Rescue Tails

Maryland to California
2011 July through September 

Lost in Maryland when a disingenuous person took money from the owner to care for these dogs and then dropped them at a shelter as strays, these two dogs pined for their family for weeks until she found them, thanks to the internet and Facebook.  Then the challenge was to get them to California.  Six people worked to get them to New Orleans, where we kept them for a week and then flew them back (with our two dogs plus two rescue chihuahuas) to California.  The ecstatic reunion was a sight to behold!  Here's a photo of their first sight of mom, and at a fuel stop in Roswell, New Mexico:

NEW VIDEO!  A week after the reunion, watch Gunner and Cain and their new canine friend Ginger playing on a California beach with their human family!  Happy Happy!!  Makes all the work of rescue worthwhile for happy endings like this one!  

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Read more: Gunner and Cain - A Very, Very Long Journey Home, and the Happiest Reunion Ever!

20110730 Saturday

Los Angeles, California to Edmonton, Canada

This was a beautiful and exciting rescue flight!  A bit too exciting in terms of winds and afternoon thermal turbulence for me to take my hands off the controls to snap any photos of the gorgeous Sierras, Cascades, and northern Rockies -- but trust me, they were sights to behold!  Hansen (the poodle) seemed particular entranced with it all, and he was often standing on his hind feet right behind me gazing out at the scenery.   But let's start at the beginning before we get to the excitement...

Read more: Ten lucky dogs from death row to Love in Canada!

Update 2011 Jun 15:

Little blind Candy kitty -- now "Princess Di" -- is HOME in British Columbia, Canada!

Thanks to Continental Airlines, good weather, and the persistence of the wonderful couple who has long wanted to provide for this very special kitty, Candy got her needed flight and is now in the arms of her ever-loving human family!
This is one of those stories of humans' real commitment to saving and tending the life of an animal.  They and Candy waited for months for weather and flights to come together to make this happen.   Thank You, Carol and David!!

Here is an update from Carol with more photos of Princess riding to and then fitting right in to her forever home, at last with her Mum and Dad!

Read more: Blind kitty from Indiana to British Columbia

2011 Apr 03 Sunday

Finally it looked like we had a narrow window of good weather for this flight.  This San Diego family had relocated to Whidbey Island, Washington nearly two weeks ago and had left their lovely fur family in boarding, waiting for On Wings Of Care to return from the Gulf to fly them north.  But when we returned to California, there were cold fronts one after another hitting the Pacific Northwest and bringing down rain and snow and icy clouds, making it impossible for us to fly the brood northward. We still went to the boarding kennel to meet and 'free' the two giant dogs 'Rascal' and 'Lady' (about 280 lbs between them),  and kept them at home with us for a couple of days, along with their three cats -- 'Marvin', 'Jet', and 'Liz'.  The fur kids were happy to be out of the boarding kennels, and the dogs especially loved the walks and attention from us for a couple of days.  But like all beings with hearts and loved ones, there is no place like home with family; these fur kids were definitely pining for their human family.    

They took up most all of the airplane!  The cats in a large kennel in the far back of the cabin (back seats removed), and Rascal and Lady with the rest of the cabin to themselves.  Rascal is an absolute treasure of a dog heart.  A big guy, looks like a cross between a NewFoundland and a long-haired shepherd, with a sense of responsibility and quiet dignity and a grateful but proud nature.  We found him quite extraordinary (and would take a puppy from his lineage some day!).  And Lady is lovely and lively, a huge package of love and emotion.  Marvin, the orange tabby cat, was leader of the three cats and quite the sociable, talkative one.  Liz and Jet were not pleased with the whole situation, appreciated being held but otherwise just wanted to curl up and try to forget that this whole ordeal was even happening.

Read more: Two Giant Dogs and Three Cats Reunited with their Human Family on Whidbey Island, Washington

2011 April 03 Sunday

Two chihuahuas were scooped from a shelter just hours before their scheduled euthanasia because no one had adopted them.  "Betty" is somewhere between five and eight years old, quiet and sweet, with a painful but repairable tooth problem:  her lower 'fangs' protrude upward and outside of her upper gums, resting in her jowls.  And she had large 'pockets' just like people tend to get at their gumlines. A kind rescuer in Bremerton, WA offered to take her and get her dental repairs done.  

