Re: 3 Advisors here to help
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 12:12 pm
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PNP POSTINGS
1. Go to http://pilotsnpaws.org/ Click on Join Our Group at the top.
2. Once you have registered on the board index, you are ready to post a trip.
3. The first things you need are the zip codes from the sending and receiving rescuers and the weight of the dog.
4. Then go to "Ride Board: Animals Needing Transport".
5. Click on "New Topic" at the top left. In the subject line, put something like this: Atlanta, GA (zip code)to Jacksonville, FL(zip code).There are spaces for the zip codes, so you need to put them in again. In the message area, answer the items.All or most of the animals are in a desperate situation, so you don’t need to focus on that. Be clear and concise. Then submit your post. The submit button is on the bottom of the message.
6. You can estimate about 300 miles for each pilot.
7. After your message comes back up, click on "Map This Request" in red, top left. This will bring up pilot and volunteer information along the route. To just get the pilots (not so cluttered), instead of clicking on “Map This Request” click on the last link on that line, “Other Mapping Options”, then the first link for the pilots.
8. I have found that it is quicker to send out individual e-mails to pilots. They respond faster to e-mails. Scroll down on the left until the little airplane symbol appears next to a username. These are the pilots. The blue balloons are foster volunteers. I just start with the first pilot's username and click on it. This brings up their profile on the right.
9. Click on "View Profile" This will list their e-mail address bottom left.
10. Click on that and send them an e-mail. In the subject line be sure to put PilotsNPaws Request-Beginning Point to Ending Point.
11. I usually word my message like this: Hi, We need to get (dog's name) from ______to ______ to a rescue. (Dog's name) weighs __ pounds. Can you help with this mission? (You could also add if you have a time frame in mind).
12. List your contact info, name, e-mail, phone numbers, rescue affiliation, etc.
13. Copy what you have written before you send it. I always keep notes as to who I send the e-mails to because it's easy to get confused.
14. Then go to the next pilot on the list, follow the same procedure and when you get to the message of your e-mail, just paste in what you have written before. This makes it go much faster.
15. For long trips, you will need to find two or more pilots to fly separate legs of the trip. This takes more coordination and is harder to accomplish, but not impossible. You can estimate about 300 miles for each pilot, so if you have a 1,000 mile trip, you might get it done with 3, but it might take 4. It depends on the pilot and how far he is willing to go. After you hear back from a pilot, ask them how far they could cover. Once you have a pilot that can do one leg, start sending out e-mails to pilots listed along the other part of the route to cover whichever portions you still need. And in your e-mail, tell them you have a pilot for one leg from where to where. I just keep e-mailing pilots. Sometimes I'll send out 10-20 e-mails. Eventually, I'll get an answer that someone can do it. Sometimes I'll get several replies. And sometimes I have to go back to the list and send out more.
16. Once you have a pilot, then you can work personally with that pilot. PNP will furnish free crates and harnesses to pilots if they just request them from co-founder Deborah Boies at [email protected]
17. Someone needs to meet the pilot at the airport with the dog and someone has to be there to meet the plane to pick up the dog. The pilot will need everyone's cell numbers.
18. After I have everyone’s contact information and the trip is set, I send an e-mail to all parties involved and give them the information they need to successfully complete the trip—pilots and sending and receiving rescuers’ names, locations and cell numbers. The pilots will usually call the folks that they will be meeting up with. You can also get the tail numbersof the airplanes and follow their progress on http://flightaware.com/
19. The dog needs to travel ideally with a health certificate or at least proof of rabies vaccine. So tell the sending rescuer to pack a little plastic bag with some dog food, water bottle, a container for the dog to drink out of (like an old cottage cheese container), some paper towels for the pilot in case of accidents or air sickness. And don't feed the dog before flying. Also, if the dog is on medicine, send that with instructions and time of last dose. If you have more than one dog traveling, label the dog with his name and his destination (perhaps adhesive tape to his collar with info written with a sharpie).
20. Keep an eye on your posting by clicking on "View My Posts" at the top of the index page. Sometimes pilots will respond there. Also, when your trip is done, go back and edit your posting by clicking on "edit” and put DONE in the subject line of your posting.
There is a lot of information on the PNP index that will tell you all you need to know if you have the time to read it. But if you need further help, 3 advisors are here to help.
Good Luck!
