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Pilots To The Rescue - April 2026
May is National Pet Month, when animal lovers like us go the extra mile to show how much we appreciate our furry friends and the joy they bring into our lives every day.
This month, Pilots To The Rescue hit two exciting milestones!
- Saved our 7,000th animal
- Completed our 400th rescue mission
These 7,000+ animals saved since 2015, including the 157 dogs and 91 cats we rescued in May, are only possible because of YOUR support. Thank you for your continued commitment to rescuing at-risk animals and for propelling Pilots To The Rescue to new heights!
In this newsletter, we’ll give you an inside look at a monumental rescue involving 1,500 beagles, and introduce you to a few animals who are particularly grateful for your help--including a very lucky pup who is finally getting the love he deserves.
Read on to learn how your generosity and compassion brought these precious pups into their fur-ever homes!
From Lab Cages to Open Skies
Located about 30 miles outside Madison, Wisconsin, Ridglan Farms is a research facility that breeds and uses beagles for laboratory testing. At the end of April, the facility announced that it had struck a deal to relinquish the majority of its beagles.
With over 1,500 dogs now free to be transported to adoption centers across the United States, Pilots To The Rescue swooped in to help!
On May 2, Pilots To The Rescue volunteer pilots
Stephen and August embarked on an urgent
rescue mission to transport 16 beagles from
the research facility to our home base in
Fairfield, NJ.
When our shelter partners arrived at the facility,
the 1,500 beagles were scattered across a grassy
plain, only distinguishable by the unique number
tattooed on the underside of their ears.
As happy as the dogs were to feel the soft grass
beneath their paws for the first time and warm
sunlight on their face, they were wary - and
rightfully so.
Having spent their entire lives in captivity,
they were visibly frightened by the unfamiliar
environment and the sudden crowd of strangers.
Earning the dogs’ trust took time.
But once we got them into our rescue plane,
something truly magical happened.
The further away we flew from the breeding
facility, the calmer the dogs became.
As Stephen and August shared with us, you could
literally feel the dogs' fear melting away as they
began to realize they were safe - and free.
Once we touched down at Essex County Airport, the dogs were welcomed by several of our local rescue partners, who will keep them safe and healthy until they find their furever homes.
One of those precious beagles was 11-month-old Blades.
A few days after touchdown, Blades was ready for adoption and caught the attention of the McCue family in Waltham, MA. Their connection was instantaneous.
"He chose us," shares his adopters Emily and John. "He's part of the family now... and fits right in."
The family named Blades after the mascot of their beloved Boston Bruins.
"We knew to be patient with him and that he could
get startled easily or nervous. We're all still learning,
but excited, and [the kids] know that they they saved
him from 'the science', as our middle one says."
Needless to say, Blades is happy and adored.
Because of YOUR support, a young dog who previously
knew nothing but confinement is now living in a house
full of love... complete with three human brothers to
grow up with!
Pilots To The Rescue was deeply honored to lend our talents and resources to this large-scale rescue, which garnered nationwide coverage from dozens of media outlets!
Emergency rescue missions require fuel and other vital resources - things we wouldn’t have on-hand without our community. You allowed us to say “yes” when so many innocent animals needed our help right away.
Your donations let us be ready for the next urgent call for help, when at-risk animals, like Blades, are waiting to be saved.
Ralphie Finds His Happy Place Up North
Ralphie was one of the 23 dogs and 12 cats we
rescued on May 1 from Georgetown, SC.
It's safe to say Ralphie knew, that by boarding his
freedom flight, he was going to a better place -
jumping for joy, as if he'd won the lottery.
Little did Ralphie know, he would hit the real jackpot
when he arrived in his new home state of New Jersey.
Given Ralphie's friendly demeanor, it's no surprise
that he quickly found exactly what he needed: a
family to happily accept his endless hugs and
kisses all day long!
Clear Skies Ahead for Stormy
When Stormy arrived at an animal shelter in North Carolina, it was clear she had been neglected. As if her gorgeous eyes weren't expressive enough, shelter staff immediately noticed significant and painful irritation around her neck.
Stormy had been tethered outdoors for years. Not only did she endure the harsh summer sun, cold winters, and hurricane-force winds; she also had a serious infection caused by extended time wearing an extremely tight collar. Additionally, Stormy was battling Heartworm, a life-threatening condition if left untreated.
Given all she's been through, you would expect Stormy to be frightened of humans - but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Stormy is a sweet girl with a strong spirit.
On May 20, Pilots To The Rescue flew Stormy from South Carolina, along with 17 other lucky dogs to safety in New Jersey. When she landed, Stormy initially had trouble adjusting to all the new sights and smells. For her safety on the airport tarmac, she also had to wear a harness, which triggered difficult memories.
Instead of panicking, Stormy’s natural curiosity kicked in. Exploring her new surroundings gave her the perfect mental distraction to stay calm. The moment she realized she was safe, she was all smiles—happily frolicking through the grassy field next to our plane and pausing to sniff the blooming flowers.
It was as if the clouds had finally parted, giving Stormy a clear view of her bright future.
Fully reinvigorated, she hopped into the rescue van alongside her canine companions, bound for her new, posh life in The Hamptons!
When you look at these photos taken on the day of her freedom flight, Stormy seems like a completely different dog than when she first arrived at her previous shelter. Just look at that smile, as if to say, "I'm ready to go home!"
This is the power of our Pilots To The Rescue community.
YOU gave Stormy a second chance. Thank you!
DOUBLE Your Donation - Give Today!
NOW through June 30, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is MATCHING
DONATIONS to Pilots To The Rescue up to $50,000.
Stormy’s freedom flight was sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, the #VodkaForDogPeople. Here is the Northeast Tito's crew welcoming Stormy and her fellow paw-ssengers at our home airport in New Jersey.
Originally, Tito's planned to match up to $30,000 in donations... but that was before they saw the strength and passion of our community firsthand.
Since the initial campaign has been so successful, Tito's has decided to increase their match to $50,000.
If we raise $50,000 in donations, Tito's will turn that into $100,000!
That's enough to fund 10 rescue missions and
give new lives to more than 500 dogs and cats.
Want to hear the craziest part?
We're almost there!
As of today, we've raised $24,000
(that's 48% to our goal).
Since our community never ceases to amaze us,
we're confident YOU will help us reach our goal of
$50,000 by June 30.
Every dollar you donate counts TWICE:
- $10 becomes $20
- $50 becomes $100
- $250 becomes $500
- $500 becomes $1,000
If we meet our goal, that means 500 animals--who would otherwise be stuck at overcrowded shelters and at risk of euthanasia--will be flown to their fur-ever homes, where they belong.
If 500 animals saved seems like a lot, you're right!
So, if you haven't donated yet, this is your moment.
Kind people like you got us where we are today, and now your collective support will help us soar higher than ever before.
Please forward our newsletter to a friend so we can reach even more animal lovers.
Let's come together to change thousands of lives, both furry and non-furry.