Her flying partner "JellyBean" is under a year old, no problems at all, just young and not yet found by her forever family!  We flew both up to Bremerton, WA today, along with a large family of dogs and cats headed to Whidbey Island (see Two Giant Dogs and Three Cats Reunited with their Human Family on Whidbey Island, Washington).    It was a long day of flying, with 30-kt headwinds that made for slow progress and a fair bit of turbulence, plus a descent through icy clouds when we finally reached the Seattle area.  We couldn't make it back to CA that day, spent the night in Chehalis and headed south through rainy Portland and finally back to sunny California the next day.

Read more: Chihuahuas Betty & JellyBean Fly to Bremerton, Washington in Search of Homes

Hounds abandoned and left to live on their own for four years in Alabama!  Now re-tamed and ready to go to a forever loving home in Arizona

Updated 2011 Mar 31 -- Rescue Accomplished!

This was one of the happiest surprises and experiences ever.  These two 'wild' hounds figured out immediately that this was all love and all for them, and went from wary to the most affectionate, responsive, grateful and eager dogs we've ever met.  After a six-hour car ride from Birmingham, they arrived in New Orleans mid-afternoon Thursday.  We were prepared for an arduous day and night before the flight, thinking that these dogs might want to escape at every chance and might kill the first cat or rabbit or ?? they saw.  Not what we found!  They were obedient and quickly relaxed with us, and within two hours of having them in the car and at home with us, we realized that far from unruly and vicious, these dogs were extraordinarily intelligent, strong, affectionate, and eager to be part of a pack -- our pack!  They stuck to us like glue, warmed up and became total lovebugs, were polite to the max when we gave them food and water, and won our hearts so completely that we cried like parents watching their children go off to college when we had to leave them with their new humans in Payson Thursday night! If we both did not have dogs of our own already that needed full attention, these precious hounds would have had a home with us forever.  The sanctuary "Tara's Babies" who received them from us in Arizona will adopt them out  -- so if you're interested, drop them a line!  Here are photos and video from before the flight, and photos from the flight and delivery in Payson Thursday night.

Read more: Wild Hounds from Alabama to Arizona

2011 Mar 16

Romo, the handsome young dog with the heart problem who was rescued from a high-kill shelter in California, was flown to his forever home in Young, Arizona today! They will have him neutered under very careful supervision, when veterinarians think it is safe to do so. And for the rest of his happy life, he will have family and excellent socialization with other dogs in this special sanctuary called "Tara's Babies."                           One of his new aunts, Karen, is shown here in the truck at Payson airport when she came to pick him up. Romo was accompanied by another very lucky young canine, a one-year-old dachshund named "Stanley" from central California!  On the drive down to Los Angeles, Stanley had been put in a plastic crate.  He quickly chewed his way out and thereafter sat next to the driver as sweetly as could be.  Stanley wants only love and compansionship -- and proper respect due a dog of his stature! He was just as sweet in the airplane (of course we didn't even consider trying to put him in a crate!).  Romo we DID put in a crate, so as to be sure that he remained still, for the sake of his heart.

Read more: Romo's Heart finds a Haven in AZ, and Stanley does too!

Update 2011 Apr 14

Things are looking up for all of these rescues!  The two chow lovebugs, now called 'Romeo' and 'Juliet' have stayed together.  Juliet had her orthopedic surgery and her head has mended, and both have been neutered.  They're out in Santa Paula, CA at a rescue that will keep them together, and they are romping and playing in their wide open space and loving human caretakers.  One of the veterinarians at the animal hospital where Darling was recovering fell in love with her and adopted her!  And Daphne is in a very special 'daycare' where she is becoming a perfectly socialized young lady.  Soon she'll be as lovely in attitude as she is physically, and she will make someone a very special dog indeed.  Many thanks to all of you who have donated directly to Animal Rescue Center in Los Angeles to help these wonderful four-leggeds and the people at ARC who give so selflessly 24/7!

