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Pilots To The Rescue News - July 2025
July is peak season in the animal rescue world, pushing many of our shelter partners 50-100+ animals over capacity. It feels overwhelming, but we can’t falter. This is when our life-saving missions matter the most. Thanks to you, we were able to rescue 120 dogs and 64 cats this month. Whether we were in the air or on the ground, each rescue was literally and figuratively fueled by your support! Read on to meet Sassy and MoMo, two incredible survivors. One found her forever family. The other escaped euthanasia by a matter of seconds before we flew her to safety. Thank you for your support in making these missions possible!
Once Abandoned and Alone, Sassy Finds a Loving Home
Looking at Sassy’s smiling face, you wouldn't believe how she was treated by her original owner. Someone abandoned Sassy in a vacant rural lot in Georgia, essentially leaving her to die. She was wandering dangerously close to traffic - until a compassionate stranger brought her to a local shelter. Given what she’s been through, staff members were pleasantly surprised to find that Sassy - a magnificent Flat-Coated Retriever - was as sweet and lively as could be. It's no surprise that it took Sassy less than a week to find her fur-ever home! Here’s where the story gets even sweeter: Sassy’s new human poppa was still grieving the passing of his beloved dog when he saw Sassy. He immediately noticed Sassy's resemblance to the dog he had lost. There was something about Sassy - the sparkle in her eye, her bright spirit, her gentle presence - that reminded him of his former fur baby. It was fate. Bringing Sassy home didn't just give her a second chance - it helped mend a broken heart. Today, she's thriving in her fur-ever home, complete with a protective big brother!
Four Rescues in One Week? You Made It Happen
Sassy is far from the only animal we rescued in July to have found her fur-ever home, and these lucky pets owe their new lives to you! In July, we rescued animals from overcrowded shelters in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, and Florida. During our busiest week, we were able to complete four massive rescues, and new arrivals have a much stronger chance of being adopted. Our constant activity puts more animals in loving homes, and we wouldn't have been able to complete so many rescues in such little time without your support!
Seconds Away from Euthanasia, MoMo is Finally Safe
MoMo’s future looked pretty bleak at the beginning of July. Her former shelter in Fulton County, Georgia, was more than 70+ animals over capacity. To make room for more incoming pets, 21 older dogs were given a deadline of July 17th, and MoMo was part of that group. When that dreadful day arrived, MoMo was taken to a local veterinarian to be euthanized. The vet was literally preparing the lethal syringe when they received a message announcing that a rescue had been coordinated for MoMo!
On July 18th, we were scheduled to fly to Albany, Georgia, to rescue MoMo along with 29 other dogs and 6 cats. Mid-flight, our plane experienced technical difficulties. We had no choice but to land in Tallahassee, Florida, for repairs. In true Pilots To The Rescue fashion, we refused to let this little hiccup halt our mission.
Our amazing drivers, Owen and Alexis, got behind the wheel of our rescue van and drove overnight to Georgia to pick up the animals. The pair then drove through the night once again to Culpeper, Virginia, where volunteers from Seuk’s Army were waiting to fly our paw-ssengers to safety.
MoMo is now safe in the care of Middleburg Humane Foundation in Marshall, Virginia. Her story illustrates the true power of collective compassion, but it also reminds us why we do what we do.
Do you want to help us rescue more beautiful souls like MoMo? Please consider donating so we can keep flying to save lives together. MoMo is proof: Your support can save an animal's life.
Our goal is to create a world where no animal is ever euthanized due to a lack of space, and every gift we receive brings us closer to that reality.
