Dogs Helping Humans, Again

In case you needed to be convinced that dogs and humans share a special bond, here is something that brings together two of my loves: Dogs and Soldiers. If you ever doubt or know someone who doubts that Americans rise to the challenge when it's needed, read this story from the Orlando Sentinel.

A man named Dave Cantara (who was a volunteer for the most excellent organization Patriot Guard Riders) formed a group called Patriot Rovers, and he professionally trains dogs to be therapy companions for soldiers suffering from post tramatic stress (I purposefully leave off the word disorder! It's their "new normal."). Kyle Evans, Purple Heart Recipient and Iraq War Veteran, lives in Orlando, Florida with his family and Mr. Cantara trains his dogs in North Carolina. None other than Pilots N Paws flew Marley (a dog trained by Mr. Cantara) to meet his new family.

In the span of one article, three citizen led and run organizations have risen to the challenge before them.
Oh, and Marley was a rescued dog!

(Photo credit:  Jacob Langston, Orlando Sentinel / June 8, 2011 )

Army veteran Kyle Evans stands with his family as he watches "Marley" walk toward them at the Orando Executive Airport on Wednesday afternoon, June 8, 2011. He received the golden retriever service dog from Carolina Patriot Rovers, Inc. The organization provides service dogs to veterans diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel)

 

"I knew this could be an alternative way to help these soldiers," Cantara said. "This program provides hope for soldiers like Kyle and other wounded warriors. The dogs are a calming influence at their side. They give the constant unconditional love and reassurance the soldiers need."

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From Pilots N Paws website:

 There are literally hundreds, perhaps thousands of animals who need to move out of the New Orleans/Gulf Coast area. These are perfectly healthy animals who through no fault of their own have ended up in a shelter. Many had families who loved them and are direct victims of the oil spill disaster. Their owners have lost their jobs, their homes, have no income and are barely surviving. They are turning their animals over to various shelters and rescue groups to at least give their pets a chance at finding someone to care for them. As we all know, euthanasia is a fact at many shelters, some as many as 900 a month right now which is of course totally unacceptable.

Full article:
http://pilotsnpaws.org/2010/08/pilots-n-paws-gulf-coast-rescue-flyway-pilots-planes-and-volunteers-helping-the-animals-of-nola/

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Pilots N Paws -- another one for "Thank-God-This-Exists"

via the San Francisco Chronicle:

Shelter pets escape death row by plane

A few lucky shelter animals are taking to the friendly skies in search of a better life.

With the help of volunteers, like pilot Jeff Bennett, Pilots N Paws transports pets from overwhelmed shelters to communities, often ones with higher median income, where they'll stand a better chance of getting a new "leash" on life with an adoptive family. The pilots generously donate their time, planes and fuel to the cause.

Bennett, 50, is a retired Florida Keys businessman with a Cirrus SR22 and a soft spot for homeless dogs. His most recent "mission" brought the total number of animals he's relocated for Pilots N Paws to 124, which, in addition to dogs, includes a menagerie of snakes and lizards, a chicken and a potbellied pig. He's been volunteering with the charity for about a year.

According to an AP article, Pilots N Paws is seeking to transport 5,000 animals to safety in a flurry of flights this week designed to raise awareness of the charity and draw attention to the importance of spaying and neutering.

Pilots N Paws was founded in February 2008 when a Knoxville, Tennessee pilot named Jon Wehrenberg offered to fly his friend, Debi Boies, from her home near Greenville, South Carolina, down to Florida to pick up a Doberman Pinscher she wanted to adopt from a rescue group. Wehrenberg wondered if there might be a regular need for such a service.

The answer turned out to be an enthusiastic yes. Moving animals from high-kill shelters around the country is not new for rescue groups, but the process usually involves long, exhausting car trips.

The Pilots N Paws website currently serves as a forum where shelters and rescue groups can connect with volunteer pilots. More than 680 pilots have already transported thousands of animals — many of them rescued from death row at overpopulated, high-kill shelters in Southern states, where people are less likely to sterilize their animals.

Learn more about Pilots N Pets and how you can help.

Read more: http://www.pilotsnpaws.org/


xoxo