DETROIT (WXYZ) — "He, absolutely, has a heart of gold," dog rescuer Jennifer Wright said about a former Detroit Police Department officer who uses his own plane, fuel and time to save dogs facing euthanasia in shelters because no one is looking for them or their owners have surrendered them to face whatever fate holds on their own.
The dogs are often sick, injured or just unwanted in their old age. And time is up at shelters with limited space or funds to help with their medical needs.
"These guys, you know, they deserve better," Bryan Ede said while holding little Greta, a 14-year-old dog he adopted himself several months ago.
Ede knows when he gets a call or a text from Wright that there's a good chance she's going to ask him to fly his plane somewhere in the next 12 to 24 hours to save the life of a dog or several dogs.
Wright is the director of the nonprofit Dachshund Haus and Corgi Rescue. She met Ede about five years ago when she was looking for new insurance.
A police officer she knew suggested she talk to Ede, who owns Michigan Insurance and Financial Services.
"She told me she ran a Dachshund rescue. I was like, 'No way. I used to have one. If you ever need some help, I do have my pilot's license. I have a plane.'"
Ede has been flying to rescue the pint-sized dogs ever since.
And at the start of the long holiday weekend, Ede got another call.
Wright told 7 Action News, "I called him at 9:30 on Friday night and said, 'Can you fly to go pick these dogs up?' He left at 9 o'clock the next morning and went and got them."
The latest trip involved the rescue of three Dachshunds in desperate need of veterinary care.
The trio had been living in a shed with their owner without electricity or running water. Their owner had a stroke and was taken to a facility and is no longer able to provide any kind of care for the dogs.
Shelter workers from North Central Indiana Spay and Neuter met Ede at the airport with the trio crated and ready for the flight to Michigan.
"Money is tight for the rescue. So, this is where we step in," he said.
If you'd like to learn more about the Dachshund Haus and Corgi Rescue or make a donation, visit their Facebook page.
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