Nonprofit Pilots to the Rescue is taking its mission to new heights to rescue animals in need.

Nearly 1 million shelter animals are euthanized every year in America, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and that’s a statistic that Michael Schneider is determined to change.

The rescue pilot is the founder of Pilots to the Rescue, a nonprofit whose volunteer pilots fly around the country to pick up endangered animals. Their mission? Finding these creatures forever homes with loving families.

Schneider founded the group in 2015 when he was searching for a sense of purpose in his life, but when his corporate events job drastically slowed down during the pandemic, he turned his side work into a full-time gig.

“So it took 45 years for me to realize what I wanted to do when I grow up. This is a real passion of mine and it gives me such a sense of fulfillment, and I love doing this work. It’s tremendous,” he told “NBC News Now” anchor Joe Fryer.

Source: Inside a rescue pilot’s mission to save 26 dogs in Texas — and find them forever homes