Eduard Seitan has already fly 60 - 70 wienerwurst during his rescue missions , and that number bear on to increase .
Chicago eating place owner Eduard Seitan has flown more than 40 delivery missionary post to help oneself fauna in need . The volunteer pilot spends his free time and resources help oneself the nonprofitPilots N Paws , a internet of military volunteer archetype who fly brute to shelter , rescue governance , and surrogate families across the United States . And while business at Seitan ’s James Beard prize - winning restaurants has been slow during theCOVID-19 pandemic , he says the extra free time has made it potential for him to serve even more animals in need this year .
A Silver Lining Amidst Uncertainty
Seitan and his business organization partners own and operateOne Off Hospitality , a Chicago eatery group that ’s home to some of the tastiest spots in the city , include Big Star , avec , and The Publican . The pandemic has hit the cordial reception industry especially hard , and their group is no elision : they ’ve had to close two of their 11 restaurants and furlough or lay off a majority of their 1,000 employees . Seitan and his business partners also stopped take salaries in March .
But with all the turmoil around him , Seitan has found a sense of purpose in the thick of a helter-skelter year . “ Since the pandemic , I ’ve been able to aviate more because I have a short more clock time in my helping hand , but at the same fourth dimension it ’s a little voiceless to cover the fuel cost , ” Seitan say . Despite thefinancial impact , Seitan says desire to give back and a sense of duty drives him to bear on his work as a volunteer buffer for animals in need .
An Epicurean with a Taste for Adventure
Afteremigrating from Romaniain the nineties , Seitan get over English while working as a waiter at several well - know Chicago eateries , building his survey and conform to his succeeding business organization pardner in the process . The entrepreneur got his pilot ’s licence 12 years ago and is now the owner of an old 1966 Piper Cherokee airplane that he take out in his free fourth dimension , telling USA Todaythat “ most motorcar on the route be a lot more than my plane . ”
“ I ’ve always flown mostly for pleasure , ” Seitan say . “ My happy blank space is in the plane . ” Two twelvemonth ago one of Seitan ’s employees , knowing of his love for both flying and dogs , introduced him to Pilots N Paws , the not-for-profit that connects volunteers to arrange animalrescue flightsand adoptions . Seitan immediately sign up and became a unpaid worker pilot .
“ It makes me so much happy to actually fly with a role , ” Seitan says . Most of the animals he flies are fromkill shelters , abusive post , or are in need of emergency surgery .
Photo: Courtesy of Eduard Seitan
He regularly volunteers for three- and four - hour legs of Pilots N Paws delivery flights , and his fiancée , Debbie Li , often accompanies him . When transporting up to 11 frump at once ( as Seitan has ) , having a copilot is extremely helpful . Seitan and Li have two rescue weenie of their own , Lola and Tigger .
Hope and Heartbreak
While most of the dogs Seitan flies go on to receive tending from their waiting Stephen Foster or adoption families , there is one whelp who will stick in his heart forever . The dog , an 8 - week - oldGerman shepherdnamed Ranger , was his favorite animal who ’s ever flown with him . In Dec. 2019 , the puppy was in a tax shelter in Texas suffering from a disorder known asmegaesophagus — when the esophagus dilates and loses its ability to move food into the breadbasket . The pup needed transport to Waukesha , Wis. , for emergency surgery . Seitan fly Ranger during the last leg of his trip and says that even though Ranger had n’t had body of water or solid food for a 24-hour interval before the tripper , “ he was still the sweetest , skillful dog I ’ve ever met . ”
When they arrived at their terminus , the delivery formation was there to pluck Ranger up , greeting Seitan and the pup with a sub ' welcome fit with homemade signs . But the two had bonded during their flight , and Seitan already loved Ranger so much that he committed to get the sweet puppy dwelling house with him . “ I will always need to bring some of these dogs home , but never like Ranger , ” Seitan says .
Ranger undergo two surgeries in Waukesha , but sadly , the pup did not survive . Although Seitan still gets emotional every metre he talks about Ranger , he aver he is still motivated by the chance to help more animals in need .
Courtesy of Eduard Seitan
A Passion to Help Others
One of Seitan ’s principal goals is to convince other pilots to employ their time to give back . He say that most hobby pilots fly out of town just to get a $ 100 burger ( an aviation laugh that with fuel costs , a airplane pilot ’s $ 10 hamburger ends up being $ 100 ) . “ If I can convince one , or two , or three to volunteer for Pilots N Paws , military mission accomplished , ” Seitan suppose .
As if the flights and the fuel monetary value were n’t enough , Seitan also started volunteering atChicago Animal Care and Control(CACC ) . CACC is the only city - run animate being protection , and it is the onlyshelterin the city that ca n’t turn away beast . “ It ’s annihilating what I see there , the form of need they have , ” he says .
Seitan ’s time with the animate being at CACC inspired him to start the#WeFosterprogram with One Off Hospitality . The broadcast encourage employees to foster brute from the administration who may need a break from the tenseness of shelter life and volunteer their time helping animals . Already , Seitan says that employee have adopt several dogs from CACC — another atomic number 47 liner we can all cheer about .
Courtesy of Eduard Seitan
Courtesy of Eduard Seitan
