Flights for life: Doctor uses plane to rescue hundreds of dogs from high-kill shelters

A doctor in New York has taken it upon himself to not only save human lives but dog lives as well.

Dr. Brian Rambarran, a urologist based in Buffalo, New York is a licensed pilot, who helps keep dogs from being killed, working with animal shelters in New York and North Carolina to airlift dogs from animal shelters to foster homes. Pilots n Paws, a non-profit, helps link pilots to different rescues and shelters that help move animals around from high kill shelters.

"It was kind of natural thing. I became a pilot about 12 years ago, and I did it for many reasons," Rambarran told USA TODAY over the phone. "Part of it was to use my skills to help other people and animals; I fly for a couple different organizations and we fly sick children around. I also decided to fly for Pilots n Paws. I decided to do it because it was a way for me to do two things that I enjoyed: one which was flying and two, volunteering and helping others, and hopefully benefit society in a positive way."

Hundreds of rescues

In the last 12 years, Rambarran has rescued hundreds of dogs in his 5-seat Cirrus SR 22, which he flies every four to six weeks, picking up dogs from high kill shelters and dropping them off to foster and adoption homes. On his last flight alone, he picked 11 dogs, and on the flight prior to that 20, which is the maximum number of dogs he has carried on a single flight.

While Rambarran tries to move as many dogs as possible in one flight because "there are a lot of dogs in need," he does occasionally fly for emergencies.

"There was one dog that was pregnant, and she was special needs, and I think she needed some type of surgery too," Rambarran said. "So, I ended up just flying her solo."

Managing so many dogs of different ages and sizes at one time sounds like quite a task but Rambarran explained the process is very smooth since all the dogs are put in proper kennels to ensure their safety and health. The dogs are not mixed, and the families are kept together.

'A family affair'

Recently, Rambarran's two daughters, ages 10 and 12, have also started helping him in his mission and he says the rescues have "now become a little bit of a family affair."

"They'll come and help unload the dogs," Dr. Rambarran said. "They'll help pick out some of the rescue flights."

While Rambarran has primarily picked up dogs, he said animals rescues also include cats and even goats.

Rambarran explained that Pilots N Paws works as a message board and connects animal rescues and pilots across the U.S. so that help can be provided to all animals in need. Rambarran said he provides his services to a variety of shelters though a few of them have started to reach out to him directly, such as the Nickel City Canine Rescue in Buffalo. While his route is primarily between North Carolina and New York, he says he's open to going wherever help is needed.

Brandon Wolf, a board member of Nickel City Canine Rescue, told USA TODAY that they reached out to Rambarran in February to ask if he had time to help out with rescues at the organization and he "quickly hopped on board." Rambarran told the rescue about the shelter he worked with in North Carolina and three joined hands to help as my dogs as possible.

Wolf explained that Nickel City Canine Rescue provides foster homes only and does not have a shelter. He said the volunteer-based organization works closely with shelters and helps find homes for dogs and other animals. Once they are able to find foster homes for the dogs, they get in touch with Rambarran who then takes out his plane and flies the dogs from North Carolina to Buffalo, where they are met with foster parents.

"Dr. Rambarran doesn't ask for any reimbursements for his flying time, his fuel," Wolf said. "He does this only out of the kindness of his heart."

Helping the vulnerable

With only the fuel of each flight costing approximately $700 and a commitment of a few hours every few weeks, what made Rambarran pick up such a challenging mission?

"I've always been an animal lover. I've always been a dog lover," Dr. Rambarran said. "Animals are a population that can't really speak for themselves. Just like children, they can be vulnerable. I've always been an advocate for that, so I decided to use my pilot skills to help a vulnerable population by doing as much as I can to hopefully better their lives and give them a second chance."

Rambarran said his excursions bring him a lot of fulfilment "knowing that the dogs are going to a safe home," and are getting a second chance at life.

"They're going from a place where they could be euthanized at any time to a loving home, and getting a chance at a having a happy, fulfilling life and just knowing that alone brings me and my family happiness," Rambarran said.

Dr. Rambarran's own dog is also a rescue

Given how many dogs Rambarran has rescued over the years, it comes as no surprise that one of the three dogs he owns is actually one he rescued himself. His other two dogs, Lucy, 15 and Lola, 13 are a Yorkie mix.

Rambarran brought Toby, a 2-year-old terrier mix, to Buffalo on one of his rescue flights from North Carolina. The puppy had been found on the streets of North Carolina, underfed and malnourished, and was in a high kill shelter, where he could be killed any minute when he was rescued by a shelter and put in foster care. When Rambarran brought him to Buffalo on his flight, Toby ended up staying with him because he had nowhere to go due to some unforeseen issues. Toby was meant to stay with the doctor's family for only a few days but ended up getting adopted by them.

"He's a really good dog," Rambarran said. "He was about a year old at the time (of the rescue). Fast forward eight months and Toby was sitting on my lap on 'Good Morning America.' On national TV. It's an amazing story that he went from one extreme to the other."

Pilots N Paws hopes Rambarran's story will inspire others

Pilots N Paws, in a statement to USA TODAY, said the organization is "deeply moved by Dr. Brian Rambarran's enthusiasm for rescuing animals in need of transport through his gift of flight."

"Every day, we witness the incredible impact that compassionate pilots have on the lives of animals in need, and of which Dr. Rambarran's efforts are a powerful example," the statement said. "His work not only saves lives, but also inspires others to realize that they, too, can make a significant difference."

"We hope his story will encourage more volunteers to join our mission of providing free flights for rescue, service, and injured animals," the statement added.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.