Airborne dogs land in Thompson Falls

Although it was Halloween, it probably felt like Christmas for the ten dogs aboard the aircraft. Pilot Peter Rork landed his Cessna Caravan at Thompson Falls Airport, Tuesday, after a short stop in Missoula. "I took off from Scottsdale, Arizona about 6:30 this morning," said Rork, who is the operator at the non-profit 'Dog is my Co-Pilot,' that transports shelter animals from kill shelters to no-kill shelters like Thompson River Animal Care Shelter (TRACS).

Tuesday marked a special milestone in Rork's efforts, "I just dropped of my eight-thousandth dog in Missoula today before flying out here. So TRACS has the 8,015th or so." Rork has been transporting shelter animals since 2012. He began this endeavor following the death of his wife that led to his exit from practicing medicine. His love of flying and animals, coupled with his desire to get out of medical practice made for a perfect storm. "I started up this 501(c)(3) and made every mistake possible along the way," Rork joked, noting that he often tries to pack the cargo Cessna to the gills - but that doesn't always happen, "but it has definitely been worth it, even if we only save one dog."

Rork saw the need for air transport for shelter animals, as the inefficiency of ground transportation often led to dogs going nowhere at all. "This just makes more sense for long distance delivery. You can't just drive a load of dogs from San Antonio to Boise - once they are in the crate, they don't get out for potty breaks, and the hours and fuel involved deter transport," Rork explained. He said that he's hauled mostly cats and dogs, but also a few other types of pets. "I still haven't done snakes on a plane," he laughed.

Wanda Thorpe and other TRACS staff met Rork on the tarmac as he landed. Two TRACS vans were quickly filled with dogs shivering in crates. Doors were then shut with the heat turned on, and kind words in "pet-talk" were delivered to comfort the first-time flyers whose chances of finding a loving home just went way up.

Thorpe asked when the next time Rork would be around to transport some previously planned dogs. "We had two pregnant mammas ready to go, but they just dropped their pups, so now we'll have to wait." Rork's schedule puts him back in the area the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, which will be perfect for the pups that will be three weeks old by then.

"This is an ideal arrangement for TRACS, the dogs and Peter's cause," said Thorpe, "we, and especially the dogs, are grateful for his efforts."