In a news segment aired on WJHL11, reporter Clarice Shaley covers a Pilots to the Rescue flight that moved 17 puppies from Tri-City Aviation in Tennessee to Robbinsville, New Jersey, where they will be adopted by Amazing Muttz Puppy Rescue. The segment highlights the nonprofit’s role in alleviating overcrowded animal shelters by transporting animals to regions with higher adoption rates. Founder Michael Schneider explains safety protocols, noting flights stay below 8,000 feet to prevent hypoxia, and that the puppies typically sleep during the journey. The report also touches on broader shelter overpopulation issues, the importance of responsible pet ownership, and varying state laws affecting dog ownership.
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This afternoon, 17 puppies caught a ride at the Tri-City Aviation to New Jersey with Pilots to the Rescue. It's a nonprofit organization that transports animals to different shelters nationally. Clarice Shaley was at the Tri-City Aviation this afternoon to send them off.
Planes fly in and out of the Tri-City Aviation while the Wilson County No-Kill Animal Shelter van waits for their Pilots to the Rescue flight. They say programs like Pilots to the Rescue— that help relieve overcrowded animal shelters by transporting them to other facilities is much needed.
Everybody is overpopulated. They are filling up, and there is no room in the shelters. There's not very many adoptions going out. Um, things kind of have turned to a standstill. They believe there are other ways to help this issue too. But also what helps is the different states and having different laws, um, regarding dogs and your ownership of the dogs and being responsible and a responsible pet owner also help as well.
As their flight arrives and the puppies The puppies are strapped in. Founder of Pilots to the Rescue, Michael Schneider, reassures that the puppies do well on the trip.
And generally speaking, the animals, they just go to sleep because there is less oxygen at the altitudes that we fly at. We can't go above 8,000 feet because that's their ceiling. If we go above 8,000 feet, they become hypoxic and they could die.
He says up north, they work to find these animals a home.
And up in the Northeast where we typically fly them to, they do a really good job at adopting out, uh, rescues. It's, it's in fashion.
In Blountville, Clarice Shaley, News Channel 11.
The puppies were transported to Robbinsville, New Jersey, and they are being adopted out by Amazing Muttz Puppy Rescue.
