A Plane for Paddington
The day after the High Five rescue flight, cofounder Petra received another urgent message: a tiny 8 week old puppy had been hit by a car in Porterville, California. He would need emergency care from a specialist in Los Angeles if he was ever going to walk again.
The hero in this story is Annie Hart, who runs Rescue from the Hart and takes on the most deeply challenging cases in animal rescue. She had heard the puppy’s story and was hoping to find him a flight to Los Angeles as quickly as possible. When cofounder and pilot Petra got the call, she rushed from her office to the airport to help.
After a short flight from Whiteman Airport (KWHP) to Porterville Municipal (KPTV), Petra met Shannon, an incredible animal lover and employee of the local shelter. Shannon brought the puppy to the tarmac for his quick flight to Los Angeles.
The puppy had received painkillers for his serious injuries, and he stayed in his kennel so he wouldn’t get jostled. Petra did open the kennel to comfort the little guy, who rested his tiny head in her hand. Petra flew as low as the terrain allowed, taking the ascent and descent as slowly as possible to make the sunset flight as smooth as it could be for the poor puppy.
Safely back at Whiteman, Petra handed the puppy over to Gina, a volunteer with Rescue from the Hart. She took him to the vet, where X-rays revealed that the puppy had 5 fractures in his hindquarters. He immediately underwent a series of surgeries to make his future as bright as possible.
Because of his incredibly cute teddy bear looks, the puppy earned the name Paddington - and he is proving to be tough as nails beneath all that adorable scruff! Check out our quick recap video below from his rescue flight, then read on to learn more about his amazing recovery!
Now being cared for by foster superparents of Maia, a 2-legged rescue dog and advocate from the same area, we are happy to report that Paddington is happy as can be! Watch him run, play and enjoy his puppyhood, or even try to walk his fellow foster pets.
He even plays through the physical therapy he needs to ensure his life is as full and rich as possible. You can follow along with his antics with his foster family @2leggedmaia or with the amazing @rescuefromthehart!
Many thanks to Annie (seen above getting a thank you from Paddy), Maia and her family, Shannon, Gina and the whole team at Rescue from the Hart for giving this adorable soldier a new lease on life! We know he will make a family very, very happy one day soon.
