BILLINGS –
Most pet-owners go to extreme lengths to make their pets happy.
Sunday afternoon, a local pilot went to extreme heights to bring a rescued border-collie to its new home — first-class in a private jet.
Pinta is a three or four-year-old Border Collie with sight issues. Chris Anderson, Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter Executive Director, says Pinta came to the shelter as a stray in early August. Soon after, Border Collie Rescue in Wyoming helped find the perfect home for Pinta.
“We started to look for a home here in our area, and just didn’t find exactly what we were looking for, so I started reaching out to rescues,” Anderson said.
Anderson says a local pilot, who asked to remain anonymous, flew Pinta to Denver as part of the program ‘Pilots N Paws.’ It’s a national non-profit where pilots donate their time to bring animals to where they need to go.
“With Pinta, because of her eyesight issues, she really needs to not be on one of the long ground transport, she needs to go through the air, and get through as quick as possible.”
The family she’s going to lives on a ranch, and they have another dog, so Pinta will have a new friend.
“These kinds of situations are not easy, and it really takes a group of people to come together to focus on one animal — this is all for one animal — to get her where she needs to go,” Anderson said.
Pilots across the country participate in Pilots N Paws. Organizations, such as shelters and rescues, go onto Pilots N Paws website, and put in a request. Pilots watch the site, and contact the organization to arrange the flight.
Pinta was the first animal from the Billings area to use the program to reach its new home.
http://www.kulr8.com/story/30074424/private-jet-takes-blind-billings-dog-to-new-home-in-colorado