The Ryan Newman Foundation

The Ryan Newman Foundation is excited to play a small role in the fourth annual Pilots N Paws event taking place in Monroe, North Carolina on Saturday, September 29th.

Pilots N Paws is a national nonprofit program that gives animals a second chance one flight at a time. This unique program brings together planes, pilots and shelters to rescue and transport dogs, cats and other animals from overcrowded shelters, relocating them to organizations committed to finding them homes.

The weekend of September 28, pilots and other volunteers will participate in the Pilots N Paws “Dog Is My Copilot” Rescue Flyway, aimed at relocating hundreds of animals from North Carolina, to shelters and fosters in other parts of the country including D.C., Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, and New Jersey.

With the help of the Pilots N Paws website, rescuers and foster homes in high-kill areas are able to locate their counterparts in areas of the country where high-kill rates are not the rule. These no-kill shelters then make space for the animals being rescued. The sending and receiving pair team up with a volunteer pilot, who provides transportation.

There are currently 62 planes scheduled from around the country to arrive on Friday. Volunteers will set up crates and stage them on each plane for each animal. Every bit of space is used in order to get all on board and on their way to their new homes. 32 groups are on the receiving end and many of the animals already have families waiting.

The Foundation is sending each group receiving the animals supplies to use for the care of the animals they are generously taking in. We are looking forward to see this amazing event and hopefully play a bigger role in future events.

To help make this life-saving, heart-warming event a success, many more volunteers are needed. Opportunities include:
• Pilots – Register online to fly pets from shelters to their foster or forever homes.
• Short- and long-term foster homes – Take care of pets, ranging from overnight stays en route to extended periods, while adopters are found.
• General volunteers – Local shelters always need help walking dogs, cleaning cages and filing paperwork.

Pilots N Paws is a 501(c)(3) organization, so pilots’ expenses relating to transport flights are tax-deductible. Over 2,800 pilots fly for Pilots N Paws, which allows the program to serve as excellent example of the critical role general aviation plays in our everyday lives. For more information, or to help out with the Pilots N Paws “Dog Is My Copilot” Rescue Flyway, visit www.pilotsnpaws.org.