Update 2011 Mar 06

This was an arduous rescue with an unforgettably happy ending -- or near-ending.  Lives were saved, lovers reunited, torturous wounds healed.  But now four of the sweetest dogs need homes:  Two devoted chow mates, Lady Blue and Old Gold; a ridgeback-pit mix so sweet that she has earned the name "Darling"; and a young, shy shepherd-hound mix now named "Daphne" (formerly called "Lady Dom" for where she was rescued).  All are neutered, healed, and waiting for humans who want their affection and loyalty!  Lady Blue had her complicated orthopedic surgery Feb 25 and is now almost fully recovered from that and her head wounds.  Darling's open and infected lacerations on her side and front leg are now healed.  And Daphne has been spayed and fed well so that she is now a sleek and lovely young lady.  Please help us find them homes!  Their intriguing stories are given below.  Here are some photos from late February and from the touching reunion of the two chows.

Read more: Gardena Chows & Hounds

UPDATE 2011 MAR 21

Sam is again in a foster home near Antioch, CA, with a woman who adores him, where On Wings Of Care brought him on Mar 6 from San Diego.  She takes care of many dogs at her house and kennel, but Sam has found a special place in her home -- and a special girl of his own! We've just heard that a golden retriever gal about Sam's age began flirting with him, and the impact on Sam has been heartwarming!  The two are inseparable these days, and their foster mom has just about decided that these two lovebugs are home to stay.  We'll post a photo of the two of them as soon as possible.

Read more: Sam Chow finds home at last -- and romance!

(Seeupdate 2011 Apr 08 below:  Magic has become a gentle gem and still needs a home!)

Transport: 2011 Feb 09-12

It's almost impossible to understand why people hoard cats and small dogs and fail to care for them, but imagine someone hoarding St. Bernards and not caring for them!  That's how Buffy and Magico ended up together in a shelter in Van Nuys -- unaltered, dry skin and poor coats, sores around their necks. The network of rescuers in California had the cyberwaves hopping for these two special beings.  

Read more: Saints Buffy & Magico get their wings

2011 Jan 31

You  know something's fishy when 50 pit bull terriers show up at one shelter, and they all share similar features and show signs of neglect and poor nutrition.  The story we got was that an irresponsible pit bull breeder had been allowing his dogs to in-breed and was cited by the local police for having too many dogs in his kennels, so he began slowly dropping them off day by day at the local shelter to avoid paying penalty fees.

Read more: Over 50 Pit Bulls At Shelter in Lancaster, CA

The weather forecasts gave us one day of good weather for our small plane to make it from southern California to Washington with a plane full of cats and dogs who had been rescued from death row and were being offered love and forever homes in the Pacific Northwest.  

Read more: New Year's Rescue: 33 cats and dogs to the Pacific Northwest

2010 Dec 23

Lucky had just finished six months in the Gulf volunteering with his Mom "Miche" helping with cleanup and recovery from the oil spill.  They were flying back home to California in time for Christmas with family; but just before their scheduled departure, Lucky got lost!  Miche was unable to delay or reschedule her flight, so she went home to California, and unlucky Lucky Boy was on his own in New Orleans.

Read more: One Lucky Dog made it home for Christmas!

2010 Jul 27

Big Daddy was only six months old when he was chained to a tree with his two sibling puppies and used as bait by people to make pit bulls fight more aggressively with each other!  Rescuers overheard the noise, saw what was going on , and jumped in to unchain Big Daddy, two of his siblings, and his mom.

Read more: Big Daddy finds his home in Seattle

2010 Jul 19

It seemed like a daunting request.  Could we fly approximately 30 homeless feral cats to the Pacific Northwest, then pick up another 15 or so unadoptable cats from shelters and fly them to sanctuaries in California?  The request came while we were busy working in the Gulf 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so at first it seemed out of the question.  But then we did the math ... In addition to saving the lives of these cats and preventing them from producing many more homeless cats, how many wild birds might be spared from death by these cats over the next three years, if we removed these feline predators from their midst?   The geometric series gave a startling answer:  More than TWO MILLION bird lives could be saved!  We came back from the Gulf to California just for this trip, borrowed a friend's airplane, and made this rescue happen! 

Read more: Filled to the wings with cats! 26 to homes, 14 to sanctuaries