Michael Schneider, founder of Pilots to the Rescue, uses small aircraft to move animals from overcrowded southern shelters to New Jersey facilities. On one mission, a Piper Saratoga transported a dog named Cheeseburger and 13 cats. The organization also rescues endangered species like red wolves.
Meet Cheeseburger. Cheeseburger became a shelter dog after she was found as a stray. But now this sweet pup is getting a sweet ride to a new home. Today Cheeseburger is flying from a crowded shelter in the South to an animal rescue center in New Jersey. Saving animals like Cheeseburger is what Michael Schneider's organization, Pilots to the Rescue, is all about.
Pilots to the Rescue is a 501 public benefit aviation organization, and we are known for rescuing animals, but we do all kinds of public benefit flying, medical flights, veteran flights, discovery flights.
Michael has always loved animals and airplanes, and Pilots to the Rescue is a way to combine that love for both.
I always grew up with rescue animals. It was just the thing we did. We went down to the local shelter pound when we adopted a dog or a cat. So I grew up with them, and I have a 90-pound shepherd mix who's a rescue from North Shore Animal League. They're out in Long Island. If I could rescue one from every flight, I would, but I have 4 kids, so it's kind of hard.
GA airplanes are a powerful tool for animal rescue, providing efficient regional transport. On this flight, Michael Schneider flew Cheeseburger and 13 cats in the organization's Piper Saratoga.
General aviation is a great tool for rescuing animals because not all the animals can endure that type of drive. Certainly, there's amazing people doing ground transport, but we can help sick animals, senior dogs, disabled animals, puppies, kittens. They can't always go on a ride that might take 10 or more hours. These animals are facing euthanasia and sometimes they don't have the time to sit in the shelter. You literally have to get them out sometimes in as little as 24 hours. So that's another great reason for using planes to rescue animals.
Michael Schneider's favorite mission flights are the ones where he's transported endangered species.
These are animals that are facing extinction and they affect our ecosystem as a whole. So when I rescue a red wolf, for example, I know that I'm making a huge impact in that red wolf community.
And Michael hopes that Pilots to the Rescue will grow. So more animals can be saved and more people can experience the joy of welcoming a new pet into their home.
Well, there's— animals give unconditional love to their owners, and they're man's best friend, whether it's a cat or a dog or otherwise. And when you're rescuing an animal and you're introducing them into the home, it's very fulfilling to know how much love they're going to give that family. That's the reward for doing this work.
Josh Cochran, AOPA Live.
