Many of you may have heard about Wings of Rescue, which is a 501(c)3 group of volunteer pilots who perform life-saving airlifts, transporting high-risk shelter pets from one region to another.
To date, Wings of Rescue has saved 19,882 pets!
Starting tomorrow, Friday, July 8th, Wings of Rescue will be flying over 400 cats and dogs to new locations to save their lives.
Known as “Independence Flights,” Wings of Rescue is transporting the cats and dogs over two consecutive days, continuing the Independence Day celebrations for these lucky canines and felines.
As many know, July 4th is a busy time for shelters, with many pets scared of the fireworks celebrations, prompting them to flee and run from home, only to be brought to a shelter. So, the Independence Flights couldn’t come at a better time for these already overcrowded shelters.
This particular transport event touches close to home for me on both sides, literally. The cats and dogs are being pulled from animal shelters in Southern California, where I currently reside. And where are they going? Approximately 250 of the lucky pets are going to the Pacific Northwest, where I grew up and lived for 18 years. More specifically, they are going to shelters in the Seattle area, while another 150 are going to New Jersey to find their forever homes.
Ric Browde, who wears many hats for Wings of Rescue (including volunteer, Board Member and logistics coordinator!), had this to say about their rescue operation:
“In Southern California we have a profound problem, due to the good weather and pets being irresponsibly left outside by their owners, combined with a lack of enforced spay/neuter laws, we have a lot of backyard accidental breeding. This backyard breeding produces more pets than there are available homes in our market. The traditional way of solving this problem is for the open intake municipal shelters to euthanize the excess population.
We at Wings of Rescue have recognized that the same conditions do not exist throughout the United States and Canada, and therefore have put together a program to transport these homeless pets, who would otherwise be killed in shelters at the taxpayers’ expense, to no-kill shelters primarily in the Pacific Northwest where there are people waiting to adopt these awesome companions.
Wings of Rescue accomplishes this by working with the receiving shelters to make sure that we are not displacing any local pets to make room for these California imports, and the average length of stay in a receiving shelter for a Wings of Rescue transported pet is 3 1/2 days.”
Wings of Rescue has partnered with Kriser’s Natural Pet and St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center as well as with local shelters and rescues in the Seattle area to safely airlift these at-risk shelter cats and dogs to their new loving homes in the Pacific Northwest and on the East Coast.
Wings of Rescue relies solely on donations to pay for the cost of their rescue flights, which can cost thousands of dollars each. If you would like to support them in their mission, you can donate at their website.
Isn’t Wings of Rescue amazing? Have you ever been involved with shelter transport?
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this is SUCH a wonderful idea….good luck to all of them and safe travels
What an amazing organization! I loved reading this – and I did need my tissues while watching the video. Seeing the animals little faces looking out of their carriers, knowing that the wonderful volunteers were making happy lives possible for them, was incredibly touching. I am so thrilled to know about Wings of Rescue!
I know, right? It was so inspiring!
pThey are such a great group! We actually got some kitties a ride with them once.
Very cool! How lucky for those kitties.
A very different concept for pilots and paws. Both equally inspiring. I did not know about this organization. Wonderful post
I had never read anything about this.
But it’s really fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
We just love this organization – a good friend who recently passed away but who was a private pilot here – flew for “Wings” – what awesome work these folks do. It’s inspiring and heart-lifting……….hope all these lovely animals find their forevers at their destinations.
Hugs, Sammy and Mom Pam
I’m sorry for your loss! That’s so wonderful that your friend flew for Wings of Rescue!
We knew nothing about this awesome organization. I believe an organization like this could be used in Canada too. Thanks for informing us of this excellent establishment.
Jean
We’ve heard of them befur. Pawsum posty and pawsum group. Fanks fur sharin’.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Raena
I didn’t know about them either. I knew about Pilots N Paws which I also love. Both are incredible.
I will have to look up Pilots N Paws!
Amazing video!!! PeggySue kept looking for where the barking dogs were and Toby slept through the whole thing! I’ve got some great photos of her so on tomorrow’s post I’m going to link back to your video!!
I know – their video is so inspiring! I loved being able to share it with everyone! I hope they make a video of this rescue that starts tomorrow too!
What a pawsome thing Wings of Rescue is doing!
Those wonderful people are angels on earth!
Mom and Dad do transport with Dorian Wagner’s Cuteheads. Mom has heard of and seen other videos about Wings of Rescue. What they do is amazing. Thanks for sharing. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
That is wonderful- I have heard of Dixie dogs being driven from the South, but I have never heard of flying pets I hope they all get forever homes.
Just amazing. I thought our volunteer *car* drivers were pretty special (they are!) but this is incredible.
This is so very wonderful! Brings a tears (of joy!) to my eyes, for sure.
Purrs,
Seville
I am familiar with other flights of freedom groups, but this is the first time I have heard about Wings of Freedom. I am always so happy to learn about awesome people and organizations!
Wings of Rescue are pawsome!! I have a book about another organization which flies shelter dogs to new homes. TW hasn’t read it cos she cries just reading the blurb on the cover. Last year when I was at the vet, the peeps were talking to a guy who volunteered in a place called something with wings in it.
They do wonderful work rescuing animals.
Wow! This is so incredible and makes so much sense. I’m glad someone took the initiative to look around at the disparities around the country in available animals and homes and went about doing the best to equalize it.
I love this program so much. Such a creative way to help animals. I applaud Ric Browde and Wings of Rescue for their dedication and amazing work!
Brilliant post! We have heard of them, and they do such awesome work. :)
I had no idea California had such a big problem with backyard accidental breeding. Fortunately Wings of Rescue is doing such an awesome job helping to save these pets.
Our State Parliament has just passed laws to make microchipping and desexing of cats and dogs compulsory by the end of this year. (South Australia). This will apply to new cats and dogs. Currently 10,000 animals are euthanized each year, so it is hoped that the new laws will stop the excess breeding and illegal puppy farms.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-07/compulsory-desexing,-microchipping-of-cats-and-dogs-coming-to-sa/7575756
That’s wonderful that this law was just passed! Thank you for sharing the good news!
Our mom and dad are pilots and hope to some day have the free time to volunteer for them!
That would be so awesome if you guys get to do that!