'It’s a happy day for us': How these SC dogs and cats got a second chance at finding homes
GEORGETOWN — A small plane landed at the Georgetown County Airport to pick up its usual passengers — dozens of dogs and cats at risk of euthanasia.
Dogs of all colors and sizes were led on leashes or carried in the arms of volunteers to rows of crates positioned in front of the plane. Then the crates were loaded one by one and strategically arranged to make room for all the animals. When the dogs had boarded the plane, the cats were loaded in too.
A total of 30 dogs and six cats from Georgetown were on the flight. Most of the animals came from Saint Francis Animal Center, and some had been transported from the Pet Orphans Miami shelter.
The plane, piloted by volunteers with the nonprofit Pilots to the Rescue, flew the animals to shelters in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania where they will have a better chance of finding a home.
Shelters in the Northeast have fewer animals than those in the South, largely because they have easier access to spay and neutering services and stricter animal licensing laws, said Suzanne Roman, the interim executive director at Saint Francis.
When she worked at a shelter in New Jersey, people often lined up outside the shelter waiting to adopt an animal, she said. But Southern shelters struggle with overcrowding, which can lead to animals being euthanized when the shelters reach capacity.
"Here, we’re bursting at the seams. It’s really, really bad," Roman said.
Transporting animals to the North gives them an opportunity to find high-quality homes. Some animals go into foster homes, and others spend time in shelters that have more resources to care for them.
Before Saint Francis partnered with Pilots to the Rescue, shelter volunteers drove between 11 and 16 hours to transfer animals. Now, they can be transported in three to four hours by plane.
Vikingur Thorsteinsson and Jason Oliver are pilots who volunteer with Pilots to the Rescue. Dressed in bright blue flight suits and baseball caps, they carried dogs and shifted crates to prepare for loading animals into the plane.
Flying animals across the country is a fulfilling way to spend their time, they said.
”It’s pretty awesome when the dogs and cats get up North and you see that they’re in a place where you know they’re going to find a family," Oliver said. "It’s a special thing to be able to do as a pilot."
Thorsetinsson said he’s convinced the animals can tell they’re headed toward a brighter future. Dogs that boarded the plane shaking and nervous often leave it with wagging tails, he said.
Pilots to the Rescue has grown since Thorsetinsson and Oliver joined, and the organization has plans to continue expanding. It hopes to buy another plane and to eventually do air transport flights every day. At the moment, they're able to do roughly three flights per week.
Michael Schneider, founder and head pilot of Pilots to the Rescue, said the overcrowding issue in shelters has lessened thanks to the work of shelter volunteers and the Pilots to the Rescue program.
It's satisfying to see animals be adopted into loving homes, he said. Especially when he's been following their journey every step of the way.
"So that's really the reward at the end of the day, doing this work, because I can tell you, running a charity, you definitely don't do it for the money," he said. "But you feel like you're making a difference, and you have a sense of purpose."
Staff members at Saint Francis said it can be challenging to see so many dogs and cats stuck in shelters, but watching them take off on a plane bound for better opportunities gives them a sense of hope.
“To see them finally go off to something positive— it’s a happy day for us,” Roman said.
