This Dog Was On His 'Freedom Flight' And He Just Couldn't Sit Still In His Seat
Woody, a 5-year-old Great Pyrenees, had already been through more than most dogs ever should.
LaMancha Animal Rescue stepped in to save him, but getting Woody to Pennsylvania meant one more challenge: a freedom flight with Paul Steklenski and a plane full of rescue dogs. Once Woody was loaded up, the big pup had other ideas about personal space, and the whole trip turned into a very memorable ride.
By the time the plane was in the air, Woody was ready to be part of the crew.
Woody was found on the streets of North Carolina and taken to a local animal shelter, where he sat his days away with just concrete surrounding him. After the vets examined him, they discovered that he had heartworm, mange, and a number of other diseases, and they decided to put him down.
An animal rescue group called LaMancha Animal Rescue heard of Woody and his situation, so they decided they were going to take him and give him a chance. But there was one teeny little problem.
They were situated miles away in Unionville, Pennsylvania. So, this is where Paul Steklenski, an army veteran and network engineer, stepped up to the plate, or should we say stepped up to the plane.
Now, you are wondering, who is this guy? Well, he is the founder of Flying Fur Animal Rescue. Basically, what he does is fly animals in need from high-kill shelters all the way to rescuers in the Northeast.
So far, he has flown and rescued over 1,000 animals, and he started this journey right after he adopted his own dog, Tessa.
"At the time, I was completing my airman’s certificate and adopting Tessa, and it just all came together and made sense," Paul said. "You realize the airplane is a really efficient way to move a lot of animals hundreds of miles in a short amount of time to get them off death row."
When Paul arrived at the designated airport in late July, he was facing a Tetris-type configuration situation with the crates in which he had to transport Woody and four other dogs. So, if he put too much weight at the back, it would throw off the airplane's balance, and with Woody weighing 84 pounds, it was quite the mission.
So, Paul decided to make room for Woody between the crates and the walls of the airplane, and he seemed quite happy to be there.
However, as soon as the plane took off, Woody decided he didn't like being a passenger but would rather be Paul's co-pilot.
"Because of the loading and how big some of these dogs were, I had to basically carve out a place in the back of the airplane for him so he could sit freely," Paul said. "It was a surprise to us once we got him in, and he looked pretty happy when he started to make his way forward until we were nose-to-nose."
It’s a lot like the airport bathroom dog with a heart-wrenching note left behind after escaping abuse.
Woody wanted to show Paul and the cameraman that he was beyond happy, so he stuck his head in between them and just smiled! And soon they were his best buds.
"It was great; he just wanted to be around us, and that blows me away," Paul said. "Here’s this dog; he has all these problems, but he doesn’t care; he just wants to be next to another being."
There, high in the sky, Woody didn't have a care in the world!
Woody's happiness and calm temperament even helped Paul relax a little bit while navigating through not-so-good weather. The pup was used to trouble in his life, so the bumpy ride didn't scare him at all; in fact, he actually decided to take a nap.
"He just made his way forward, put his paws on the chair, and kind of got nose-to-nose and took a little nap there," Paul said. "He fell asleep and stayed there for the rest of the flight."
Look at him fly!
"It was wonderful, I never expected him to climb forward the way he did," Paul added. "He just wanted to be part of the action."
After Woody spent a week at LaMancha Animal Rescue, his coat returned to its fluffy whiteness. He is on antibiotics and a special diet to help him become fully healthy again, and boy, does he love running around on the farm.
Paul just can't wait to go visit Woody and see how he is doing. "Dogs are just incredible. Even in their worst condition, in their worst shape, they’re always happy to see you, hang out with you, and be with you," Paul said. "It always blows my mind how resilient animals are."
Paul knows that Woody will someday get all the love he deserves from a family that adores him!
"We don’t deserve dogs; they’re just the best," Paul added. "I don’t know how else to say it, really."
Woody’s freedom flight turned into the sweetest kind of chaos.
Woody’s “can’t sit still” story is heartbreaking, but see how Woody the pitbull with a disfigured face fights for a forever home.
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