Pilots To The Rescue

01/12/2026

🐾✨ Another life-saving mission in the books thanks to , and every mile was worth it!

In collaboration with our volunteer pilots Jason & MacKenzie, and the compassionate care of our shelter and rescue partners, 12 dogs and 5 cats are now one step closer to the love they deserve. 💛✈️

This journey took us from Essex County, NJ to Johnson City, TN, where we met our precious pawssengers from Washington County Johnson City Animal Shelter. From there, we flew to Baltimore, MD, where most of our furry travelers met their receiving rescues, and then returned home to NJ to reunite others with their next chapter.

🐶 A huge thank you to our friends at WAG HOTELS for helping make this mission possible. Your support brought this life-saving flight to life — and gave animals like Lyla a real chance at forever.

💔✨ Among the souls onboard was Lyla, who had spent 9 long months in the shelter after being abandoned in a shed with no food or water. Found alongside two other dogs who were adopted quickly, Lyla was left behind once again — waiting, watching, hoping. This week, she finally got her wings. She’s now safe with Wiggles Way Rescue, where a forever family is surely on the horizon. Her journey reminds us why we do this work: no animal should be forgotten.

To our monthly donors, volunteers, and supporters, this is your impact. Because of you, we’re able to respond to urgent calls and give hope wings. 🕊️💛

📍Track every mission, donate, or become a monthly supporter at pilotstotherescue.org

01/12/2026

🐷✈️ Yes, pigs really do fly, and Stanley’s story proves it.

We had the honor of flying Stanley, a 250 lb pot-bellied pig rescued from neglect in Alabama, to his new life at Arthur's Acres Animal Sanctuary in New York 💛

A big thank you to FOX 5 Atlanta for having our founder and chief pilot, Michael Schneider, on to share this unforgettable mission and the heart behind why we fly to save lives.

🎥 Don’t miss this heartwarming interview and see what it takes to get a pig off the ground — literally.

▶️ https://www.fox5atlanta.com/video/1756294

Stanley, the 250 lb pot-bellied pig, is getting a new lease on life thanks to Pilots to the Rescue, a nonprofit aviation organization that save at-risk animals by air. Michael Schneider, the chief pilot, joins Judayah Murray live on FOX LOCAL to talk about the journey ahead to bring Stanley from his...

01/11/2026

A volunteer group of pilots out of New Jersey flew into the Tri-Cities Airport today to rescue more than a dozen shelter pets.Twelve dogs and five cats from the

01/11/2026

01/11/2026

01/09/2026

🐷✈️ Stanley the Pig Takes Flight to Freedom!

Rescued from a life of abuse, Stanley, a 250-lb pig, got a second chance and a seat on a life-saving flight to a sanctuary in New York.

💛 This mission proves we’ll go the distance (and altitude!) for all animals in need.

🎥 Big thanks to FOX 5 Atlanta for sharing Stanley’s incredible journey.

▶️ Watch here: fox5atlanta.com/video/1757266

Michael Schneider, Chief Pilot for Pilots to the Rescue, flew Stanley, a 250-lbs pig, from a life of abuse to a sanctuary in New York.

01/09/2026

01/08/2026

Swipe. ➡️
The first photo shows Lyla when she arrived at the shelter.
The second shows her today — ready for her freedom flight. 💛✈️

Lyla was abandoned in a shed with two other dogs and left without food or water for days. A neighbor heard barking and called for help. While the other two dogs were adopted, Lyla stayed behind — spending 9 long months waiting in the shelter, hoping someone would finally choose her.

But she didn’t give up.
And today, everything changes.

On this mission, Pilots To The Rescue is transporting 12 dogs and 5 cats from Tennessee to trusted rescue partners in the Mid-Atlantic, giving animals like Lyla the chance they deserve. She’s now headed to Wiggles Way Rescue, where we know her forever family is closer than ever.

This flight — and Lyla’s new beginning — was made possible thanks to Wag Hotels, whose generous sponsorship helped save lives.

This is why we fly.
This is what freedom looks like. 🐾💛

01/07/2026

🐾 From abandoned to adored, meet Butter and Scotch.

These two pups were found in the middle of the woods, miles from the nearest home, left to survive on their own with their pregnant mother. Bre, a staff member at Chesterfield County Animal Services, spotted them during a weekend 4-wheeler ride, and didn’t hesitate to act.

With patience and kindness, she coaxed Butter from the trees, carried her out of the woods, and got the trio to safety. Thanks to Mostly Mutts Animal Rescue and JerseyGirls AnimalRescue, all three dogs found placement, and thanks to Pilots To The Rescue, Butter and Scotch took the ride of their lives to a second chance. 💛

They’re now safe, healing, and learning to be carefree puppies again, all because someone showed up at the right moment.

To every donor, pilot, volunteer, and rescue partner: this is why we fly.

01/07/2026

01/07/2026

01/06/2026

🎉🐾 First mission of 2026 — and the skies are already full of second chances! ✈️💛

Pilots Stephen Nur and Logan Burtt flew 27 dogs and 21 cats from South Carolina to safety across the Northeast with Seuk’s Army — continuing a legacy of love and lifesaving.

From tiny kittens to senior pups, each animal boarded in Spartanburg with hope and landed closer to home thanks to amazing rescue partners like A Good Dog Rescue, S.N.A.R.R Animal Rescue Northeast, Hurley's Heart Bulldog Rescue, Live and Let Live Farm Rescue, Ziva Dog Rescue, Precious Pound Pups Inc., The Mr. Mo Project, and more. 🙌

Among the pawsengers:
🐶 Bluey, a 50-lb pup with gentle eyes and a second chance
🐾 Nyla, now safe with Ziva
🐱 21 cats in cozy carriers, ready to start fresh
🌟 8 wiggly puppies — all headed for loving arms

This was the first of many missions to come — and none of it happens without YOU. Here's to starting the year with compassion in motion and a plane full of promise.

Let’s keep flying hope in 2026. 🐾💫