Shelter dogs get a second chance at life after plane ride

Dr. Peter Rork talks Humane Society director Stacey Frisk inside the cargo area of the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan used to transport homeless dogs.

Fourteen shelter dogs are a getting a second chance at life after hopping a plane ride from Hobbs, New Mexico to the Logan-Cache Airport early Wednesday morning.

Dr. Peter Rork brought 60 dogs to Logan and dropped 14 dogs for the Cache Humane Society in his 208B Grand Caravan used to transport homeless dogs. He has a couple more stops before returning to his Jackson home.

After landing on the runway, volunteers transferred the animals to a van, then it was a quick drive to the Cache Humane Society for some much-needed care.

“First thing is obviously potty breaks,” said Cache Humane Society Director Stacey Frisk, who was there to greet the dogs as they were unloaded from the plane. “After that, we are looking at bath time, vaccines, and full medical intakes to get them ready for adoption.”

The dogs came from an overcrowded animal shelter in Texas. They would not have survived had Frisk not found kennel space and the compassion to take them in.

“These are wonderful dogs that just happened to end up in a shelter that doesn’t have a ton of adopter demand,” said Frisk. “They weren’t going to make it out, so they are coming here to find homes.”

Two puppies are loaded in the Cache Humane Society van ready to head to their new home.

The dogs were flown to Logan courtesy of Peter Rork, founder of the non-profit organization Dog Is My CoPilot. He has been here a number of times in the past and will continue to drop off shelter dogs to the Cache Humane staff as long as they are willing to house them and put them up for adoption.

Rork’s group has rescued and flown more than 11,400 dogs from high-kill shelters to non-kill facilities in the Pacific and Rocky Mountain states over the past seven years.

“These are perfectly healthy and adoptable animals,” said Rork. “For every dog that’s in the shelter, there’s a human responsible. This is not a dog problem, this is a people problem.”

Dr. Peter Rork stabilizes the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan used to transport homeless dogs.

Long distance travel for many these dogs is not an option, according to Rork. “They can’t put them in a van and drive them two hours to another shelter because those shelters are in the same situation with being overrun,” he explained.

After the Logan drop, Rork will fly his Cessna Caravan and more dogs to shelters in Salt Lake City, then head to Phoenix. From Arizona, it’s off to facilities in Spokane, Washington.

“If you were to drive that, it’s a 20 hour drive. That’s terrible and tough on everybody. We can knock those flights off in two to four hours,” he said.

Rork stresses there are four things people can do to alleviate overcrowding in animal shelters: adopt, foster, volunteer and donate money.

Those who wish to donate to Dog Is My CoPilot can do so here.

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1 Comment

  • Lisa June 27, 2019 at 10:30 am Reply

    Dog is my CoPilot is AMAZING!!!! So many innocent lives saved….together we truly can make a difference! Great story!

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