http://www.chron.com/business/bizfeed/article/Conroe-pilot-helps-fly-animals-out-of-Puerto-Rico-12527717.php
Conroe pilot helps fly animals out of Puerto Rico
Updated 10:45 am, Friday, January 26, 2018
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
A Conroe pilot departed San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday with a load of passengers much cuter than your typical traveler.
"I'm surprised one of them didn't end up in my coat, snuck home with me," said Capt. David "Fig" Newton, chief pilot for Southwest Airlines in Houston. "They were just really, really cute."
Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue flew more than 60 dogs and cats who survived Hurricane Maria to the Washington D.C. area to find new homes.
Some were strays. Others were given up by families who couldn't care for them after the hurricane devastated their island. The organizations also delivered more than 14,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies, including pet food, to animal rescuers in Puerto Rico.
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Newton and the other Southwest crew members donated their time. And when he took a bathroom break during the flight, Newton noticed that his two-legged and four-legged passengers were enjoying themselves.
"I walked out and everybody had a dog in their arms," he said. "They all seemed very, very comfortable."
Newton also volunteers with Pilots N Paws where, in a much smaller airplane, he helped rescue 115 dogs from kill shelters last year. One of his two dogs at home actually came from such a rescue flight. He flew Buddy, a boxer-pug mix, to Maryland. But Buddy didn't like the cold and ultimately returned to live with Newton and his wife.
Their other dog, Allie, was found at the school where Newton's wife works. So the idea that one of the puppies from Puerto Rico could slip home in Newton's coat wasn't too inconceivable.
"I feel wildly fortunate and frankly quite honored to be able to participate," he said. "And my little part of it was flying the airplane and helping out where I could. There were so many people who had to come together to make this happen."
The true heroes, from Newton's perspective, are those adopting the animals.
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