聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Carlyle's Blair Andrew has combined his love for flying and his love for animals to become an airborne animal rescuer, as a volunteer with Pilots N Paws Canada.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The registered charity 鈥渨orks with responsible rescue organizations and shelters across Canada that are looking for help to transport their animals. Air transportation helps get the animals to their destinations much faster and under less stress than the traditional ground network systems,鈥� according to Pilots N Paws' website.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Volunteers can transport vulnerable animals by piloting their own aircraft or by volunteering to transport them as a 鈥淧ETSCORT鈥� as a passenger on a commercial flight.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Andrew's most recent rescue was Grace-n eight-year-old Staffordshire Terrier who had been abandoned in Ontario-which he carried out under Pilots N Paws PETSCORTS program.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Pilots N Paws founder, Gini Green says, 鈥淏lair has volunteered with us piloting his own plane, but this time he helped us out as an airline passenger. He really was awesome this time. It was such a difficult situation, because this eight-year-old Staffordshire Terrier was abandoned to the streets.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵ou can imagine how traumatic it was for this dog. Older dogs are much more difficult to place for adoption. When Blair answered our call for assistance, it suddenly became easy for us.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏lair usually flies out of Carlyle for us, but he was in Toronto for a board meeting and he went above and beyond for us. His Air Canada flight wouldn't allow him to fly with Grace, so he changed his schedule and booked a flight with WestJet, all for the sake of this dog.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗e's a busy man and he not only went to the trouble of re-booking his flight and changing his plans, but he also incurred the extra cost of another plane ticket.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗e flew with her from Toronto to Winnipeg and then drove to Carlyle and even kept her overnight at his home,鈥� adds Green. 鈥淭he next day he flew her up to Saskatoon in his own plane and brought her to the good folks at the Saskatoon SPCA.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏lair went above and beyond our initial request and he's a great example of what great people our pilots are. These pilots are busy, busy people and we do issue them a tax receipt for fuel costs, but they spend much more-in time and money-on our behalf.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Andrew-who flies a Cessna 210- is matter-of-fact about his work with Pilots N Paws, saying: 鈥淲ith the flying side of it, it's a matter of whether it fits into my busy lifestyle. If I can help, I do.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 started working with Pilots N Paws three years ago. I heard about the organization from a fellow pilot. My son Carson and I did (a flight) two years ago from Winnipeg to Regina in my plane. It was a mature dog like Grace.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵ou don't have to be a pilot to help or even an animal lover,鈥� adds Andrew. 鈥淵ou can just agree to have the creature ride on your ticket, through Pilots N Paws PETSCORT program.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ith Grace, I saw the post on Facebook. They needed to get her to Saskatoon, where the SPCA there had agreed to take her. I ended up taking her all the way-which wasn't a big deal, because I was heading to Watrous to pick up some parts for one of our businesses, so it was only about an extra hour or less into Saskatoon.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽鈥淯sually, it's not a case of getting the animal from A to B,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t's more likely to be a case of getting them from A to A and a half, but this time I was able to go the extra mile and I was happy to do it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ith the PETSCORT program, it's pretty simple and it's no extra cost to the traveller and you don't have to be a pilot,鈥� says Andrew. 鈥淎s a pilot, we often jump in and decide it's a great day for a fly or to accumulate some more flying hours, or both.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Green says that Grace's trip west was due in part to the province of Ontario's legislation regarding the banning of certain breeds of dogs.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's what the Ontario government refers to as 'bully breeds,'鈥� she says. 鈥淭he list of breeds is so extensive and it goes province-wide. And it includes terriers, like Grace.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淕race probably would be euthanized if it wasn't for Blair,鈥� says Green. 鈥淚nstead, this dog has a chance at a new home.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n the case of Grace, the name really suits this dog's personality-such a gentle spirit,鈥� says Andrew. 鈥淚 was happy to help.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪o many of our pilots depict the character of what we want to believe is good about us as people,鈥� says Green. 鈥淭hat is defending those who don't have a voice. Animals can't defend themselves, but when I see people like Blair who step in and help; I'm so grateful.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 can't thank him enough.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For more information on Pilots N Paws, visit their website at: www.pilotsnpawscanada.com. 聽
