Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Volunteer pilots save death-row pound pets through charity

NAPLES, Fla.- Some pet-loving pilots are helping save the lives of pound pups by giving them a lift to no-kill shelters. More than 2,700 volunteers fly for the charity Pilots N Paws, which helps deliver death-row dogs and cats to shelters with extra space.

Eight-year old pound pup Terry has an extra skip in his step as he saunters around Naples Humane Society. The stray's life was saved with just hours to spare last Friday.

"He was actually set to be euthanized the next day," Naples Humane Society Executive Director Michael Simonik said Tuesday.

The Cairn Terrier's knight in shining armor is volunteer pilot Jeff Bennett of Pilots N Paws. The group rescues death-row dogs, cats, and even reptiles from overcrowded pounds and flies them to no-kill shelters across the country.

"A lot of the shelters that we fly for are very rural areas in Georgia and Alabama, even some areas of Florida. Essentially, when a dog goes into one of these shelters, it's almost a death sentence," Bennett said Tuesday.

Naples Humane Society is currently at capacity. Still, they managed to make room for 63 Pilots N Paws pets since the charity started in 2008.

"They're moving from California to Texas, from Alabama to Florida, from Florida to Minnesota. So animals are moving all over the country that are highly adoptable. There's no reason to put them to sleep when they can find homes very quickly," Simonik said.

Terry's transport marks a milestone for Bennett. The loving lapdog is Bennett's thousandth rescue in just four years.

"In a way it's overwhelming. I never thought I'd be able to move this many," Bennett said.

Terry's stay at the no-kill shelter will likely be short. The Humane Society hopes to place the pup in a wag-worthy forever home soon.

"We hope he gets adopted pretty quickly because the quicker he's adopted, the more we can bring in from Collier County and places around here and elsewhere," Simonik said.

Terry the Cairn Terrier is now up for adoption. He's available at the Naples Humane Society's satellite adoption center in Naples' Coastland Mall.

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