NYC Pilot Devotes His Flights To Saving Neglected And Homeless Animals

Michael Schneider’s love for animals began long before he ever stepped into a cockpit. At just six years old, he already knew he was meant to help.

“That’s all I ever knew growing up,” he told The Post, remembering how his family often visited the SPCA, a no-kill shelter in Briarcliff Manor, Westchester County. “We’d bring home dogs and cats in need.”

But his compassion stretched far beyond those shelter visits.

“Beyond that, I used to take in animals from the neighborhood. I was the little boy that took in the injured bird with a broken wing and nursed it back to health. I even had a pet sitting business when I was 11 years old.”

Years later, Schneider discovered another passion, flying. A life-changing skydiving trip inspired him to train as a commercial pilot, and it wasn’t long before his two greatest loves, aviation and animals, finally came together.

He launched Pilots to the Rescue, a nonprofit that uses small aircraft to transport animals from overcrowded shelters to places where they’ll have a real chance at adoption. His vision was simple: to give at-risk animals a second shot at life.

“I wanted to do something of substance with this pilot’s license that I worked so hard to achieve. I heard about people transporting animals at risk of being euthanized using airplanes, so when I learned about that, of course, I jumped on that opportunity.”

Within two days of sharing his idea, Schneider raised $12,000 from family and friends. His pitch was heartfelt and straightforward: animals can’t speak for themselves, but people can help give them a voice.

Since then, Pilots to the Rescue has saved 4,488 animals through 313 missions, flying more than 353,600 miles across states like North Carolina, Florida, and Texas.

And while most people picture the heroic part happening in the air, Schneider explained that much of the effort happens on the ground. Animals travel overnight in vans to meet the planes by morning, keeping things efficient and allowing more rescues to take place.

“When they get to the other side, they might feel a little timid coming out of the crate, but when we get them out, their tails are wagging, they’re jumping up and down, they feel energy.”

Operating out of a hangar in Essex County, New Jersey, Pilots to the Rescue is one of only about ten aviation-based animal rescue groups in the country. 

The team partners with both individual shelters and large organizations like Humane World for Animals, pooling resources to save as many lives as possible.

Sometimes, the missions even go beyond dogs and cats. The group has helped relocate sea turtles, wolves, and even banteng, critically endangered wild cattle. “The endangered species work is especially rewarding,” Schneider shared.

At home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Schneider balances his nonprofit work with raising four sons alongside his wife. It isn’t always easy, especially financially, but the difference he sees in both the animals and their new families keeps him going.

Some adopters call months later to say the animals they brought home are the best companions they’ve ever had. For Schneider, that feedback is priceless.

“That’s what keeps me going. To see the animals and their precarious situations that they come from – whether it be hoarding, abuse, neglect, basically left to die. We become a voice for these animals who can’t otherwise speak.”

He admits the work has changed him too.

“I used to be very narcissistic and selfish, and all about ‘me, me, me’. But I started to realize that it’s more rewarding to give back, and it’s not about me anymore.”

Through his devotion and determination, Michael Schneider proves that one person’s passion can change the lives of thousands of animals. 

With every flight, he gives them something priceless: not just a second chance, but the chance to finally be loved.