Pilots to the Rescue: puppy flight to Cleveland

Guiding Eyes is celebrating our new partnership with Pilots to the Rescue, which took flight at the end of 2021. These trips are valuable in assisting us with our transportation needs between our many puppy raising regions and our facilities in Patterson and Yorktown Heights, New York.Thank you to Pilots to the Rescue for their assistance in transporting some adorable Guiding Eyes pups on their journey to become guide dogs. Thomas Panek, Guiding Eyes for the Blind President & CEO, traveled along on the January 12th trip.

Labrador Retrievers Fenway, Edwin, and Tabitha were on the flight that took off from Essex County Airport in New Jersey and safely landed at Geauga County Airport Ohio. Fenway made the trip to Cleveland to meet his volunteer puppy raisers. Edwin and Tabitha have each completed the harness training program, and they will be staying with local volunteer fosters until home training with their matched student. Pups Ed and Fallon were on the return flight to travel back to the Guiding Eyes campus.

Pilots to the Rescue is a nonprofit created to help transport domestic and endangered animals as well as people at risk.

Follow these links to view local coverage and photos of our puppies in flight!

Cleveland.com: Puppies from Guiding Eyes for the Blind arrive in Cleveland to meet their raisers

News 5 Cleveland (ABC): Nonprofit flies puppies to Northeast Ohio to begin training as guide dogs for the blind

Free Lance Star: Puppy Express brings future guide dog to local raiser  (Fredericksburg, VA)

Michael Schneider of Pilots to the Rescue and Guiding Eyes CEO Thomas Panek in the cockpit. (below)

Guiding Eyes Regional Manager Leslie Stephens, Guiding Eyes CEO Thomas Panek, and Pilots to the Rescue’s Michael Schneider at the airport in Ohio. (below)