, even if it costs more.

  5. Susan Metzler says:

    Nicely done, David!

  6. DeEtte says:

    thank you David for taking on a much needed and wonderful cause. May God bless you as you continue to fly always. The animals need you and you did not disappoint. 🙂

  7. Gail says:

    To Michele, google Chihuahua rescue and your state and you should find some groups that will help you with your dog. They will take it in and foster it and find it a good home. The first thing though, I agree is to have her spayed so the rescue doesn’t have to bear the expense for it.
    To Elise, go to http://www.Petfinder.com or http://www.adoptapet.com and search for your next dog. You should be able to find a dog that will love to share your life. Usually it is rescues that will schedule the flights to get dogs moved around the nation so they can be saved and adopted.
    To Leticia, sometimes people’s lives change and there’s nothing they can do about it. It’s much better an idea that someone finds an appropriate home for a pet that they can’t properly provide for rather than let it languish without the care it deserves. Our job as rescuers is not to judge but to help the pets that need us no matter why or how they ended up needing us.
    Thanks again to PnPs for the wonderful, caring and generous flights they do that make such a difference in the animals and the people’s lives. Up up and away to a new life!!

  8. David Tan says:

    Kathryn,

    Thank you very much for your story and kind words!I had already been flying our cats a few years before finding out about Pilots N Paws. I had to fly one from Madison, WI to Aurora, IL for radiation therapy, and flew my plane to Oshkosh and Colorado Springs to bring two of the rescued cats we adopted home. It was the fastest and least traumatic way to move them. Many of the transport flights we do at PNP cannot be done realistically in one day on the airlines simply because the hub and spoke system they use makes it impractical. Private aviation is a blessing we enjoy in America and I’m glad that we can help animals in this way–a tiny gesture to in some way ameliorate the awful cruelty the world inflicts on these helpless creatures.

    David

  9. Kathy Adams says:

    David, you are certainly an angel. Many more happy flights to you and your precious cargo.

  10. Jim C says:

    David,

    We have a mission pending and we’re looking for a midwestern pilot to fill the first leg. Might this be one you’d tackle?

    http://www.pilotsnpaws.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19316

    Jim

  11. Dena says:

    @Michele Williamson – if the dog was a rescue then you need to contact the shelter/rescue that you adopted her from. You most likely signed a contract that you would contact them if you could no longer keep the dog.

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