So can you tell us your name and title?
Sure.
Do I look over there but stay here?
Yeah.
Okay.
Just plan to take a look at whoever's going to ask them for us.
Okay, sounds good.
So you have to say it again, it's about like first and last name for us.
Okay.
My name is August Slim.
I'm a volunteer pilot with Pilots to the Rescue.
We're here in Madison, Wisconsin today.
We're currently waiting for the Beagles to arrive in ground transportation.
And we have some kennels behind us where they'll be transported over to New Jersey
and meet with some east coast animal rescue organizations.
That way they got malchicare, they got behavioral care, and eventually out to loving homes.
That is today's rescue.
We're here to go ahead and bring seas and floors and busing animals so they can have similar situations.
I see I imagine everyone's different, but...
That's a good question.
So as far as our missions go, we do specialize in getting animals from overcrowded shelters
and making sure they go to shelters that are specifically no kill,
which is very important.
We save them from being euthanized.
The thing that's special about today's mission is that they're coming not from a shelter
but a research facility.
So that being said, this one was sort of an emergency mission.
It wasn't normally something that was on our dock.
It was a surprise to us.
It was really nice.
Yeah, exactly.
And so this obviously has gained national attention to be part of this opportunity.
Being part of Pilots, the rescue means being able to use your pilot's license in service of others.
Making change in the world instead of just using your license to get a cool job,
you actually get to serve not just the animals and give them another chance,
but these animals are going to humans that will love them and it'll help with their depression,
anxiety, grief, whatever they're going through.
So in a way, not only do you help the animals, but people get family members.
When you say this was an emergency, like how short notice was it?
That I can't say because it was really only short notice to me.
So I don't really know the specifics, sorry.
A day?
A day.
Whereas you normally kind of know what you're going to be doing how far into the future.
Exactly.
So with Pilots and the rescue, we have a great team, one person on our team being a coordinator.
She has a docket of the missions that are upcoming that the pilots can get on,
and I volunteer for.
So this one specifically with the Beagles wasn't on our dock originally,
so that's why we call it an emergency mission.
And how many other missions have you been part of?
I believe four.
Okay.
Four.
What are those emotions like I mean when you guys touch down and you're seeing these animals kind of go to their new beginning?
The first emotion that comes up is definitely gratitude,
but I do want to highlight how different it is seeing it on camera.
It's a different feeling when you actually see their malnourished bodies in person
and their very cute faces in person.
It's definitely a different vibe versus just seeing them through screen for sure.
It's a very emotional thing to be part of, and lots of feelings of hope for them
and excitement for them.
And even though they come looking very sad, we don't really know all of their stories,
but you know what their future is going to look like.
They'll do lots of love, so that's always a good thing.
Yeah.
Lots of money that take you think.
But if we have a tailwind four hours, if we don't, five hours, so pray for us.
Sorry if you already mentioned this, but are these crates the amount of dogs that are going with you
or how many dogs are going with you?
Oh, is this 20?
22?
Oh, right.
Okay.
So, Pilots of the Rescue has air transport and also ground transport.
So, in the air today, we're taking 20 big goals, and then on the ground, it'll be 40.
And why, I guess, fly them instead of all of them being ground transport?
Is there kind of like an urgency to it, or is it just a way of making sure they're getting to where they need to go?
Well, one of the barriers for animals actually finding new homes and preventing them from being euthanized is transportation.
So, having an airplane gives us access to quicker transportation, especially if there's medical care involved.
That's all I've got.
Anything else you want to add?
Yeah, I was immediately trying to say something else along the way.
Have you ever met the families that they go to, or you just deliver them and you don't know kind of where everyone ends up?
Well, Pilots of the Rescue has a relationship with a few different shelters.
It's a good relationship, I would say. So, if we wanted to actually keep up with the animals, we have access to that.
We can't say we know everyone's journey and everyone's story, but I know that just on our mission yesterday, I got the contact of one of the veterinarians,
because I was especially invested in one of the cats that we rescued that had broken legs from getting hit by a car.
And so, I was very connected to this cat for some reason.
So, I asked for the vet's contact, and she's setting the updates as we speak on that cat.
That's a very personal thing for you.
For me, I have a rescue myself, and I love him.
And so, when I see other animals that were in a similar situation, or even worse, they were almost euthanized and started touching.
Make sure that they get a second chance of life instead.
Of course.
Thank you.