VERO BEACH — The barrier island is home to many highly skilled professionals, entrepreneurs, craftsmen and retirees who have found a variety of unconventional means to add to the community’s quality of life through philanthropic and volunteer activities.
And for some the sky is literally not the limit.
One local aviator uses his passion for flying to help provide humane treatment for abused animals.
Sandpointe West resident Pat Hatch is a retired Vietnam-era Air Force pilot who has flown planes of all shapes and sizes to every corner of the globe. He grew up on a banana plantation in Costa Rica, speaks fluent Spanish, and has an extended family that adores its Schnauzer named Max.
Leisure hours are enthusiastically dedicated to walking Max, flying, bicycling, photography and rooting for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Today, Hatch flies an RV-6 experimental plane he built in his hanger at the Vero Beach airport from a kit and blueprint supplied by Van’s Aircraft.
His electrical engineering background facilitated the process.
Pilots who fly Van’s Aircraft RVs are known as Van’s Air Force and many commit to perform charitable missions.
Pilots N Paws is a nationwide organization of aircraft owners and volunteer pilots who transport dogs, cats and the occasional potbellied pig to a better life, rescuing them from unworkable and often abusive circumstances.
Members of the organization have flown thousands of animals over the years, including a massive rescue from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina that involved 171 dogs and 22 planes.
Six Florida shelters were involved in that rescue operation.
Hatch got in touch with a Van’s Aircraft owner from Minnesota who rescues animals for Pilots N Paws. Impressed by the work being done by this organization, Hatch decided to volunteer at literally the highest level possible. He signed on for duty as a rescue pilot.
Hatch told of one dog he piloted to a better way of life:
“This is the story of a border collie named Pip. Like Dickens’ Pip, this Pip came from humble beginnings. I don’t know how Pip ended up in a rescue shelter in Birmingham, Alabama, and it’s not germane. Upon arrival though, he tested positive for heartworm and was so emaciated and malnourished that he could hardly get around by himself. Pip deserved better.
“Pilots N Paws arranged to fly Pip from Birmingham to a border collie rescue center in Vero Beach. I was to be just one short leg of his trip. But it’s so much more than just the f lying part. Timing is critical for everyone involved.
“A volunteer picked up Pip when the Birmingham shelter opened at 9 a.m. They were airport bound at 9:05. En route, Pip was in such bad shape that he had a major accident in the car. He was hosed down at the airport and cleaned up for the flight. Finally, pilot Don Bennett, his son Barrett, and Pip were airborne.
“We decided on Quincy, Fla., as a suitable location for the handoff. His flight time was 1:45 and mine 1:44. I had to know when Don was departing so I could take off at the same time. There is so much more happening behind the scenes than you might realize.
“After a perfect flight from Vero to Quincy, I met up with the Bennetts and their new four-legged friend.
“Pip looked pretty good, but you could tell he was a little weak. When I went over to pet him I was shocked that I could feel his spinal column. He was a skeleton. His coat was hiding the bag of bones he had become. I thought he looked dehydrated so I offered him some water, but he refused. However, Barrett told me a little later that he was able to get Pip to take a drink. Pip seemed to be aware that we were trying to help – his tail was between his legs, but it would wag faintly when we touched him.
“I loaded Pip in the passenger seat and we were on our way to Vero. Pip promptly curled up and went to sleep and would only stir occasionally as if to ask, ‘Are we there yet?’ We landed at Vero about 3:15 p.m., so by this time Pip had had a long day.
“A representative of Starfish Border Collie Rescue here in Vero was there to greet Pip. I highly recommend that you visit their website to get an idea of the great work they are doing.”
In Vero Beach, Pip was diagnosed with dehydration, anemia and digestive problems requiring antibiotics, a blood transfusion and intravenous fluids.
He struggled for sure, but right now he’s a 100 percent healthy 2-year-old available for adoption. ‘Great Expectations’ may indeed become a reality for this Pip.
The need for these rescues never ends. This week Hatch will crisscross Florida, transporting dogs from New Port Richey to Ft. Lauderdale and from Merritt Island to Palatka.
