Ivory, the white German Shepherd dog, with Humane Society member Kim Woodrow.

by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow – Ivory, a 2-year-old white German Shepherd, is likely going to spend the rest of her life a happy dog to a loving family on the Rocky Mountain front range.

That in itself is not big news, but for Ivory it took the time and resources of three dog rescue organization, and several hours of volunteer time to make it happen.

The Wellington Humane Society came in contact with Ivory several months ago. She was not a battered dog, but a lost one. Her master was just hospitalized and could no longer take care of her. His girl friend was also unable to help either. So like so many dogs and cats, Ivory was handed over to the Wellington Humane Society.

Ivory on her way to Boulder, Colo.

Ivory’s plight isn’t different than any other animal the local humane society has helped over the years. She just needed a new home. The problem is, shelter space is limited in Wellington as the local Humane Society continues its quest to build a new shelter.

“We had a few people say they would take her and then for one reason or the other it fell through,” said Phyllis Todd, owner of Pearly Gaits Ranch and member of the Wellington Humane Society.

So Todd desperately reached out and advertised Ivory’s plight on various rescue websites.

Then came a phone call from a rescue unit in Wichita. The Snowcap White Shepherd Rescue unit in Denver, Colo. looks specifically for white German Shepherds, and Ivory, a tall, slender dog, was the perfect canine to bring to Colorado. Todd was told the organization would not only spay Ivory but bring her up on vaccinations.

Colorado is also a no kill state, meaning no dog can be exterminated.

“There is actually an adoption demand out there,” Todd said.

The trouble with that is transportation. Denver and Wellington are not a hop and a skip away – 550 miles apart.

Ivory on Wellington Airport runway.

But yet another dog rescue organization came to the rescue. Pilots N Paws links private pilots to canines throughout the nation in hopes of giving the dog a perfect home. Pilots in the program simply donate their time and travel expenses transporting a canine from one place to the other.

This was a perfect opportunity for the Wellington Humane Society.

But still there were the logistics. Could local officials get a pilot to fly to Wellington and then take the dog to Colorado?

Again, fortune shined on the local humane society.

Jan Burton, a licensed pilot and secretary of the Kansas State University Foundation board, just happened to be attending a meeting in Manhattan and flew her private plane there on Friday. She lives in Boulder, Colo.

Dog Rescue with Jan Burton of Boulder, Colo. and member of K-State Foundation board.

So late Friday afternoon, Burton, an entrepreneur in the high-tech industry and a Boulder City Council person, flew into Wellington Municipal Airport to pick up Ivory. She was greeted by a group of Humane Society workers and media sorts at the airport.

Ivory, being a dog, probably didn’t realize she was about to jettison almost 500 miles in a Cirrus SR-226 private plane in the high skies. Nor did she probably realize her life was about to improve. She landed safely in Colorado yesterday evening and is now embarking on a whole new journey in her life.

“I just feel this is the kind of story that illustrates what we do here at the Humane Society,” Todd said. “We hope to make a better life for our feline and canine friends.”

To visit or learn more about the Wellington Humane Society visit its Facebook page here, or call 620-440-9322.

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