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.
