Yes, more than 50 shelter dogs were involved in a plane crash, but they all survived.
A twin-engine aircraft transporting dogs from Louisiana to Wisconsin crash-landed on a golf course at the Western Lakes Golf Club in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, on November 15. According to ABC News, however, all dogs and three people on board survived. The worst injuries consisted of a few scrapes and bumps.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can discuss how this unanticipated event resulted in many puppies finding their forever homes much sooner than expected.
“Several first responders on the crash scene of a plane transporting 53 shelter dogs have adopted the dogs they helped rescue. One rescue gave the workers “first dibs.””
— GerdasEquineRescue (@GerdasEquineRes) November 20, 2022
https://t.co/h6k0zJ8cyO
It was evidently love at first sight for the first responders who arrived on the scene. “As soon as I found out all of them were OK, my first thought was: one of them is coming home with me. So this is my little Lucky,” Elle Steitzer, a firefighter and EMT at Lake Country Fire Rescue, said to WISN 12 while cradling her newly adopted animal companion.
Similarly, a firefighter and paramedic at the department, Amber Christian, told WISN 12 that her new dog Artemis “just kind of fell out of the sky in front of me, so here he is.”
First Responders Adopt Dogs They Rescued from Plane Crash in Wisconsin: ‘Fell Out of the Sky’ https://t.co/8Q5QlNIUox
— People (@people) November 20, 2022
Marley, the final dog mentioned in the article, allegedly leapt into the arms of Deputy Chief Tony Wasielewski immediately following the collision. The next day, Wasielewski went to her residence to locate her. “When they opened the door, she ran past my wife to me, jumped into my arms, and kissed me. I began to shed a few tears and exclaimed, “Oh boy, I guess we got a dog,” he revealed.
The remaining canines were transported to various animal shelters in Wisconsin. And from the sounds of it, individuals could not wait to take them home. Elmbrook Humane Society, which took eleven dogs, gave “first dibs” to the plane crash’s first responders. According to Stephanie Deswarte, the shelter’s front desk manager, there were numerous calls.
Deswarte believed that the situation warranted an exception to the rule, “since they were obviously in the thick of it, and they did such a great job trying to help with the whole crazy situation.” Charlie Brown, Linus, and Sally have been adopted as of November 22, and another first responder will take one home on Saturday.
While the cause of the crash is still unknown and under investigation, it is extremely reassuring to know that no one was injured and that many dogs were saved from shelters. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, approximately 3,1 million dogs enter shelters annually, with approximately 390,000 being euthanized. In multiple ways, these adorable puppies evaded death twice. A heartwarming, tail-wagging miracle for everyone involved.