Several times a year, Al Johnson boards his blue and white Cessna airplane and flies from Marana Regional Airport to Deming, New Mexico and back. His cargo? A homeless dog. His mission? To help it find a family.

Al is one of the many volunteers who transport dogs to our rescue for re-homing. “It starts with a phone call. If I’m available, I’ll get the basic details and look at the weather. If that’s a go, I might prepare the plane a day before; one less thing to worry about,” says Al. Most trips take him about six hours door-to-door. “Transport day starts about four hours before departure with dog duties at home and fixing a lunch. I arrive at the airport about 30 minutes before departure, get the plane ready, pull it out of the hanger, and I’m on way.”

Al has been transporting dogs by plane about two years. But it doesn’t happen without sacrifice. The fuel alone costs about $50 an hour. If you add in other costs like insurance, storage, airport fees, and more, the total cost might be closer to $120 an hour. But that’s just a guess on Al’s part.

Why does he do it? “I’m helping the dogs.”

So far, Al has made over a dozen flights for SOLR. He removed the back seat to make a large cargo area for a dog crate. One dog can fit comfortably in his 1972 Cessna 182P. If there are two dogs, they must both stay in the same crate – and there can’t be any fights. “Once I’m in the air, I can’t do anything about a fight.” He remembers flying 13 tiny puppies on a two-hour flight from Deming, NM to Buckeye, AZ. “They had a little accident before takeoff, and I had to deal with the smell for two hours. But it was worth it.” The two volunteers who received the pups at the airport cleaned everything up, which he was grateful for!

Going by air is not always the most reliable means of transport. Bad weather and other factors can intervene. In two years, Al has had to postpone two trips – both for weather.

Most rescues happen by car. Volunteers might cross several state lines or even the U.S. border to help a dog in need. Some drive hours, even days.

SOLR rescues Labs from an area that includes Arizona, Utah, Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. Getting them here takes patience, love, and determination. Rescuing one dog might involve 300 to 1200 miles and up to 10 volunteers. SOLR currently has 25 volunteers who assist with transportation.

How does it all come together? It begins with Jeannette Wahl, SOLR’s transport coordinator. Jeannette, who lives in Phoenix, has been heading up the transport team for several months. “When we get a request to save a Lab, I check to see where it is,” says Jeannette. “There are people in different states who help. They set up transport from their state to all over the United States. If it is a Labrador from another state, I will see if they can help. When the dog gets close to Arizona, I will use our transporters to finish the trip.”

Not all transports involve interstate travel. There are short runs, too. Volunteers take dogs to and from vet appointments, public events, fundraisers, and appointments with potential adopters. “It’s very rewarding,” says Jeannette. “We cannot save dogs without this process.” She says transport volunteers get a special reward: “They get to see the new dog before anyone else sees it.”

Look who's in the kitchen cooking a birthday cake for Bear. Bear celebrated his second birthday recently, and it required a big celebration.

Bear came to SOLR from Mexico when he was an eight-week old puppy . He was suffering from a broken leg and a broken heart. But look at him now! He was adopted by the Cwiak family on May 29, 2019 -- Dan, Jessica, and their daughter, Danica.

Here, Bear's favorite human is whipping up a birthday cake for him and his four-legged sister to share. Aren't these photos just too cute! Isn't he a lucky dog?

Here are just a few things we did in 2020!

210 Labs joined SOLR in 2020.

205 found new, loving families in 2020 alone! (And that's just the beginning.)

They were all different colors!

And they came from all around the Southwestern States:

Thanks to all our generous donors and wonderful volunteers. You're great! You give hope, love, and life itself to dogs that would otherwise be homeless and hungry.

We thank you. The dogs thank you. Ruff! Ruff! Ruff! It wouldn't be possible without you.