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.
The registered charity “works 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,” according to Pilots N Paws' website.
Volunteers can transport vulnerable animals by piloting their own aircraft or by volunteering to transport them as a “PETSCORT” as a passenger on a commercial flight.
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.
Pilots N Paws founder, Gini Green says, “Blair 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.”
“You 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.”
“Blair 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.”
“He'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.”
“He flew with her from Toronto to Winnipeg and then drove to Carlyle and even kept her overnight at his home,” adds Green. “The next day he flew her up to Saskatoon in his own plane and brought her to the good folks at the Saskatoon SPCA.”
“Blair 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.”
Andrew-who flies a Cessna 210- is matter-of-fact about his work with Pilots N Paws, saying: “With the flying side of it, it's a matter of whether it fits into my busy lifestyle. If I can help, I do.”
“I 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.”
“You don't have to be a pilot to help or even an animal lover,” adds Andrew. “You can just agree to have the creature ride on your ticket, through Pilots N Paws PETSCORT program.”
“With 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.”
“Usually, it's not a case of getting the animal from A to B,” he says. “It'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.”
“With 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,” says Andrew. “As 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.”
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.
“It's what the Ontario government refers to as 'bully breeds,'” she says. “The list of breeds is so extensive and it goes province-wide. And it includes terriers, like Grace.”
“Grace probably would be euthanized if it wasn't for Blair,” says Green. “Instead, this dog has a chance at a new home.”
“In the case of Grace, the name really suits this dog's personality-such a gentle spirit,” says Andrew. “I was happy to help.”
“So many of our pilots depict the character of what we want to believe is good about us as people,” says Green. “That 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.”
“I can't thank him enough.”
For more information on Pilots N Paws, visit their website at: www.pilotsnpawscanada.com.
