Pilots and Paws, Saving the Lives of Innocent Animals

EverythingDogBlog #186: (Nearly) Wordless Wednesday: Pilots 'n Paws, A Promising Partnership

It’s Raining Cats and Dogs And We’re Flying Dogs and Cats

The other week, I wrote all week (five times) about my (mis)adventures ‘rescuing’ a four-pound three-legged poodle named Pierre on his way to the Poodle Rescue of Vermont, thanks to a wonderful organization called Pilots and Paws (PnP).

Since this is (Nearly) Wordless Wednesday, and since I had promised to feature the Pilots and Paws logo, here we go!

The Need

What could be better than the marriage of pilots who love to fly and dogs who need transportation to new homes – and the countless people who bring them together.

The Logo

Designed by a pilot, the PnP logo says it all, with a small plane superimposed on a paw print. Shop here for logo products and the new book, Radar’s Dream, for children.

To read a review of the inspiring book for adults (with plenty of dog and plane photos), Dog is My Co-Pilot, click here.

Pilots and Paws - PilotsnPaws - Pilots 'n Paws

An idea conceived almost by accident in 2007, Pilots ‘N Paws has grown exponentially to transport dogs and other needy animals mostly from the South and Southeast, places of high density homeless pupsters, to the MidWest and Northeast, where dogs are dearly wanted.

Pilots ‘N Paws is a 501(c)(3) organization so the pilots are true volunteers of their time, fuel, and planes. Thousands of pilots have registered to save dog-lives, flying short hops of a hundred miles to longer flights of more than two thousand miles with some requiring up to 10 legs, including automobile shuttles.

Each pilot in the air and the myriads of dog people working on the ground are truly “angels in the sky” for these very lucky and very deserving dogs.

Sponsored by Subaru* (“Love. It’s what makes a Subaru.”) and Petmate (for kennels, collars, leashes, and seatbelts), Pilots n Paws is a ‘paw-worthy’ organization!

(logo courtesy of Pilots and Paws)

*For a cute Subaru story, read this EverythingDogBlog    

His future's so bright, he may need to wear sunglasses!

EverythingDogBlog #184: Day Five of Five Blogs about Rescuing Dogs

Pierre, too tired to complain about having to wear pink!

One Happy Poodle Pooch, thanks to Pilots 'n Paws and Poodle Rescue of Vermont

Thanks to Pilots ‘n Paws for helping transport Pierre the Poodle from South Korea to New England, and the Poodle Rescue of Vermont for fostering him, Pierre is available for adoption. Meet him here.

He is the world's happiest toy poodle and gets along well with the two other canines in his foster family. About a year old, Pierre has already experienced so much in his life: he was left in a high-kill Korean shelter with a terrible injury to his front leg. There was no other choice but to amputate his leg, as the injury was old and the bone exposed. He had been on the streets for perhaps a month.

Pierre and Pal

Although he only has three legs it does not slow him down one bit: he hops around like a little white bunny rabbit. Pierre is an adorably happy and energetic boy-dog who loves everyone he meets! He will be evaluated by physical therapists and given exercises to increase his core strength. He is a possible candidate for a prosthetic device as well.

Too pooped to walk. Gotta be carried!

(Photos courtesy Poodle Rescue of Vermont) (This first appeared in the Maryland Patch online newspapers on 11 July 2014.)

The CUR Occurs (Canine Underground Railroad)

EverythingDogBlog #183: Day Four of Five Blogs about Rescuing Dogs

Peek-a-Boo Pierre!

Background: I had agreed to 'overnight' a three-legged four-pound rescue poodle coming in from Korea on his way to New England, and to transport the dog to the Eastern Shore airport for the next leg of his Pilots ‘n Paws flight the following day on his way to Poodle Rescue of Vermont. But - where would we spend the night and who could I get to go to the airports with me?

Enter Diana

The clincher was when I just happened to mention the situation brief to a small-dog friend of mine near the Shore who immediately offered not only her small-dog expertise but also her house for the night, thus saving me hours of driving a pup in rush-hour traffic. I grabbed the offer. I had wanted to visit them for a long time and here was my excuse.

Glitches or Glitchless?

The dog survived. And so did I. It was not a totally glitchy experience. . . .

I arrived at the airport very very early (before afternoon rush hour) and hung out at the Cell Phone Waiting Lot for my call that the American schoolteacher from Korea with Pierre the Poodle had landed and met up with her parents from New Jersey.  (whew!)

Shades of Subaru

My contacts were waiting for me at door 14, a door I knew well since it is right outside the USO where I volunteer three times a month.  I had told the mother I was wearing an orange T-shirt and driving a green Subaru (“Dog tested. Dog approved.”) wagon.

I couldn’t believe her next question! “What shade of green is your Subaru?” (I had no idea – just green.)

The Last of the Glitches

The hand-off went off without another glitch – for me or the poodle. Pierre had flown from Korea via Detroit in a soft-sided crate in the passenger section of the plane with Jennifer. He turned out to be a real cutie-patootie! Unfortunately, the schoolteacher had lost her wedding ring in Detroit and was on the phone with Detroit at the moment attempting to locate it.

