Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team Saves Milestone 10,000th Animal

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WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (KDKA) – The Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team saved 25 dogs that were set to be euthanized Saturday and hit a milestone in the process.

One of those rescued dogs is the 10,000th animal rescued by the non-profit organization.

"Literally, it's a high. The joy we get when we land with these dogs and we watch them go from danger to safety, it's a magical moment that keeps us coming back over and over," Jonathan Plesset, PAART co-founder, said.

Bridge to Home Animal Rescue in Eighty-Four said they were taking four of the 25 dogs rescued. One of those four is Willow, who survived a coyote attack.

"There is no one story. They can be found on the side of the road. They could be a victim of a dog-fighting ring. They could be just somebody who, for no fault of their own, had to give up their animal, had to surrender their animal. They had to go to a nursing home," Plesset said.

Plesset said the organization will continue flying at-risk animals to loving homes -- from dogs and cats and sea turtles to rats and butterflies.

"The dogs go from scared to happy, and you can see it in their eyes. We load them on the planes or put them on the trucks [and] they know they're going to a better place. They know someone is saving them," he said.

The dogs will be placed into several rescues in the Pittsburgh area.

For more information on the Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team, including how to volunteer and donate, click here.