SALT LAKE CITY -- A flight for their lives
“These dogs have been through a lot and now they're wondering, OK, now what?” said Peter Rork, president, founder and pilot for Dog Is My CoPilot, Inc.
Traveling hundreds of miles from New Mexico to Utah.
“There's always one that won't be quiet, and I had one on this flight today, he yapped all the way,” Rork said.
The plane full of pups landed in West Jordan Wednesday afternoon.
“I have flown hundreds and hundreds of dogs into this airport,” Rork said.
Rork says he has always been a dog person and the proof is in his plane, which is packed with dogs from overcrowded shelters.
“They call them shelters in the south, but how can you call a place a shelter when they're killing up to 80% of all the dogs coming through door?” Rork said.
If these dogs aren't picked up in a couple of days, the otherwise healthy and adoptable animals are put down. So Rork hauls the dogs on the euthanasia list off to a state where they'll be taken care of.
“Utah is great, Utah is great with their dogs,” Rork said.
After a long flight, the local no-kill shelters take over from here.
“It takes a village, and Utah does a really good job with pet overpopulation,” said Marianne Dennison, a Volunteer for Utah’s CAWS.
It's a lot of work to handle the dozens of dogs from young and old to big and small, all flown across state lines.
“Rescue knows no state boundaries, and we do our best to help any dog in need,” Dennison said.
All these dogs once facing euthanasia are now finding a forever home.
“For every animal that they save they save two: the one they save and the one that takes its place,” Rork said.
Now Peter's plane is off to pick up more pups.
“This isn't a dog problem, this is a people problem: and the people need to step up and take responsibility,” Rork said.
While all the dogs have been through a lot, they were so lovable and friendly. Rork has flown almost 10,000 dogs and cats out of overcrowded shelters. You can find out more about Dog Is My CoPilot, Inc. by clicking here.
The dogs will be up for adoption in a matter of weeks atNo-Kill Utah's Super Adoption event.
