Centre County PAWS partners with nonprofit for faster, easier way to get rescue pups to town
Centre County PAWS received a furry delivery from the skies Tuesday afternoon, thanks to the help of the Pittsburgh nonprofit organization No Dog Left Behind.
Pete Lehmann, NDLB’s chief pilot, flew 15 rescue dogs from Freedom Fences, a shelter in South Carolina, to the University Park Airport where Centre County PAWS welcomed them home.
Centre County PAWS has worked with Freedom Fences for approximately eight years. Usually, Freedom Fences volunteers drive eight hours to deliver animals to Centre County PAWS volunteers, who drive roughly four hours to pick them up.
Centre County PAWS Executive Director Lisa Bahr said she was looking for an easier, less stressful travel option for the animals, and stumbled upon NDLB.
“Within a matter of a day or two they were on board,” Bahr said. “It was very exciting.”
With a team of over 100 volunteer pilots — and “landpilots” who drive instead of fly — NDLB rescues animals from shelters that have run out of space. Since 2009, the organization has saved nearly 12,900 animals, including dogs, cats, chickens, turtles and more.
Jon Plesset, CEO and co-founder of NDLB, said the group’s overall mission is to save animals and in return enrich the lives of people who adopt them.
“We’re also really a charity that’s focused on helping people,” Plesset said. “We find helping people is about getting them a pet who is potentially going to change their life.”
The dogs from Tuesday’s flight — NDLB’s first air transport mission with Centre County PAWS — are already accounted for because PAWS has an adoption waiting list, Bahr said.
However, those interested in adopting puppies from the shelter may apply at www.centrecountypaws.org/dogs/how-to-adopt to be approved for the waiting list.
This story was originally published April 13, 2021 at 5:37 PM.
