Woody, a 5-year-old Great Pyrenees, was found astray on the streets of North Carolina and later spent his days inside a local shelter. He was scheduled to be euthanized after a veterinary exam revealed that he was suffering from many problems that would require expensive medical care.
LaMancha Animal Rescue heard of Woody’s situation and agreed to take him in but the rescue was located hundreds of miles away in Unionville, Pennsylvania. That’s when network engineer and Army veteran Paul Steklenski stepped up.
Steklenski is the founder of Flying Fur Animal Rescue and for three years, he has flown over 1,000 animals in need from overcrowded kill shelters in North Carolina to rescues in the Northeast. He was inspired to start the nonprofit organization after adopting his own dog, Tessa.
“At the time, I was completing my airman’s certificate and adopting Tessa, and it just all came together and made sense,” Steklenski told The Dodo. “You realize the airplane is a really efficient way to move a lot of animals hundreds of miles in a short amount of time to get them off death row.”
Steklenski made Woody a comfortable spot between the crates and the walls of the aircraft, and the big dog seemed quite satisfied. But as soon as the plane flew up in the air, Woody got excited and wanted to become a co-pilot.
“Because of the loading and how big some of these dogs were, I had to basically carve out a place in the back of the airplane for him so he could sit freely,” Steklenski explained. “It was a surprise to us once we got him in and he looked pretty happy when he started to make his way forward until we were nose-to-nose.”
The adorable dog popped up over the seat and immediately became friendly with the pilot and the cameraman present in the plane.
After a week of treatment at LaMancha Animal Rescue, Woody’s coat is again white and fluffy. With special diet and antibiotics, he’s gaining weight and enjoying his life at the rescue’s farmland.
Steklenski can’t wait to visit and see how Woody is doing.
“Dogs are just incredible. Even in their worst condition, in their worst shape, they’re always happy to see you, hang out with you and be with you,” Steklenski shared. “It always blows my mind how resilient animals are.”
