Let’s first put your mind at ease—yes, there was a plane crash involving more than 50 shelter dogs but they all survived.
On Tuesday, Nov. 15, a twin engine aircraft transporting the canines from Louisiana to Wisconsin crash landed on a golf course at the Western Lakes Golf Club in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. But—as ABC News assured—all the dogs, along with the three people onboard, survived. The worst injuries were just a few bumps and scrapes.
With that out of the way, let’s get to how this unexpected event led to many pups finding their forever homes much sooner than anticipated.
Apparently, it was love at first rescue 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, told ABC Milwaukee affiliate WISN 12 while cradling her newly adopted furry friend.
Similarly, Amber Christian, a firefighter and paramedic at the department, told WISN 12 that her new dog Artemis “just kind of fell out of the sky in front of me, so here he is.”
Marley, the last named pup in the article, allegedly jumped into the arms of Deputy Chief Tony Wasielewski right after the crash. Wasielewski went in to find her the next day. “When they let her in the door she bypassed my wife and ran to me, jumped into my arms, gave me kisses. I started to tear up a little bit and said, ‘Oh boy, I guess we got a dog,'” he shared.
“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.””
https://t.co/h6k0zJ8cyO— GerdasEquineRescue (@GerdasEquineRes) November 20, 2022
The remaining doggos were taken to various shelters throughout Wisconsin. And by the sound of it, folks couldn’t wait to take them home. Elmbrook Humane Society, which took 11 dogs, gave “first dibs” to the first responders of the plane crash. And as Stephanie Deswarte, the shelter’s front desk manager, told ABC News, there were quite a few calls.
Though people aren’t normally allowed to adopt before a dog goes up on the website (to keep things fair), Deswarte thought that the situation called for an exception, “since they were obviously in the thick of it, and they did such a great job trying to help with the whole crazy situation.” As of Nov. 22, puppies Charlie Brown, Linus and Sally have been adopted, and another first responder plans to take one home on Saturday.
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
While the cause of the crash is still unclear and under investigation, it’s a huge comfort to know that not only was no one hurt, but that it ended up saving many dogs from shelters. According to the ASPCA, around 3.1 million dogs enter shelters each year, with approximately 390,000 being euthanized. In many ways, these sweet pups escaped death twice. A double whammy, heartwarming, tail-wagging miracle all around.