Retired doctor and in mourning, Peter Rork has decided to reconnect with his passion, piloting, to serve dogs and cats at risk of euthanasia in saturated shelters.
Everything was going well for Peter Rork until 2012, when he abruptly lost his wife . The drama led him to give up his job as an orthopedic surgeon , then isolate himself at home for months. Until a friend called him to tell him that it was high time for him to get his act together . It was the click the widower, who lives in Jackson , Wyoming, needed.
Passionate about aviation since his childhood and holder of a pilot ‘s license from the age of 16, he decided to return to the take-off runways. At the same time, he was shocked to learn that each year an average 1.5 million animals were euthanized in American shelters. With a sad record in 2011: 2.6 million. Himself the owner of 3 dogs , he was very sensitive to this tragedy, according to the Washington Post .
At the beginning of the adventure, Peter Rork piloted the old 4-seater plane given to him by his father, himself a pilot. He transported the animals in small groups, then his association grew thanks to a partnership concluded with the Californian organization New Beginnings . Then others called on his services. He then acquired a larger aircraft , a Cessna 208 Caravan , and was joined by 3 other pilots .
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The 4 aviators constantly take turns to make the dogs and cats travel through 15 states , mainly in the western United States. Dog Is My CoPilot now works with around a hundred municipal and independent shelters, and has thus saved nearly 16,000 animals in 8 years.
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