The pilot takes a 400-mile flight to spend the last days of a shelter dog with a loving family

With only a few weeks to live, according to the doctors, this pilot took her to her adoptive family 400 miles away so that her last days might be spent in their loving care.

In a North Carolina shelter, an aging dog named Ashlyn lived, who was not doing well. She had sarcomas, which are cancerous tumors under the skin and had lost a lot of weight. However, there was still time for her to make a fortune.

Ashlyn only needed a way to go to the appropriate home that the New England Humane Society (NEHS) found for her to spend the final few weeks of her life. Paul Steklenski, the founder of Flying Fur Animal Rescue (FFAR), decided to take her up in his aircraft.

With Ashlyn seated next to him, Steklenski started to feel depressed, considering that this might be Ashlyn’s last flight ever.

Steklenski often transports 15 to 30 dogs every month, so he’s used to taking needy puppies to rescues so they may find loving homes, but the older dogs especially break his heart. Steklenski told The Dodo, “Those are the ones where you focus on what they’re going through.”

Ashlyn found the two-hour journey to be somewhat unsettling. Steklenski commented, “At first, she seemed a little distant.” After that, she would start to become closer and more open.

By giving her dog biscuits, he undoubtedly helped her feel better. He said, “She gave me one paw then the other.”

Steklenski said, “She then laid her head on my lap.” That is important to me. That is the only thing that matters. That in and of itself is the prize.

In 2013, Steklenski became a hobby pilot and adopted a dog. These things weren’t related at first but eventually became inextricably linked.

Steklenski said to The Dodo last year, “We started to discover the difference by going to pet stores and then shelters.” He decided to make the most of his new interest after seeing how many animals at shelters need care.

Without him, Ashlyn would not be where she is now. Rescuers thought they were taking her to the hospital, but after seeing how well she’s recovered, they’re thinking she might have more time left.

Tracy Lander, who has three dogs of her own and has been fostering dogs for the NEHS for two years, told The Dodo, “Her condition crushed me when I brought her up from the airport.” Her ideal weight is between 65 and 70 pounds, and she has dropped 39 pounds. When I took off the jumper she was wearing when I first saw her, I could see every rib.

In an attempt to help Ashlyn gain weight, Lander started feeding her three times a day. She also gave her vitamins to help with her many health concerns, which included malignancies and skin conditions brought on by chemical burns.

Ashlyn started to shift with time. “She’s going outside more,” Lander noted. She is an excellent chef. and she thinks the world of me.

Ashlyn has even started to cuddle with Lander’s other dog, Angel. Lander’s boxer-mix dog, Xander, has also shown a desire to get in touch with Ashlyn. Lander predicted, “He’ll just go up to Ashlyn and start licking her.” “He thinks that by speaking, he can heal everyone.”

Nobody knew Ashlyn would stay with the Landers after she relocated in January. April has made her less of the hospice dog and more of a teacher who helps them remember to appreciate each day and live in the present, which is a beautiful lesson.

Lander went on, “She knows she is loved.” “She knows she is loved no matter what happens.”

When Ashlyn boarded Steklenski’s plane that day, no one anticipated that she would make such huge leaps. It’s precisely because of her transformation from a weary shelter dog into a beloved family member that Steklenski does his work.

“I never imagined finding something so amazing, so fulfilling that it would overshadow almost everything else in my life,” Steklenski said.