In this 3.5‑hour livestream, Michael Schneider of Pilots to Rescue documents a rescue flight from Essex County Airport (NJ) to Darlington, South Carolina, where volunteers Alyssa, Jessica, and Stephanie retrieve ten dogs slated for euthanasia. Stephanie introduces each dog, providing names, back‑story, health status (e.g., heartworm positive, recent treatment, spayed/neutered), and rescue circumstances (pound pulls, dumpster finds, foster relinquishments). The team discusses the smooth flight experience, handling of the animals on board, and the logistics of loading and transporting the dogs. The livestream also serves as a fundraiser, noting $200 raised, merchandise sales, and calls for donations and adoptions through the Save Me shelter in Philadelphia. Michael outlines upcoming missions—including a flight to Knoxville, Tennessee, and a partnership with the Bissell Pet Foundation—while sharing the organization’s broader goal of rescuing 1,000 animals this year. The tone is conversational and enthusiastic, emphasizing community support, animal welfare, and the pilots’ dedication to aerial rescues.
Chapters
Michael Schneider here, Pilots to Rescue. We flew from Essex County Airport, our home airport, down to Darlington, South Carolina. Nice flight today, about 3.5 hours. And we're here with Alyssa and Jessica. It's Fly Alyssa, right? Or Alyssa Fly? Fly Alyssa and Jetting Jess, right? All right. And Stephanie is going to be talking about the animals that we're picking up. 10 today going to Save Me in Philadelphia, right? Right. All right, and Stephanie is with Scriven County Animal—
Friends of Scriven County—
Friends of Scriven County Animals. Animals. Just clip that. Oh, you have one?
I have one.
There you go. Let's put the camera— and first, before we get into it, Alyssa here.
Hi!
How was the flight?
The flight was amazing. Um, you know, when we're coming down here to do such a good thing, it just kind of is a feel-good experience. So definitely excited to get these babies home.
All right, all right, Stephanie, who we got here first?
Uh, this is, um, Jamilia, our Jamie. We call her Jamie, but she really knows JJ. Uh, she was pulled out of the pound at the last minute before she was going to be put to sleep, and, um, she's just a really sweet girl. She's lived in a foster home, and it was really hard for her foster to give her up, but she knows if she's going to save more, she's got to let them go.
All right, and next over here, that's George.
So he came back.
Oh, he came back with us, right?
Yeah, he He's been flying all day.
To go around the side, maybe we'll get here. This is Lily.
This is Lily. Say hi, Lily.
Say hi.
She knows more about Lily than I do. She, she actually rescued Lily.
Lily was rescued from, um, a family that let her have over, what, 30 puppies? And her and her sister went to the pound. And we pulled him out from the pound, and we've had her since. She loves to talk.
You're such a good girl.
She's a very sweet girl.
She's very sweet. She loves to ride.
She'll go around the side.
You've got— do we have over here?
Here, do we have over here?
Benny!
Hi, Benny!
Uh, Benny came out the pound at the last minute before he was going to be put down too. And, uh, he is— he's just a loving little guy.
Yes.
And then right over there, that, um, that is Rambo. Rambo came out the pound also, and, uh, he was heartworm positive. So most dogs get put down because they're heartworm positive, but he's just a really good boy.
Okay, that's your dog, right?
Yes, that's my little Clovepaw. Up there will be, um, that is Maple. She, her and a couple of her little friends were thrown out at the dumpster, and, um, she's a— she's been in a foster home and she's doing really well now.
Look at those ears.
Yes.
Big antennas.
Yes.
These are the ones, the 3 that can go together, right?
Right. Those are, those are around 5, 6-month-old puppies. They were all thrown out. They were starving to death when we got them.
So you nurse them back a little bit?
Yes. Yeah, we've had them a little bit, put some weight on them.
Hi.
All right, excellent. And I think that's it, right?
No, we've got one back there. Her name is Sadie. She's a Porner mix. Let me get this out. We've got another one up there too. Um, but she, she's a Porner mix and she went through heartworm treatment last week too. She's super sweet girl.
All right.
Yeah, these, these are—
all right, you got the warble going on.
Yeah. And then up here we got— oh, quit with him. That is, that is Marley, and she's— she came out of the pound. She was— I had her— I did not know that she was spayed. They opened her up and she had already been spayed, and she's heartworm negative, and she's a really good girl. You miss.
Yeah, yeah, let's get Jessica over here. All right, we're gonna go over to Jetting Jess, who's playing with Rambo, right? All right, we can ask you a couple of things about the flight, and then we're gonna load the puffers up.
Here, I'll just hold it.
Okay.
How was the flight?
So the flight was really good.
I felt like it was super smooth, and then even having George in the back on a tether, he was so well behaved, and he obviously knew we were coming.
He liked it.
It was a good flight.
You're coming all the way from Phoenix, right?
Coming all the way from Phoenix, yeah.
So we cruised through Salt Lake City and a little bit of complications up to the border, but overall super worth it after seeing these guys. Awesome.
Join Alyssa.
Oh yeah, taking a little potty break. Are you having just the best time?
Potty break.
Great.
All right, I'll take that back here so we can load them off.
Are you having the best time?
Here's Alyssa.
Hi.
Who do you got here?
One I have.
Oh, okay.
Yep.
Awesome.
Just taking a little potty break.
Okay, we're gonna sign off now and head back up to New Jersey. Again, these 10 dogs can be adopted from Save Me. Save Me is in Philadelphia, and if you like the dogs you see, please contact them. I'm sure my social people will put them in the, in the comments. I see we raised $200 from the livestream. Thank you very much, whoever donated. Really appreciate it. It doesn't tell me who donated. Perhaps I can find that out later, but it's much appreciated. Paid in full, you said you wanted one of the dogs. Again, save me. I don't see any other comments, but I really appreciate everybody joining. Oh, looks like Pilot Annie joined us. She joined— she came on a flight not too long ago. Annie, if you know Jessica and Alyssa, they say hello. And John, you're welcome, happy to do it. Sierra, we all love dogs. You're in good company here. Uh, let's see, scrolling through the comments real quick. And, uh, really appreciate it. We're gonna load up the 10 dogs and head back to Essex County. We got another flight tomorrow with Fly With Bruno, and originally we're gonna go to Knoxville, Tennessee. I think the weather and the minimums are such that we probably have to adjust that, but we'll see. And tomorrow we're rescuing animals for Bissell Pet Foundation, still doing, uh, rescues, getting dogs out from Ida, I believe. Thank you so much for joining, really appreciate it. Please share this livestream, donate if you can, and you can always buy merchandise. We got these cool hats and these cool shirts on the website. Still raising money for that caravan, need to raise another half a million to a million. Looking like it's going to be next year. Until then, we'll keep flying this little plane and rescuing as many animals as we can. Our goal this year is 1,000, and we're well on our way. Talk to you soon. Thank you very much.
