KNOXVILLE (WATE) – A trip to Knoxville on a private plane, piloted by a volunteer. The final stop: Morristown.
There’s only one “passenger” on this flight, his name is Kodak. He’s a Belgium Malinois, flown from Naples, FL to an airport in Knoxville to meet the Bane family.
“This is huge to me. This in itself is bigger than anything you can imagine,” said Joe Bane.
Bane is a military veteran who served in Afghanistan. With him at the airport his daughter, Sydne, and his pet-partner, Inca.
“Rescuing them has been amazing, especially for someone who served our country… from what I understand, Inca is a major war hero as well. Kept our bases in Iraq pretty safe,” said Ryan Fiorini, a Paws N Pilots volunteer pilot.
Fiorini’s met the Bane family before, in 2013, he reconnected Inca with Bane.
“Tears came to eyes, you really don’t know what to feel. What happens to you, ‘my best friend is here, my life’s here, the person who protected my life, the person who made it to protect my life so I could come back to my family is now here with me,'” said Joe Bane.
The intent of Pilots N Paws is to provide an environment in which volunteers can come together and arrange or schedule rescue flights, overnight foster care or shelter, and all other related activities.