Dogs & Planes

Plans don't always work, but every now and again they do and then far exceed anyone's expectations.  It all began when Nimmi, who I had transported the rat terrier for a while back, contacted me about another rat terrier that needed to go to Bakersfield.  I agreed to take her.  Then she asked if I could also take an Italian greyhound who needed a lift.  I had to say no, I couldn't do both, but which one is more urgent, or should she find someone who could take both?

That question got me hooked up with Patti, who is a Transport Queen.  She had a few other transports going on that day and was actually fostering the greyhound named Cheyenne.  Oddly, the rat terrier transport was canceled, but Cheyenne still needed to go and Patti had other transports that day.  I was working in Culver City (my most loathed commute freelancing...), which conveniently made me about ten minutes from Patti's place.  So, I picked up Cheyenne Friday night after work so could I bring her to Bakersfield Saturday morning.

The coolest part, the reason I was even more excited than usual, was that I would be delivering little Cheyenne to Cindy, a pilot with the organization Pilots N Paws.  This little dog wouldn't just be hitting the road, but she'd be taking to the skies.  I'd get to take my charge to an airfield.  Transporting is a fun and worthwhile endeavor, but I have to say something about adding a Cessna into the equation just makes it infinitely cooler.

And I wouldn't just be taking a dog to a plane, but I'd be picking up another dog just around the corner from the airfield, and be driving him back to Patti.  In fact, we were scheduled to meet at ANOTHER airfield, one in the San Fernando Valley, where she was picking up and dropping off a few dogs.  I would drive Newton, my second charge for the day, to Patti and she would drive him to his foster home for Southern California Dachshund Rescue.

Saturday was looking to be a pretty cool day for me: Wake up with a dog by my side, take her to an airfield, see Pilots N Paws in action, pick up a doxie mix for the hundred mile trek back, go to yet another airfield, meet some more pilots, and then have a relaxing Saturday evening.  It may not be everyone's perfect day, but it sure seemed like it would be mine.