Blues' Backes flies 700 miles to rescue dogs

ST. LOUIS — David Backes was searching for an activity to keep busy during the NHL All-Star break, and a decision to combine his passions of flight and animal rescue saved three stray dogs.

Last Friday, Backes, the St. Louis Blues' captain, participated in a 700-mile mission to Houston with his wife, Kelly, and his flight instructor, Tim Voithofer. They picked up the dogs from a group in the city that is partnered with Five Acres Animal Shelter, a no-kill shelter in St. Charles, Mo., for which Kelly serves as a volunteer and board member.

In the process, Backes made progress toward earning a pilot license. The Blues center has worked toward becoming a licensed pilot since his wife gave him a flight lesson as a Christmas gift in 2010. The couple is known for animal advocacy around the St. Louis area, and they decided to take advantage of a chance to earn flight hours while advancing a cause close to their hearts. 

"I figured over the break if I wasn't going to the (All-Star) game, we should do something to combine the two (passions)," said Backes, who leads the Blues in goals (16), assists (21) and points (37). "We had a day to head down there, and my flight instructor was willing to help out, and we had someone who was willing to donate their plane. The stars kind of aligned, and we made it happen."

The three dogs were rescued in an eight-hour round-trip journey. One is a lab mix, another is a border collie/chow mix and the other is a rottweiler/shepherd mix. The dogs, named Lincoln, Emmett and Ernie, respectively, will be placed on the adoption floor in about a week.

Kelly Backes said more dogs would have been rescued, but "that's all we had room for in the plane." She said the group plans to "drive up in April with some more."

"They're pretty priceless for getting the word out in the community about rescuing and adopting," Kim Brown, executive director of Five Acres Animal Shelter, said of the Backes. "They both bonded with the three dogs that they transferred. They're both really sweet. Getting that press coverage, those dogs have been very popular. It helps the three dogs find a home quicker. David, of course, is super excited about getting his license. For both of them, it's very rewarding to help dogs while they're doing it."

Kelly has been "an animal person" since she was a girl. She recalls being raised around dogs, playing with frogs and salamanders and finding stray cats and trying to find homes for them.

The Backes are encouraged by the response to their mission, which was made possible because of a relationship between Five Acres Animal Shelter and the Houston-based nonprofit Corridor Rescue Inc. In July 2011,  CRI partnered with Five Acres Animal Shelter to help some of the stray dogs within CRI's program find homes in the St. Louis area.

The Backes anticipate continuing their campaign to provide animals with homes and fight euthanasia, which claims about 3 million to 4 million animals in the United States each year. David's success this season adds awareness to the couple's cause.

After exiting the plane in St. Louis, Backes smiled and spoke about how rewarding it was to see the dogs happy and safe.

"It's always a feel-good story when athletes give back to the community," Backes said. "When there's animals involved, that touches people in a whole other way. It was very well received — not just this flight transporting these dogs, but the community of animal rescue work has been phenomenal since I've been involved with it. We hope that continues."

If you're interested in adopting, contact the Five Acres Animal Shelter at 636-949-9918 or canines@fiveacresanimalshelter.org.