Dog Flies Across the Country in Private Jets to Meet His Owner as He Returns From Deployment

A loyal dog flew thousands of miles, from Tennessee to Washington state, just to be reunited with her airman owner.

Read: The Incredible Journey: Dog Reunites With Owner After 2 Years Apart

“I’m really happy to have my best friend back,” Andrew Fawley, a member of the U.S. Air Force, said in an interview with WTVF.

After Fawley returned to his base in Spokane following a 10-month deployment in Qatar, he realized it wasn’t quite home without his 3-year-old pup, Blue.

His mom, Mitzi Fawley, who had been taking care of Blue while he was away, has been looking for ways to send Blue to her son since he’s returned.

“He’s very anxious and excited for her to be home with him,” Mitzi said.

But it proved to be a complicated task when they realized sending Blue on a commercial flight would cost more than $2,000, and she worried about trapping their beloved pup with cargo on the plane for several hours.

Instead, volunteer pilots from Pilots N Paws stepped in, and put together a flight plan that would get Blue to Spokane

“It’s a rare mission,” pilot Tripp Costas, who was responsible for part of Blue’s flight, said. “I’ve never been able to reunite a dog with a soldier before.”

Read: This Sloth Got His Own Private Jet to Fly to New Home

Riding in the co-pilot’s seat, Blue made stops in St. Louis and Omaha, and flew more than 1,700 nautical miles before finally touching down in Spokane.

As Blue stepped off the private jet, she immediately raced toward Fawley, who met his dog on the tarmac.

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