No Dog Left Behind - A network of heroes
Animal rescue efforts have grown from local shelters that take in strays and abandoned pets to sophisticated networks that transport animals to new homes and bright futures aboard airplanes.
Talk about inspiration for an author!
I recently read an article on ConsumersAdvocate about one such organization. Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team (PAART) works to transport at-risk animals by networking with other rescue groups, shelters and adoption organizations. To maximize efficiency of their efforts, PAART fills their planes with food and supplies, often providing desperately needed supplies for shelters that are over-crowded, which often leads to euthanizing healthy animals.
Transporting pets and animals via airplanes may seem extreme, but consider a geographic area that has been hit with a major disaster such as a hurricane or flood. In a case like this, the region is not able to provide resources for the sudden increase in lost or abandoned animals. Relocating these animals to a region not impacted by disaster offers more resources and individuals who are able to rehome and/or care for them.
I’m sure my readers would fall for a strong, alpha hero in a contemporary romantic suspense novel, like my Grayce Walters series, who showed a soft spot for animals. A pilot who volunteers with a fictional organization based on PAART sounds good to me!