I placed the crate beside me in my little Subaru, and Pierre and I took off. After about a mile, I turned on the air-conditioning only to find it NOT working on the hottest day of the year so far, so I unzipped Pierre’s crate to allow him more breathing room and . . . he tried to escape.  I needed another hand – rush-hour traffic, trying to read a map AND contain a little dog who didn’t want to be contained. Warning: don’t try this at home!

I feared if he managed to climb into the back seat, I might never find him and I recalled the time I drove a clingy Aussie on my lap through New York City on his way to his new Massachusetts home. The only way to do that is at 3 am, I soon found out!

We arrived at my friends’ house with their three little dogs and they fell in love with little Pierre. Thank goodness!

What’s for Supper?

We went on several little walks (found out Pierre was not exactly house-trained but would ‘go’ if he was outside). My friend Diana also discovered that Pierre preferred the kibble they fed their dogs but, even more than that, he devoured two plates of filet mignon!

Sleeping Soundly

Pierre slept soundly in his crate beside me on the couch and we set off for the ‘scary bridge’ just after daybreak. It was not so scary after all.

Over the River and Over the Bay Bridge

As a matter of fact, the Bay Bridge was a breeze, though, without a navigator, I missed the turn into the airport twice!

Pierre and I arrived even before the airport staff and met some early pilots. It turned out we probably saw little Pierre’s little plane land but didn’t realize it. We spent a few minutes in the air-conditioned pilot’s lounge and then sat under a shade tree. When the pilot called me on my phone, I looked up to see him approaching by foot on the tarmac so I handed Pierre over the fence and that was that!

Pierre was on his way to his new life and I was on my way home in a car registering 104 degrees.

Would I Do it Again?

And now, the question is: “Would I do it again?”

“You betcha!”

Tonmorrow: Pierre's Future is so Bright. . . . 

(Photos courtesy Poodle Rescue of Vermont)(This first appeared on the Maryland Patch online newspapers sites on 10 July 2014.)

Poodle Rescue of Vermont: The Logo

EverythingDogBlog #182: Day Three of Five Blogs about Rescuing Dogs – (Nearly) Wordless Wednesday: De-Lightful Dog Logos

The Poodle Rescue of Vermont actually overflows into other states such as Rhode Island and Connecticut and Massachusetts.

“Helping Poodles, Helping People, Creating Families”

“Poodle Rescue of Vermont (PRV) is a 501(c)3 non-profit that strives to help poodles that find themselves in need. Our geographical area is not fixed to Vermont. We pride ourselves in helping poodles worldwide!”

The Logo Itself

Across a green background of the map of Vermont strides a poodle, walking straight off the computer into your life and into your heart.

Other Poodle Rescues (like here in Maryland)

In Maryland, perhaps the Mid-Atlantic Poodle Rescue would be more convenient for you!

Next Wednesday: The Pilots ‘n Paws logo!

Tomorrow: Finalizing the details

 (Logo courtesy Poodle Rescue of Vermont)(This originally appeared on the Maryland Patch online newspapers on 9 July 2014.)

The Saga of Pierre Continues!

EverythingDogBlog #181: Day Two of Five Blogs about Rescuing Dogs

Pierre Before

Rescue Arrangements (and second thoughts)

Details, details, details - and more details!

Emails and phone calls flew fast and furiously for the next two weeks between the Poodle Rescue of Vermont, pilot Mark from Pilots ‘n Paws, the schoolteacher traveling with the little dog, and Yours Truly. Not that it takes two weeks to arrange all the arrangements in a regular CUR run (Canine Underground Railroad) but this little dog turned out to be a four-pound three-legged dog from Korea! (See his "Before" and "After" photos.)

And After!

Why my second thoughts?

1. We don’t use air-conditioning at home so I looked for a friend with a screened-in back porch that the dog and I could sleep in (to avoid mosquitos). No luck.

2. I also looked for someone to drive me to the airport to pick up the dog during rush hour (so I could handle the dog during the ride). No luck, though I did find a couple of folks who could take me to the airport a few hours later.

3. I inquired if the Pilots ‘n Paws pilot could fly into the Laurel airport or the one at College Park. No luck. The pilot does not fly into the Washington, DC, area often enough to go through all the hoops and paperwork necessary for air space clearance over the capital region. The closest general aviation airport (other than the large BWI airport) was just over the Bay Bridge on Kent Island. Over the SCARY bridge, the bridge deemed to be the one bridge in the country that more people try to avoid. Oi ve!

4. Then I thought all would not be lost if I could fly with the dog and return, thus finally flying with Pilots ‘n Paws, something I had always meant to do – at least for the last couple of years so I could write about it. No luck. The pilot was flying down from New England just for the little poodle.

5. And finally, I tried to find someone to accompany me to the Eastern Shore to arrive at 7 am which meant fighting first week of summer vacation and all the people trying to get to Ocean City vacations! No luck. We might have to be on the road by 4 am. . . .

So, of course, I agreed to help out with the transport!

Why me?

