Shelter Zone

Copper's Dream is Coming True

By Lee Kuhn

When Samantha Wang, Co-founder and President of Copper's Dream Animal Rescue in San Francisco, posted on Craigslist to find someone willing to transport dogs from Bakersfield's high-kill pound up to the Bay Area, she was not expecting the response she got. Anthony Grimani, an audio engineer and dog enthusiast from Fairfax, replied to the posting, stating that he happened to have space for one lucky dog in his vehicle - a four-seater Piper Cherokee plane.

While planning a routine business trip to Southern California, Anthony had been surfing Craigslist for a travel partner - someone willing to share the driving. But when he saw the Copper's Dream posting, Anthony decided to fly his private plane instead and make a stop in Bakersfield on his way home from Santa Ana. With the help of the Marin Humane Society, which lent a travel crate for the trip, and a number of generous people who arranged other travel logistics, preparations were complete.

On August 8, days before his euthanasia date, Huey, a six-month-old Corgi-German-Shepherd mix, was driven by Bakersfield animal shelter staff from the pound to the local airport to await the arrival of Anthony's plane. Shortly thereafter, Anthony arrived with his nine-year-old daughter, Sophia, and they picked Huey up, up, and away.

Huey was apparently quite at ease in the plane. Shortly after taking off, he settled into his crate for a bit of R&R. The plane was met at the Novato airport by a Copper's Dream volunteer, who drove Huey to a foster home where he would enjoy some tender loving care while awaiting permanent placement. Four days after the rescue, Huey found his "forever" home - he was adopted by a wonderful family in the Bay Area.

When asked if he would fly more dogs back to the Bay Area, Anthony says, "Absolutely. When you help save a dog from being put down and see him get adopted by a loving family, it feels great."

Copper's Dream is a non-profit rescue organization dedicated to ending the euthanasia of adoptable dogs in this country by increasing public awareness, as well as rescuing and finding adoptive homes for animals scheduled to be put down. Copper's Dream is currently trying to save as many animals as possible from the Bakersfield pound, which takes in 800-1000 new dogs and cats every week and euthanizes most of them (see sidebar).

Though Copper's Dream was only recently founded, it has already saved over 70 lives, thanks to the assistance of animal foster families, donors, and other people willing to lend a hand - or plane!

Thanks to Anthony, Huey went from being dog number A77027 on the pound's euthanasia list to VIP on a flight destined for a far happier ending. "If people could just chip in a little to help," Anthony says, "The number of animals put to sleep could really be reduced."

To learn more about Copper's Dream, or to find out how you can make a difference by fostering, donating, or volunteering, visit www.coppersdream.org or email samantha@coppersdream.org.