Meet Chris Van Dorn: a real-life superhero who has helped save the lives of countless shelter animals.
Chris is a licensed pilot from Orlando, Florida. Chris began his lifesaving mission in 2014 when he adopted his first shelter dog, an Australian Shepherd who was found wandering around the woods of Alabama. As Chris nursed the emaciated dog back to health, he realized how much he loved helping shelter animals.
After that, Chris wanted to do more to help animals, and so he created the rescue organization Batman4Paws.
Chris rescues animals from high-kill shelters and drives them to foster homes and no-kill facilities. He wears a Batman costume as he drives these pets to their new homes.
Initially, Chris wore his Batman costume for a classic superhero reason: he wanted to keep his identity anonymous and simply focus on his mission. But in May 2019, GoFundMe named him their “Hero” of the month, and he chose to finally reveal his identity.
“As a child I looked up to the values that super heroes such as Batman reflected and thought that would be the perfect vessel to embody the spirit of goodwill. Thus the crazy idea of Batman4Paws was born. I would help rescue animals in need anyway I can, all while dressed as the Dark Knight himself and becoming a symbol for helping those in need,” Chris wrote on his GoFundMe page.
One day, Chris hopes to be able to buy a plane to transport the shelter dogs and cats to their new homes. For now, though, he’s happy driving them in his trusty Bat Mobile—a Honda Accord.
Chris usually operates within a 500-mile radius of his hometown of Orlando. But if needed, he’s happy to transport animals farther. Once, he even drove a shelter pup all the way to Vermont!
Chris also shares some of the stories of the animals he rescues on his blog. In July 2019, he shared the story of four sweet kitten siblings who were all born with Cerebellar Hypoplasia. This is a neurological disorder that causes kittens to have trouble with balance and fine motor skills. Chris transported the four kittens from West Virginia to Palm Bay, and they’re now in a great foster home.
Batman4Paws also has its own Robin—Chris’ Australian Shepherd!
The pup often assists Chris on his rescue missions. At the beginning of July 2019, Chris and Robin went down to Miami to pick up a Schnauzer named Linda. Together, the pair successfully delivered the dog to her new mom.
Chris has done an incredible job at saving dogs and cats from high-kill shelters! If you’d like to learn more about Batman4Paws, check out their Facebook page. If you’d like to help Chris/Batman with his lifesaving mission, consider donating to his organization.
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