Big thanks to 4 PAWS Transport, for their help seeing our Aussies safely to the north.

Got it on the third try!

Jon Wehrenberg of TN flew this beauty of a high wing Cessna 500 miles up to Harrisburg, PA on February 1. That was after snow and ice blanketed the south and he was forced to cancel twice.

Jon is one of the founders of Pilots ‘n Paws, an organization of pilots who volunteer their time and planes to move rescue dogs over long distances, from where the need is greatest to where medical help and adopters are abundant.

Jon says, “That plane is my trusty steed. I have owned it for 23 years, flown out 3 engines and used it in all kinds of weather flying to a schedule when I had a real job. I am more conservative now, but still enjoy flying the plane. Any time I can put it to work transporting pups I consider it a success because I am not only keeping my passengers from being euthanized, I am keeping the pipeline open so more animals will not be killed.”

L-R: Michelle Barnhart of York, PA with her adoptee, Dallas, Jon Wehrenberg, little Tiki in the small crate, and Todd Barnhart with Sawyer, another passenger bound for CT by car.

Ah, the glamorous life we lead in rescue!

At right, Sawyer and Tiki with Virginia Ellen and Kristin Haas on the next leg of their journey, meeting in almost tropical conditions at the Lehigh Valley Interchange of the PA Turnpike.

Just like Punxatawny Phil the next day, we sure as heck saw our shadows and knew another six weeks of winter was on the way!

Virginia brought her foster, Tavi, to join Tiki and Sawyer, and Kristin headed north to NY with all three to meet Laura Derevensky.

By 5 pm that day, Jon was safely back on the ground in TN, Dallas was in his new home, Tiki was on her way to CT with Dr Dorraine Waldow, a prior New Spirit adopter and volunteer, to be adopted, and Sawyer was picked up by his new family, the Merciers of NH.

What a great day!

New Spirit Aussie Rescue is so grateful to Jon, the Southern foster homes who cared for the dogs prior to transport and the Northern adopters and foster homes that opened their hearts and homes to dogs in need.  This transport made it possible for GA volunteers to save a little black tri Clover – who was suffering terribly with a broken leg following being struck by a car. 

Jon the pilot raved about how well behaved, clean and wonderful our New Spirit dogs were for this transport.  A huge thanks to the Dravlands for overnighting our dogs near Chattanooga and getting them safely to the airport to fly.

We certainly hope to work with him in the future to save more dogs in need.

Ga Aussie Rescue volunteers received the urgent message that Azzie was missing and kept our eyes on the local lost and found and shelter sites in hopes that he would be located and reunited with his ARPH foster home Kelley in NC.

In mid December, GA Rescue Coordinator for New Spirit received a message from a shelter over forty miles away from where Azzie disappeared.  Rachael Eley was eating breakfast with a friend who was visiting and stopped cold and immediately pulled up the ARPH Carolina site and started comparing the shelter dog’s photo to the lost dog listing on the www.carolinasaussies.net.  She showed the photo to her friend and both agreed this was the same dog.

After that, things happened pretty quickly as Rachael contacted Kelley the foster home, Robin the representative for ARPH in SC/NC and the intake coordinator for New Spirit Michelle saying that she really felt this was Azzie.  Michelle drove over 40 miles to pick him up from the shelter and see him to safety. She said Azzie was the most stressed dog she has ever pulled from a shelter.

New Spirit volunteers Gary and Emily just so happened to be traveling to NC with their Aussie Wil and New Spirit foster dog Ivy and agreed to help this boy on his final adventure.  He was delivered into the loving arms of his foster home two days before Christmas.  His foster Mom Kelley was sure to point out to Azzie that he in fact is not a cat and doesn’t have 9 lives.

Azzie has been saved not once, but twice from certain death.  First from a high kill shelter in NC and secondly from a high kill shelter in Ga.  How he wandered so far from home will always be a mystery.  But this is one resourceful pup who has kept his red chin up the entire time and never lost his fun outlook on life.

This is one amazing adventure and a true testament that rescue doesn’t have state lines.  Volunteers from two separate Aussie Rescue groups reached across state lines to save a dog’s life and see him back into the loving home who rescued him the first time.

The transport was a great success and we can’t thank the pilots enough for their generous sacrifice of time to help dogs in need.

We also wish to thank New Spirit NY volunteer Laura, MD volunteer Martha and VA volunteer Doug for giving our beloved foster dogs a safe place to land.  Go New Spirit team!

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