Pilots To The Rescue

05/08/2026

We fly to save lives... and this week we landed at the in Salt Lake City, Utah. What an incredible opportunity to connect with animal rescue thought leaders and advocates from across the country!

Our Founder & “Top Dog” Michael Schneider and Director of Development, Jennifer Xu were honored to present the heartbeat of the mission and how we’ve been a critical transport partner for overcrowded shelters since 2015. We also had the opportunity to learn from other inspiring pioneers in the field—and, of course, we used our breaks between sessions to seek out every cute puppy in attendance! 🐶❤️

PTTR is dedicated to transporting at-risk and endangered animals to safety, but we can’t do this lifesaving work alone. We rely on our incredible community partners and supporters like you to fuel our next .

✈️ Help us take our life-saving rescue missions to new heights at pilotstotherescue.org/support

05/07/2026

May 9 is , and we are saluting all the fur, feather, and scale-moms out there! 🐾 To us, “Dog Mom” isn’t just a title; it’s a commitment to love, protect, and provide a soft place for a pet to land.

At Pilots To The Rescue, we often see that same ultimate "mom strength" in the animals we fly—animals like Darla. Rescued last summer, Darla is the definition of resilient. Despite surviving horrific circumstances, she never once gave up on her litter. Thanks to our amazing community of animal lovers, Darla and her puppies received the life-saving care they needed before boarding their freedom flight for a second chance. 💛 ✈️

Let’s celebrate the bond that saves lives! Tag your favorite "pet mom" in the comments below to give them a shout-out! 👇

05/07/2026

The rescue was made possible by the nonprofit organization Pilots to the Rescue, which flew the dogs directly into Essex County

05/07/2026

Tito’s will DOUBLE it! 🧡🧡

From April 1 through June 30, Tito's Handmade Vodka will match every donation up to 30k, helping double the impact and rescuing locally by supporting MA animal rescues and partnering with Pilots To The Rescue to fly at‑risk animals to shelters. Together they are working toward a 60k goal to fund 6 freedom flights and save up to 300 animals in need of a loving home 🧡🐾

Help us make some noise in Massachusetts!!! Donate, share, and help get this amazing campaign off the ground ✈️ . 🔗Link in comments.

05/05/2026

🐾✈️ They had only known confinement. Now they’re discovering freedom.

Sixteen beagles were flown from Wisconsin to New Jersey after spending their lives inside a breeding facility. For many of them, this was their first time experiencing open space, gentle touch, and the feeling of being cared for.

What started as fear slowly shifted as they were met with kindness, patience, and compassion along the way.

Now, they’re on the path to healing, receiving the care they need and moving one step closer to the loving homes they’ve always deserved.

Thank you to People for sharing their story and helping bring attention to this incredible rescue effort.

📖 Read the full story:
https://people.com/rescue-flight-takes-16-beagles-from-breeding-facility-flies-them-to-freedom-exclusive-11965646

Pilots To The Rescue flew 16 beagles recently removed from a research and breeding facility in Wisconsin and transported them to New Jersey, where the dogs started their journeys to forever homes

05/05/2026

Since our very first mission, our volunteer pilots, rescue partners, donors, and supporters have helped us carry nearly 7,000 animals to safety across almost 400 rescue missions and nearly 500,000 miles flown.

And in 2026 alone, we’ve already helped rescue nearly 1,000 animals.

But we’re not done.

This year, our goal is to help save 2,800 animals... 2,800 dogs, cats, and endangered animals who deserve safety and forever homes.

Every rescue is only possible because people like you choose to believe these animals are worth fighting for.

Thank you for being part of our journey. There are so many more lives still waiting for their freedom flight. ❤️

Donate, share, follow, and help us keep flying to save lives.

🎵 Thanks to Cheryl Martinez for writing our theme song! Stream at https://thecherylverse.com/album/pilots-to-the-rescue

05/05/2026

🐾✈️ 16 beagles. A journey they deserved.

From Janesville, Wisconsin, these dogs took off on a flight that marks the beginning of something new. For many, it’s the first step away from uncertainty and toward safety, care, and the chance to finally be loved.

With the help of Second Chance Rescue and dedicated volunteers on the ground and in the air, each of these beagles is now on a path toward a brighter future.

These moments are why we do this: the teamwork, the coordination, and the hope carried in every single crate.

Thank you to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for capturing this mission and helping share the story behind these lives in motion.

📸 View the full gallery:
https://www.jsonline.com/picture-gallery/news/2026/05/02/rescue-flight-transports-q6-beagles-from-janesville-to-east-coast/89909628007/

A rescue flight leaves Janesville carrying 16 Ridglan Farms beagles to shelters on the East Coast for adoption.

05/05/2026

Had a great meeting with Michael Schneider and Jennifer Xu from Pilots To The Rescue, an incredible charity that transports rescued animals to shelter organizations around the country, including from disaster situations. They just assisted in transporting some of the beagles from Ridglan Farms to safety. Thank you to them for all the work they do saving animal lives.

05/05/2026

05/05/2026

🐾✈️ Building something meaningful takes more than a mission. It takes vision, persistence, and the willingness to grow through every challenge along the way.

Since 2015, Pilots to the Rescue has evolved from a single rescue flight into a nationwide effort that has helped save thousands of at-risk animals. What started as a way to combine a love of aviation and animal rescue has grown into a coordinated network of pilots, partners, and supporters all working toward the same goal giving animals a second chance at life.

In this feature, founder Michael Schneider shares the journey behind that growth from early rescue missions to scaling operations, building partnerships across the country, and making bold decisions to expand the organization’s impact.

He also speaks to the realities behind the work the challenges, the risks, and the mindset it takes to keep moving forward when the mission matters.

Thank you Medium for taking the time to highlight the story, the lessons, and the vision driving this work forward.

📖 Read the full interview:
https://medium.com/authority-magazine/audacious-impact-michael-schneider-of-pilots-to-the-rescue-on-leading-an-audacious-visionary-0f2452c8792a

An Interview With Rachel Kline

05/04/2026

No animal should ever know this kind of suffering.

After everything these beagles endured, seeing them take their first steps toward safety was something we’ll never forget.

Pilots To The Rescue was deeply grateful to lend our wings to this massive rescue effort and help carry some of these precious dogs closer to care, comfort, and the loving homes they have always deserved. 🐾✈️

To every rescue partner, volunteer, pilot, foster, adopter, and supporter who made this possible: thank you.

This is what rescue looks like when animal advocates come together, to save them all. 💙