Their planes save puppies

LAKELAND - Like a lot of people on the Fourth of July weekend, Jeff Bennett will be travelling. But Bennett won't be visiting friends or family. He'll be making special deliveries all over the country.

Bennett is picking up unwanted dogs that would have euthanized, and bringing them to rescue organizations or families waiting to adopt them.

"A lot of these transports, they're urgent," Bennett told FOX 13 at Lakeland Linder Airport, where he landed Friday morning. "If they don't get moved within three days, they'll get put down."

Bennett is one of a fast-growing group of pilots. They belong to the new web-based group called Pilots-N-Paws. Since it was founded a year and a half ago, it has grown to almost 500 members. They donate their planes, time, and fuel to jockey around dogs who need to be moved or face certain death.

He came to this area to pick up two dogs that were being cared for by the SPCA Inc., which is located in Lakeland.

"I think we all want to be part of something that is bigger than ourselves, and this is one of the ways to be able to do that," offered Rachel Bulman, an SPCA Inc. spokeswoman.

Every year in the U.S., up to five million dogs are put down. Bennett knows he is fighting the numbers. So far, he has rescued close to 80.

"We can only do what we can do -- save one at a time," he said.

For more information, go to www.pilotsnpaws.org .