Adri Pendleton had been living in
Amsterdam with her two dogs for six years when she decided to move back
to the U.S. at the end of last year. She realized that the difficult
part was going to be getting her 15-year-old border collie Nelly home,
as she had developed epilepsy and was diagnosed with a mild heart
murmur. Because of the dog’s health issues, Adri was hesitant to put her
in cargo for the plane trip home, and she couldn’t find an airline that
would allow a dog of Nelly’s size to travel in the cabin with her on an
international flight. The 29-year-old realized that the only option to
get her beloved dog back was by private plane. People on social media
felt for Adri and Nelly and the predicament they were in, setting up a
GoFundMe page to gain attention worldwide. The posts were spotted by
German pilot Niklas Stoeterau (inset), who said he was touched by Adri’s
story. The 26-year-old contacted Adri through social media with a
proposal to bring the pair back to the U.S. He said he could fly Adri
and Nelly as far as New Jersey, as he was allowed to bring a guest for a
heavily discounted price. “I called it my plus one and a half,” said
Niklas. Despite it being a plan that would solve her transcontinental
problems, Adri admitted she was unsure at first, but she decided to take
Niklas up on his offer. Everything went smoothly and Adri and Nelly
arrived in Newark, New Jersey, without incident. Although Adri and
Niklas said their goodbyes at the airport, they couldn’t stop thinking
about each other. A couple of days after the flight, Adri reached out to
Niklas, inviting him to California for a “date.” Fast-forward to today
and the pair are continuing their long-distance relationship, waiting to
see where it leads. Sadly, Nelly passed away about a month after
returning to California, but Adri is grateful for the extra time she got
to spend with her.
