It’s not often that one person can have a transformative effect not once, but twice. Three years ago a donation from Rachael Ray changed the direction of our organization and helped us rescue thousands of animals. With that donation, our largest to date, we took a risk buying our first rescue van. Not only would we do air rescues, we would start doing land rescues as well. The Land Team has been a massive success, opening up opportunities for people to join No Dog Left Behind who like to keep their feet on the ground. Over the next few years we grew both sides of our operation, acquiring a larger plane two years ago and three additional Landplane” rescue vehicles along the way. The air side of these rescues is tricky. It’s expensive to fly, we can’t carry a lot of weight, and we constantly run into issues with the physical space we have inside for crates. The only option is to go to a larger aircraft which has been financially out of reach for our team.
Then a funny thing happened. Four weeks ago we received a call from the Rachael Ray Foundation, Rachael Ray’s Foundation that she funds with a portion of proceeds from each sale of Rachael Ray Nutrish® super premium pet food and treats. They asked us how they could help. We told them our story and explained the obstacles we saw in our future. It’s simple, we want to be able to save more animals and a bigger airplane would open up huge opportunities for our growing team. Three weeks later we got a second call. The Rachael Ray Foundation would cover the financing payments for a larger plane. We were stunned. They would once again be making the largest donation in our history. With this simple act of reaching out to us, listening to our story, and connecting with our mission, the funding to solve our greatest financial hurdle was put in place.
We are proud to announce that we have purchased a much bigger airplane. This new plane has the capacity to rescue three times as many animals per flight. It’s safe, easy to fly, and inexpensive to operate. In a few months we will take possession of a Mahindra Airvan GA 8. This cargo plane will become the backbone of our “Air Power.” For the second time we find ourselves on the receiving end of a transformative gift from the Rachael Ray Foundation and their amazing staff. This donation, the commitment to our team, and the recognition and validation by both our peers and rescue heroes, is humbling.
Rachael, the example you set by paying it forward and helping a cause dear to your heart is about more than just the donation. These acts of kindness are contagious and they inspire our team, and those around us, to do more. This story, and its example of the power of getting involved, reminds us that there is so much good people are willing to do for others. You have had a hand in helping unlock in all of us us the desire to do so much more. We hope to make you proud by doing the same for others.
Thank you.
The Entire No Dog Left Behind Family
We need your help. We are raising $200k to help with the expenses of the plane. All donations up to $50,000.00 are being matched by two anonymous donors. Visit our Airvan information website for more information and to make a donation.