On top of being a Hallmark Channel heartthrob, Aaron O’Connell has a big heart for dogs. In 2012, he got his private pilot’s license and bought his own Cirrus Turbo aircraft. He then started searching for an excuse to fly besides fun with the hope of doing some good. And then discovered a way to combine his love of flying with his love for dogs!
In an interview with People, O’Connell said, “I got my pilot’s license and enjoyed flying, and then I bought a Cirrus, and I enjoyed flying even more. I started doing some Google searching and found Pilots N Paws. I thought, ‘If I can do some of these trips, I feel like it’d be not only rewarding and I’d be helping out, but I’d also be able to fly and fulfill my passion and dream of mine.'”
His most recent mission for Pilots N Paws was in late March, where he escorted a Great Pyrenees puppy named Patches (seen above) to her new furever home. O’Connell also explained to People how he always keeps the wellbeing of the rescue pups in mind, “It’s not necessarily a big thing for me as a pilot because I fly through that all the time, but I’m always leaning towards, ‘How is the dog going to do?’ I either put them in a crate or I put them in the backseat and put towels down and let them roam, depending on how they seem, how they are when we first meet. In this situation, Patches was a little bit timid. So I thought, ‘You know what? What I’ll do is I’ll put her in the crate, make a nest for her, make her comfortable.'”
And this wasn’t O’Connel’s first fur-filled flight. He’s been working with Pilots N Paws since 2015.
O’Connell volunteers his time and his plane to deliver these doggos. But he does get to keep the fun times flying and the satisfaction of helping pups in need!