No Dog Left Behind
Mission Statement:
What We Do:
What began as one dog on an airplane several years ago has evolved into an organization that has rescued over 17,000 animals in the air and on the land while also providing educational and equipment grants to spread our mission to enhance the lives of people by empowering them to help animals.
Since 2006 we have been on the front lines helping give a second chance to animals. Through this experience we have learned first hand of the challenges of starting a non-profit organization, creating best practices, and building something that is sustainable.
As we look towards the future we recognize that our experiences should be used to help fuel a new generation of like minded individuals. Our mission has evolved to help foster more Transports through grants, create more potential rescue pilots through scholarships, and continue our core mission to safely fly and drive at-risk animals to a second chance.
Today thousands of animals every year are given a second chance thanks to grassroots organizations like ours who find a way to make a difference. Over the last few years the number of animals euthanized has dropped significantly due to ordinary people jumping in to help transport animals from danger to safety. Leveraging our experiences to plant the seeds of hope is the next chapter for No Dog Left Behind.
How It All Began
The seeds were planted in 2006 when best friends Jonathan Plesset and Brad Childs needed to find a creative way to use the skills they learned earning their pilots licenses. The duo began seeking out charitable missions that would benefit from the use of an airplane. A phone call from a friend about a 90 pound bulldog named Monte that needed transport to a “furever” home was the inspiration that started it all.
Each weekend the two friends would set out to rescue animals in their tiny airplane. Missions would last a few hours and the guys would be lucky to squeeze 6 animals in their plane. As time went on Jonathan and Brad recognized that they could really make an impact if they formalized their weekend operation into an actual non-profit.
Formally Becoming A Non-Profit
In 2012, after learning the ins and outs of the rescue world, and experiencing some of the pitfalls, the guys saw an opportunity to create a new kind of animal welfare organization. Thousands of animals in neighboring states were being euthanized because no one could afford to transport these animals. The two pilots started offering free air transport to qualified non- profit shelters for any animal whose time was running out. In order to grow this concept and continue to offer their service for free they needed to be able to bring in funding from outside sources. Brad and Jonathan, along with their wives, Linda and Megan, decided to formally apply for 501(c)(3) status. A little over a year later they were granted their non-profit status and the guys began the process of building the organization under the name Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team which was later renamed No Dog Left Behind in 2021.
The team started out picking up animals from nearby shelters and delivering them to their new homes. Soon they were transporting 10 to 15 animals at a time with multiple airplanes. In order to make the trips more efficient they would pack the empty planes with food and supplies and deliver them to these same shelters that were desperate for help. Through the use of social media, No Dog Left Behind began getting requests from all over the country to transport rescued animals. They have flown thousands of animals since their inception, the majority are dogs, but the team also rescue cats, sea turtles, and the occasional pig or python.
(Linda Childs, Brad Childs, Megan Plesset, Jonathan Plesset)
The Need To Help
According to the ASPCA 1.5 million animals (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats) are euthanized each year in shelters all over the United States. 6.5 Million animals enter US shelters each year and approximately 3.2 million animals are adopted. The reasons for such dire numbers have a lot to do with our culture and the limited resources available to help animals. To help alleviate some of these numbers organizations all over the world have taken multiple approaches including promoting spay and neuter, better education, and more allocating more capital for expanding shelter space.
No Dog Left Behind was created to help on the solve some of these issues hands on and on the front lines. Everyday shelters are brining in animals in numbers sometimes higher than they are adopting them out. This can be due to a situations where the shelter is in a low population density area or the shelter is simply too small to handle the incoming pet population. Shelters faced with this crisis have two options, find other shelters with space and try and transfer the animals there or euthanize the animals. Unfortunately the cost to euthanize is much lower than the cost to transport.
No Dog Left Behind was created to give shelters a new option, free transport of the animals scheduled to be euthanized. Our team is contacted and we arrange to try and empty the shelter and bring these animals into a no-kill shelter in an higher population area where these animals can be adopted. This has a doubling effect since the space we open in that shelter prolongs the time other animals have to be adopted and opens up space to bring animals in from the streets. Each year we help thousands of animals make this journey from danger to safety.