I had registered with Pilots ‘n Paws as a volunteer a couple of years ago but had not been contacted until now – that is how the poodle–people found me living near BWI. (The one thing I did do for PnP was to review a book about their ‘work,’ Dog is My Co-Pilot.)

So, Why not?

(Tomorrow: More about Poodle Rescue of Vermont)

(Photos courtesy Poodle Rescue of Vermont) (This article first appeared in the Maryland Patch online newspapers on 8 July 2014.)

A Dog for A Day: It Takes a Village to Rescue a Pup

EverythingDogBlog #180: Day One of Five Blogs about Rescuing Dogs

Pierre! (credit Poodle Rescue of Vermont)

The E-Mail Cometh

The e-mail at first looked just like all the other numerous emails I receive from dog rescue groups sent to a whole hoard of people, asking for assistance in transporting a dog somewhere. Yes, I opened it and, like always, gave it a quick glance.

You Have Been Selected. . . .  

And, lo and behold, it was not sent out “en mass” to a bunch of us dog people but just sent to lil’ ol’ me and only to me. Hmmmmmm. Quite a personal touch. This had never happened before. They must really need ME.

How could this be? And who/what is the Poodle Rescue of Vermont? I am not a poodle person and don’t live in Vermont (although I’d like to – live in Vermont, that is. I’m a lab and golden person.).

It turns out the dog in need had medical issues (was recently post-operative which is why they contacted me) and was being sponsored by a poodle rescue in Vermont. We live in Maryland but fairly close to BWI (Baltimore Washington International Airport) where the pupster would be flying in to, awaiting another flight* (thanks to Pilots ‘n Paws) to New England and thence to a foster family and finally his forever home. The pup needed an overnight stay before meeting his next flight. Ah, that is something I might be able to do. Especially for a little dog. Why not start my transport career small?

More Information, Please

So, I pondered awhile – actually not long - maybe five minutes - before I replied saying that I could probably help out but need more info.

That was the beginning of my having A Dog for A Day. . . . albeit a poodle, but a dog nonetheless!

*Pilots and Paws is a volunteer organization of pilots and other volunteers who donate their flight time to transport animals in need. 

(Photo courtesy Poodle Rescue of Vermont) (This first appeared on www.ColumbiaPatch.com and the other online Patch newspapers in Maryland on 7 July.)

A Logo that is Over The Moon Cute! (for [Nearly] Wordless Wednesday - De-Lightful Dog Logos)

EverythingDogBlog #179: A Logo that is Over the Moon Cute!

Over The Moon Cat and Dog Training in Oklahoma

Love the Logo!

Why Blue?

Laurie Korte chose blue for her Over The Moon dog training logo because she loves the peaceful messages that the color blue sends out. She believes in building better relationships between pets and their humans.

Why a Paw?

Her logo is a paw on top of a moon. EverythingDogBlog saw it as a cat paw (no claws – but Korte did not intend it to be a cat paw) which also identifies Over the Moon as one of the few cat training (as well as dog training) companies.

Why the Moon?

Over the Moon Dog Training Services is named after Laurie’s dog, Moon-pie, an Australian cattle dog mix. See Moon-pie on the website here.

Philosophy: Personal Attention, Maximum Results

Located in Broken Arrow, OK (near Tulsa), Korte of Over the Moon wants to help people understand and live more peaceably with their cats as well as their dogs. She uses only 100% humane training methods, backed by science.

Over the Moon Training provides respectful, individualized training to its clients, using methods that promote mutual understanding for both clients and their companion animals.

Check it all out at www.OverTheMoonDog.com, especially the specialty – Moon Home School!

(This first appeared on www.ColmbiaPatch.com and the other Maryland online Patch newspapers on 2 July 2014.)

Local Event: Canine Massage

EverythingDogBlog #178: Canine Massage Again!

(credit: www.DogisGood.com)

The Canine Massage Seminar was so Cool in the Merry Month of May, We are Going to Repeat it in Hot July!

You asked for it, you got it!

In May, the Columbia TimeBanking organization (under the auspices of the Columbia Association in Maryland – basically the city government) sponsored a canine massage seminar and workshop.

Some folks were able to attend both sessions while others could only make it to one.

Here is your chance to learn what you missed or to attend both the seminar and workshop – we will be repeating both in July! July 14th for the seminar and July 21st for the workshop. Both these dates are Mondays. Both will be evening sessions.

Canine Massage Seminar

The seminar consists of a PowerPoint presentation about the benefits of canine massage on healthy dogs (to enhance the bond between you and pupster, for one) and information on different massage strokes with time to practice them on each other or on the largest stuffed animal you can find to bring! (no live dogs, please, since we are indoors).

Canine Massage Workshop

The workshop, the following week, is held outside. Feel free to bring your dog-friendly and people-friendly pooch to practice on (though, no doubt, you have been practicing some strokes during the week). I will review strokes and talk you through a massage routine.

And More!

At both sessions, we have brochures about dogs, as well as door prizes.

For more information and to register, call 410-884-6121.

See you there!

(This article first appeared on ColumbiaPatch.com and the other Maryland online newspapers of Patch on 1 July 2014.)