Shelter animals all over the country have a new best friend: Wings of Rescue, a non-profit animal rescue organization run by airplane pilots, flies animals slated for death in shelters to areas of the country that are short on adoptable pets.
It’s a win-win for everyone.
Shelters are more and more overcrowded and rescue organizations like this one are desperately needed. There is no reason to put a dog down when she could have a perfectly wonderful home in another state.
That’s how Wings for Rescue was born thanks to one very special pilot.
How it Started
This all-volunteer pilot led organization was started by Yehudi Netanel who wanted to spare shelter animals from euthanasia.
He gathered together some pilot friends who have planes and started one of the first companies to fly animals to areas where adoptable pets are in short supply.
As they fly, so do the hopes of these deserving animals.
What They Do
Starting in 2010, this California-based organization began its mercy missions. It has grown from flying about 300 dogs to up to an estimated 7,000 pets in 2015. States like California, Georgia and South Carolina tend to have a shelter pet overflow while other states like those in the northwest and northeast have a lack of adoptable pets.
On one recent trip, Netanel and his 28-pilot team flew 250 dogs from San Bernardino and another 150 from the Bakersfield area up to the Pacific Northwest where they can find good forever homes instead of being put down due to overcrowding.
Transport and Success
Because long rides on the road are not always the best for every pet, Wings for Rescue provides a better alternative.
Here’s a great example: In Idaho, many towns have retirees who would love to have small dogs because of ease of care. But what do you do when small dogs are in high demand in an area like Coeur d’Alene? Easy. You get in touch with Wings of Rescue which flies in a planeload of small dogs every month through an organization like the Kootenai Humane Society. So far, over 1,000 small dogs have found forever homes in the past year and a half.
Types of Pets
Dogs and cats of all types are flown to pet-starved areas from high-kill shelters in California. This includes pregnant dogs and cats as well as moms with young babies.
Even animals who are in need of life saving surgery or who have just had surgery are transported by Wings of Rescue. It’s beneficial to both pilot and pet as most trips are completed within about 3 or 4 hours.
How to Help
Since all of the work of this remarkable organization is funded by tax free donations, the best way to help is through your donation.
If you are a pilot and have a plane, they could use your help that way as well. Contact them through their website and help fly animals that deserve another chance at happiness.
Reference link: http://www.wingsofrescue.org/
Image Credit: istockphoto.com