US Airways Pilot is an Animal Hero, Too!

There is no doubt that pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s quick thinking helped save 155 lives when he landed a passenger plane in New York’s Hudson River on that bitter cold day last month. But friends will tell you that Sullenberger was a hero long before he performed that unbelievable landing. PEOPLE discovered that Sullenberger is an animal lover who has fostered many kittens and become closely involved with Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, Calif.

"Sully's the cat person. I'm the dog person,” his wife Lorrie told PEOPLE in a recent interview. He and Lorrie have opened their home to an untold number of kittens from Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation over the last couple of years, where they care for them until they can be neutered or spayed for adoption. Their 2-year-old cat, Kitty (right), a mute calico, was lucky enough to become a permanent fixture in their home.

"(Sully) loves that cat,” says Lorrie. “He has a special affinity for that cat. He desperately wants her to be a lap-cat. Since the accident, she's actually been leaning up against him."

The Sullenbergers are very active with Guide Dogs for the Blind, by raising puppies for the organization and providing homes for three retired breeding dogs, including their 10-year-old Lab, Twinkle. The Sullenburger’s neighbor, Joe Green, says the couple was instrumental in helping him find a guide dog after he lost his sight several years ago."When Lorrie was out walking the puppy, she saw me walking with a cane and told me about Guide Dogs for the Blind,” Green told PEOPLE. “I didn't know anything about them. I told her I didn't want a dog. I was so vain I didn't want to admit I couldn't see a hand waving in my face. But she and Sully talked me into it, and changed my life."

Through his guide dog, Mogan, Green and the Sullenbergers have become close friends. Lorrie regularly takes Green to speaking engagements around the Bay Area to raise both awareness and money for the program. Green will always be grateful to the Sullenbergers for helping to bring Mogan into his life. “Sully and his wife just changed my life. Sully was my hero before he ever landed that plane,” he says. “Second only to my family, Sully, Lorrie and the girls are the nicest family I know.”

Read more about hero Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and his amazing crew in the new issue of PEOPLE, on stands now!

Amy Jamieson with reporting by Nicole Weisensee Egan and Susan Young