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Pilots N Paws

Dakota from Athens to San Antonio

A family in Athens, TX purchased two German Shepherd pups from a breeder. After a few months, they decided to get rid of the dogs. They were able to find someone to take one of the pups, but Dakota remained. He had some abscesses, so he was unwanted. The owner threatened to just shoot him.

Fortunately, a conscientious neighbor stepped in and vowed to not let that happen. Jessica fostered Dakota and took him to the vet. Dr. Liz Terry at Athens Animal Clinic donated half the cost of the bill to help get Dakota feeling better. He was still underweight, and Jessica did her best to put some meat on him.

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Jessica and Dakota in Athens

 

Jessica already had a heard of her own, and adding another to the mix was not an option. She started with a phone call to a rescue in California. They suggested she look closer to home at Give a Dog a Home in San Antonio, TX. Closer was still a long way, over 300 miles by car. The two turned to Pilots n Paws.

Give a Dog a Home in San Antonio, TX

Jen with Give a Dog a Home in San Antonio, TX

 

Tanya Card met Jessica at the Athens airport bright and early on a Saturday morning. The folks at Dyson Aviation welcomed the group with a quick-fill up and a few rescue dogs of their own.

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Dakota wasn’t too thrilled about the process of being placed in the baggage compartment, but he never made a peep. One half of the crate had ice packs under the towel in case he was a bit warm.  Go ahead and guess which side of the crate he curled up on.  Not more than 60 seconds after takeoff, Dakota was snoozing in the crate, never to wake up until landing.

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Dakota snoozing at about 4,500 feet. Ah, an ice pillow.

In Austin, Tanya, Anne, and Dakota stretched their legs and got a little water while waiting just a few minutes for LJ Miller to arrive in his Mooney. Once the pup was loaded up again, it was just under an hour down to his final destination south of San Antonio. Good luck Dakota!

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LJ with Dakota

Please think twice before purchasing dogs from a breeder. There are thousands of purebred dogs as well as mixed breeds that need homes just waiting in shelters and rescues across the nation. Check your local shelter, or if you find the perfect dog a few hundred miles away, there are transportation options available.

5 thoughts on “Dakota from Athens to San Antonio”

  1. Jackie says:

    Thanks to all involved for getting Dakota to San Antonio where he’ll have a chance for a new home.

    I have to take slight exception with the comment regarding not buying a dog from a breeder. The warning should be about not buying from an irresponsible breeder who shouldn’t have sold two pups to the same home. A good breeder would have taken them back or rehomed them. Yes, there are lots of dogs in need of rescue but I believe we need purebred dogs too. These pups ended up needing rescue because of the irresponsible person who bought them. Shelter dogs end up in bad homes too because people change their minds and return or dump the dogs. Labels usually don’t come in one size fits all. 🙂

  2. Virginia Erickson says:

    I’m all for rescue, however sometimes rescue organizations have such tough requirements that it’s hard to adopt. That said, I do agree that the dogs deserve the best possible home. I have adopted dogs from an owner whose dog had an unplanned, unwanted litter. The pups were headed to the pound at 5 weeks old. I found homes for 4 of the 8 pups.

  3. Stacey Butler says:

    Awesome job!! Thank you so much for helping our furry friends they are dependent on us to help them!! You make this happen with your unselfish donations!!
    Thank you from the bottom of my heart and from our fury friends!!

  4. sarah tolford says:

    i am appalled by the people who discarded the german shepherd pup due to some easily remedied treatment…now i worry about the one they kept…wish they had given both up…cannot believe anyone would “shoot” a pup…grateful to pilots n paws for rescuing the pup….may he get a good home. God bless you…

  5. sandy says:

    Once again a wonderful journey w/ some guardian angels. Makes me wanna learn 2 fly planes……

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