DANVILLE, Ill. — Without hesitation, Charlie Waggles stepped onto the wing of the Piper Cherokee 140 and bounded into his spot behind the pilot. For an 8-year-old on his first flight, he showed no fear.

“He’s ready to go,” the dog’s foster mother Misty Hueston said.

Hueston and others watched as the plane took off from the Vermilion Regional Airport, fulfilling an item on the dog’s bucket list — to ride in a plane.

Charlie, an American Staffordshire terrier, is terminally ill with aggressive melanoma. His foster family came up with a 25-item list of experiences he should have. The items range from silly to serious, but the underlying purpose is to bring attention to animal issues and the need for foster families through the local animal shelter and its foundation.

“It’s about awareness, bringing people together,” Hueston, a shelter volunteer, said. “Charlie gets to benefit from it all, which is awesome.”

The plane ride allowed Charlie to check off another item thanks to Mike Gerdes, a volunteer with Pilots N Pets rescue service, who flew in from Indianapolis. Gerdes brought along a bag filled with goodies, including a blanket, toys and a first-flight certificate, all put together by his wife, Marilee.

Charlie also received a red bandana featuring Peanuts character Snoopy as the Red Baron.

It didn’t take any coaxing for Charlie to get into the plane, along with Jeff Clawson, whose wife, Melanie, is volunteer coordinator at the county shelter, and the pilot. For about 20 minutes, the three flew over Vermilion County in eastern Illinois.

Raising awareness

Charlie was surrendered by his family, and came to the Vermilion County Animal Shelter in November. In December, the staff noticed masses under his leg and underneath his body.

He was diagnosed with aggressive melanoma. The tumors were removed; chemotherapy was not recommended. The shelter’s non-profit foundation covered the medical costs.

The shelter does not adopt out sick animals, so Charlie went into foster care with Hueston.

He’s not in pain, Hueston said, and still plays like a puppy, although he tires easily. She doesn’t know his prognosis, but believes he’ll live beyond a year.

Of course, he’s being spoiled at the Hueston home with her rescue dog and children, and people have been chipping in to help check items off the list — including visiting residents at a nursing home, being served at a bar (he’ll soon get a drink of water at a local tavern), and watching “All Dogs Go to Heaven” on an outdoor movie screen.

“I’m blown away by the strength of the animal community around here,” Hueston told the Danville, Illinois Commercial-News.

Diana Bryant, president of the Vermilion County Animal Shelter Foundation, said there’s a big need for foster families, who take care of an animal until he can be adopted.

“Good fosters are hard to find,” Bryant said. Other pets in the home must be current on their shots, and the foundation makes periodic home visits to check on the welfare of the animals.

Hueston, a volunteer for a year, is passionate about helping. She adopted a dog that had been neglected and injured, and the pet has bonded well with Charlie.

While she’s had her share of heartaches, there are successes, too — such as the time a dog headed for euthanasia was adopted at the very last minute.

“It’s moments like that when you see God’s hand come into play,” Hueston said.

Wicoff writes for the Danville, Illinois Commercial-News.