Pilots To The Rescue News
January 2025 was a very special month for Pilots To The Rescue: We rescued 62 homeless cats, 115 homeless dogs, and oh yeah... IT'S OUR 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!
We embarked on our first mission in 2015, and we've since flown more than 30,000 miles and saved more than 3,600 animals from euthanasia. And it's all because of YOU and your support. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for being the wind beneath our wings.
On that note, we are also happy to report that several animals we rescued in January have been adopted!
In this month’s newsletter, you can meet some of our paw-ssengers from this month, along with their new families. You can also learn a few new tips for keeping your adopted dog busy indoors.
PTTR Helps 5 Dogs Find New Homes in NJ
In our first rescue of 2025, PTTR Top Dog Michael Schneider took to the skies for a huge rescue of 23 dogs and 7 cats. Accompanying Michael in the cockpit were co-pawlet MacKenzie Brendlen and animal-loving social media content creator Freddie Luberto.
The trio first touched down in Georgetown, South Carolina, to pick up the animals from our trusted partners at Saint Frances Animal Center.
Next, they flew back to PTTR’s home base of Essex County, New Jersey, where the animals were received by four very generous shelter partners: Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in Hanover, New Jersey, Hudson Valley Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in Arlington, New York, Happy Homes Animal Rescue in Old Bridge, New Jersey, and Freedom First Rescue in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Thanks to the extraordinary promotional efforts of Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, at least five of these dogs are currently settling into their fur-ever homes!
PTTR Rescues Dogs from Horrifying Animal Cruelty Case
Stout, one of the 13 dogs we rescued on January 15th, was originally discovered in a massive animal cruelty case in Grady County, Oklahoma in which hundreds of animals were found in a filthy residential property. Multiple Pittbull ad Rottweiler mixes were chained outdoors in the blistering cold, nearly starved to death.
Following a raid from the Grady County Sheriff’s Office, Stout was put under the care of the Humane Society of the United States, which worked with PTTR to find available space for these poor pups. PTTR's Ground Operations Manager, Albert Picewicz, first drove down to Maryland to retrieve Milky Way and his fellow paw-ssengers. He then drove more than 500 miles back up north to Stratham, New Hampshire, where the pups were received by staff members of the New Hampshire SPCA. As of now, two people have been arrested in relation to the animal cruelty case.
25 Dogs from SC Get a New Chance at Life in Philly
Ready for a cuteness overload? On January 26th, PTTR Pilot-in-Command Paul Mamauag got behind the controls of Big Paw for an urgent rescue of 25 dogs. Accompanied by co-pawlet MacKenzie Brendlen, Paul flew to Hilton Head, South Carolina, to pick up the dogs - which included two litters of newborn puppies - from the Hilton Head Humane Association. With their furry cargo in tow, the pair then flew more than 700 miles up north to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Waiting to greet Paul and MacKenzie were volunteers from our longtime partners at Rylie’s Rescue.
Below, you can meet just a few adorable paw-ssengers from this mission: Yogi, Campbell, Twinkle, Mitchum, Marty, and Sebastian!
Adoption Tip of the Month
While some dogs prefer to relax and lay down indoors, others require a little more mental stimulation. One of the most popular ways to keep dogs busy indoors is treat-dispensing toys, which are designed to keep dogs engaged for hours on end. Here’s a few tricks for making this game last even longer.
Put your dog’s next meal in a treat dispensing toy - such as a stuffed KONG toy - and seal it with a tasty filler, like peanut butter, canned pumpkin, or yogurt. This will make them work a little harder (and get plenty of mental stimulation) as they get closer and closer to their breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Want to buy yourself some additional quiet time? Hide your treat-dispensing toy and let your pup try to find it.
You can even FREEZE your treat-dispensing toy after you fill it, which means your dog has to stay engaged with the toy until their treat thaws.
These activities allow your dog to build some serious brain power while you relax at home.
We're Not Slowing Down: Are You With Us?
We’re just one month into 2025, and we’ve already saved more than 175 souls! Imagine how many more we’ll save if we maintain this momentum throughout the entire year. At this rate, we’ll not only meet our goal of saving 2,500 souls, we’ll breeze past it.
The only contingency is the loyalty of our community.
Your support has gotten us to this point, and we couldn't be more grateful. Now, we want to soar even higher and take a big bite out of animal cruelty. Together, we can keep 150+ homeless dogs and cats out of danger each month.
To help us make this happen and become a vital part of a truly wonderful cause, visit pilotstotherescue.org/support.
Every contribution - no matter how small - helps us save more innocent animals from euthanasia.