Tax Information
Thank you for you interest in No Dog Left Behind! We strive to be as transparent as possible with our donors and the public. Your support has been instrumental in helping us save thousands of animals. When we originally filed to be a non-profit there was a typo in our name. We corrected the issue back in 2013 but still see the issue pop up from time to time. Our official name is No Dog Left Behind. Occasionally though we are displayed on forms as Pittsburgh Animal Aviation Rescue Team. While we would love to see animals aviate it is just not possible…yet Please note that these two names are the same entity, us!
No Dog Left Behind is a 501c(3) Charity. Our Tax ID is 45-5576740
Click here for our Letter of Determination
No Dog Left Behind 990 Disclosure
Click here for our 2014 990 Tax Return
Click here for our 2015 990 Tax Return
Click here for our 2016 990 Tax Return
Click here for our 2017 990 Tax Return
Click here for our 2018 990 Tax Return
No Dog Left Behind Community Outreach
At No Dog Left Behind, we feel strongly about animal welfare and have a responsibility to children and community members to help educate them about responsible pet ownership and some of the improper treatment that goes on. We have presented to Sunday schools and church groups as well as elementary classrooms and participants have shown enthusiasm and interest in our message.
Our program aims to inform groups about animal rescue and uses captivating photos and real-life experiences to stress the importance of giving back and caring for those that can’t take care of themselves, regardless of skin or fur color. Showing how participants can make an impact, the program can also include trips to the Allegheny County Airport to see the plane the animals are transported in or have a fundraising component to donate food and supplies or sponsor a flight.
A great example of a community member giving back to No Dog Left Behind occurred when a 7-year-old boy heard about our mission and decided to collect money for our charity in lieu of getting birthday presents. He collected a total of $575 and even made a trip out to see the plane and meet the pilots and pets!
We’re hoping to spread the word even further through our program. If we can reach one person, to save one more life, then we’re fulfilling our mission. Contact us at info@nodogleftbehind.org if you are interested in a program for your group or want to help us out.
For media inquires please email Jonathan Plesset at jon@nodogleftbehind.org.
Press Pics
Download High-Res Press Images
Television
Watch the team on Inside Edition
CBS Pittsburgh Covers No Dog Left Behind
CBS Pittsburgh Covers Hurricane Florence Rescue
ABC Pittsburgh Covers Hurricane Harvey Rescue
Kids from the Western PA School For The Deaf Visit No Dog Left Behind
NBC Pittsburgh Covers Hurricane Harvey Rescue
ABC San Antonio Covers Hurricane Harvey Rescue
CBS Pittsburgh Covers Hurricane Harvey Rescue
FOX On The Point Covers a Mission
No Dog Left Behind Assists in Hurricane Harvey Rescue
No Dog Left Behind helps rescue 44 dogs from a Korean Meat Market
Pittsburgh Live Interview Dog Days of Summer
Pittsburgh Live Interview With Jonathan Plesset and Brad Childs
Pittsburgh Live Interview with No Dog Left Behind
No Dog Left Behind’s Quasimodo Rescue on CBS
CBS News coverage of Jonathan and Brad
Print and Web
The Huffington Post feature article on No Dog Left Behind
The Daily Mail in the UK covers the Quasimodo story
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Covers Hurricane Harvey Rescue
AOPA Pilot Magazone Profile on No Dog Left Behind
Pittsburgh Tribune Review Covers Hurricane Harvey Rescue
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Covers a Rescue Mission
City Paper Covers No Dog Left Behind
Consumeradvocate.org Story On No Dog Left Behind
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Covers The Dog Days of Summer Fundraiser
Tribune-Review Covers The Dog Days of Summer Fundraiser
Tribune-Review covers the team and fundraiser
Pittsburgh Magazine covers No Dog Left Behind
Whirl Magazine Cover and No Dog Left Behind Story
Care2 does a great article on the No Dog Left Behind Team
The Jewish Chronicle does a feature article on the No Dog Left Behind Team
Lancaster Online covers a multi-plane, multi-state rescue
Radio
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