Flying Tails: Saving Lives

One Flight At A Time

Flying Tails is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a simple mission: fly at-risk animals to safety. In practice, that mission covers a lot of ground—and a lot of lives.

Flying Tails pilots transport dogs and cats out of overcrowded shelters to prevent euthanasia. They fly orphaned bear cubs and bobcats to licensed wildlife rehabilitation centers, where they are raised and ultimately returned to the wild. They transport injured Bald Eagles and other raptors to specialized aviaries for treatment—and then fly them home once they recover. When animals are in danger and time matters, Flying Tails provides the fastest, most humane option available.

The organization was founded by former KTVU and KRON reporter and anchor Ken Wayne and his wife, former United Airlines flight attendant Carole Moschetti. The idea began with a small plane flight to Baja, where they rescued a street dog named Mango. That single rescue led to more flights, then more requests from shelters and wildlife agencies. Eventually, Ken walked away from a 40-year television news career to devote himself full-time to building Flying Tails into a professional aerial rescue operation.

Today, Flying Tails supports California Fish and Wildlife, the UC Davis Raptor Center, the Marine Mammal Center, Dogwood Animal Rescue, and many other organizations across California and the U.S. Ken has also recruited and coordinated volunteer pilots nationwide, including organizing air rescues for dogs displaced by the Palisades fire in Los Angeles.

Because of the uniqueness and impact of this work, PBS approached Ken to create a television series documenting these rescues. The first episode of Flying Tails aired on PBS KVIE Sacramento in November and will be distributed nationally on March 27. Ken is now producing a 12-episode season slated for a fall release, highlighting volunteer pilots who serve as first responders for animals in crisis. Upcoming episodes will include special guests, including a NASA astronaut assisting with dog rescues in California’s Central Valley.

The purpose of the series is bigger than storytelling. It raises national awareness about the growing crisis facing domestic animals and wildlife, the professionals who care for them, and the volunteer pilots who use their own aircraft, time, and resources to save lives. The long-term goal is to build a national Flying Tails first-response air network—ready at a moment’s notice when animals are in danger.

Support from donors makes the broadcast and continuation of this series possible. Funding helps complete future episodes, expand public awareness, and directly strengthen Flying Tails’ capacity to rescue more animals, faster. This is an opportunity to help scale a proven life-saving mission—and share it with a national audience.