Susie Cobb
PNP Advisor
1. Go to http://pilotsnpaws.org/ Click on Join Our Group at the top.
2. Once you have registered on the board index, you are ready to post a trip.
3. The first things you need are the zip codes from the sending and receiving rescuers and the weight of the dog.
4. Then go to "Ride Board: Animals Needing Transport".
5. Click on "New Topic" at the top left. In the subject line, put something like this: Atlanta, GA (zip code)to Jacksonville, FL(zip code).There are spaces for the zip codes, so you need to put them in again. In the message area, answer the items.All or most of the animals are in a desperate situation, so you don’t need to focus on that. Be clear and concise. Then submit your post. The submit button is on the bottom of the message.
6. You can estimate about 300 miles for each pilot.
7. After your message comes back up, click on "Map This Request" in red, top left. This will bring up pilot and volunteer information along the route. To just get the pilots (not so cluttered), instead of clicking on “Map This Request” click on the last link on that line, “Other Mapping Options”, then the first link for the pilots.
8. I have found that it is quicker to send out individual e-mails to pilots. They respond faster to e-mails. Scroll down on the left until the little airplane symbol appears next to a username. These are the pilots. The blue balloons are foster volunteers. I just start with the first pilot's username and click on it. This brings up their profile on the right.
9. Click on "View Profile" This will list their e-mail address bottom left.
10. Click on that and send them an e-mail. In the subject line be sure to put PilotsNPaws Request-Beginning Point to Ending Point.
11. I usually word my message like this: Hi, We need to get (dog's name) from ______to ______ to a rescue. (Dog's name) weighs __ pounds. Can you help with this mission? (You could also add if you have a time frame in mind).
12. List your contact info, name, e-mail, phone numbers, rescue affiliation, etc.
13. Copy what you have written before you send it. I always keep notes as to who I send the e-mails to because it's easy to get confused.
14. Then go to the next pilot on the list, follow the same procedure and when you get to the message of your e-mail, just paste in what you have written before. This makes it go much faster.
15. For long trips, you will need to find two or more pilots to fly separate legs of the trip. This takes more coordination and is harder to accomplish, but not impossible. You can estimate about 300 miles for each pilot, so if you have a 1,000 mile trip, you might get it done with 3, but it might take 4. It depends on the pilot and how far he is willing to go. After you hear back from a pilot, ask them how far they could cover. Once you have a pilot that can do one leg, start sending out e-mails to pilots listed along the other part of the route to cover whichever portions you still need. And in your e-mail, tell them you have a pilot for one leg from where to where. I just keep e-mailing pilots. Sometimes I'll send out 10-20 e-mails. Eventually, I'll get an answer that someone can do it. Sometimes I'll get several replies. And sometimes I have to go back to the list and send out more.
16. Once you have a pilot, then you can work personally with that pilot. PNP will furnish free crates and harnesses to pilots if they just request them from co-founder Deborah Boies at [email protected]
17. Someone needs to meet the pilot at the airport with the dog and someone has to be there to meet the plane to pick up the dog. The pilot will need everyone's cell numbers.
18. After I have everyone’s contact information and the trip is set, I send an e-mail to all parties involved and give them the information they need to successfully complete the trip—pilots and sending and receiving rescuers’ names, locations and cell numbers. The pilots will usually call the folks that they will be meeting up with. You can also get the tail numbersof the airplanes and follow their progress on http://flightaware.com/
19. The dog needs to travel ideally with a health certificate or at least proof of rabies vaccine. So tell the sending rescuer to pack a little plastic bag with some dog food, water bottle, a container for the dog to drink out of (like an old cottage cheese container), some paper towels for the pilot in case of accidents or air sickness. And don't feed the dog before flying. Also, if the dog is on medicine, send that with instructions and time of last dose. If you have more than one dog traveling, label the dog with his name and his destination (perhaps adhesive tape to his collar with info written with a sharpie).
20. Keep an eye on your posting by clicking on "View My Posts" at the top of the index page. Sometimes pilots will respond there. Also, when your trip is done, go back and edit your posting by clicking on "edit” and put DONE in the subject line of your posting.
There is a lot of information on the PNP index that will tell you all you need to know if you have the time to read it. But if you need further help, 3 advisors are here to help.
Good Luck!
Susie Cobb
PNP Advisor