Members of the Jackson County Animal Shelter help unload dogs from the DogCoPilot.org airplane Wednesday at the Jackson County Airport – Reynolds Field. Photo by Jeff Steers, JTV News.
By Jeff Steers
JTV News
(April 26, 2023 3:20 PM ET) Seven members from the Jackson County Animal Shelter performed their own Dog Day Afternoon exercise on Wednesday.
Instead of stealing money from a bank, they were stealing life for nearly a dozen dogs from Texas.
Jackson County Animal Services Director Lydia Sattler said the county was working with an animal rescue organization in Texas to secure homes for the dogs.
“The source shelter in Texas runs an ongoing risk of euthanizing healthy, adoptable animals,” Sattler said in a press release. “We are thankful to have such a great community in Jackson and the surrounding areas … we know compassion does not stop at a county or state line.”
Eleven dogs were flown from Texas to Jackson County Airport – Reynolds Field on Wednesday as part of the project by Athens Animal Rescue out of Texas. The organization works with Petco Love and DogCoPilot.org for the delivery of healthy dogs to shelters around the country.
The Athens Animal Rescue Shelter has responded to animals in need through the support of individuals, businesses, and foundations. The organization took over a county shelter in Texas on April 1, 2020, and began an immediate transformation.
The shelter has more than 2,500 animals each year in Texas.
Sattler said collaboration between organizations is key.
“At Jackson County Animal Shelter, we want to help as many animals as possible and offer a variety of adoptable pets for every type of family,” Sattler said.
Dr. Peter Rork serves as the chief pilot and president of DIMC.
“This rescue effort is a model for partnerships, and we hope it will inspire more people to work together for the greater good of our animal friends,” Rork said in a press release. “These dogs think we’re saving them but at the end of the day, they save us. They give us the chance to do good and help, to live with a greater purpose than ourselves.”
The Athens Animal Rescue team was disappointed they could not fly into Jackson last week with a shipment of dogs, so they called the Jackson County Animal Shelter and drove 24 hours from Texas to deliver 18 dogs.
The Jackson County Animal Shelter is located at 3370 Spring Arbor Road and the new transplants for Texas are available for immediate adoptions. Sattler said the dogs have updated immunizations and records.
The Texas dogs will be available for adoption at the regular fee of $150 for adult dogs and $250 for puppies.
For more information, go to www.JacksonCountyAnimalShelter.org.
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