Mother Nature had other plans for Hound Dog One on Sunday as the mission had to be cancelled due to weather. Fog in the Greenville area was the initial culprit which delayed our departure. Once the fog started to lift, thunderstorms invaded the Hilton Head Island Airport area and the decision was made to take to the roads in Hound Dog Two.
We met Bonnie Thorpe in Columbia, SC and transferred Princess into HD2. The drive from the Columbia area to Coosawhatchie took about an hour and 45 minutes. Once we reached Coosawhatchie, Princess was transferred to her new foster mom, Carolyn Davis. As you can see by the photos, Princess is a sweet, mature lady.
Q) What is Hound Dog One? A) Hound Dog One is a 1969 Piper Cherokee 180. The aircraft transports Basset Hounds in conjunction with the Carolina Basset Hound Rescue in North and South Carolina.
Q) How does CBHR pay for these transports? A) They don't. Each transport is paid for directly by the flight crew on a volunteer basis. CBHR does not fund the transports nor does the flight crew get reimbursed.
Q) How do you transport a dog in a small airplane? A) It depends on the particular situation of the dog. If the dog is small enough and may be injured, the dog is placed into transport crate and secured onto the back seat of the plane. For larger dogs, a harness specifically designed for planes is used and attached to a seat belt and the dog is allowed to lay on the back seat.
Q) How do you pilot the plane and keep an eye on the dog at the same time? A) At least 2 people are a part of each rescue flight. One pilots the plane; the other is a "Hound Handler" and will take care of the dog.
Q) How long are the flights? A) Generally, the flights are no more than 2 hours but could be longer depending on the locations of the transport.
Thank you!
I want to thank Missy Johnson for her hard work in creating the official Hound Dog One logo! Thanks, Missy!
Posts
