Shelter Dogs Fly Home for the Holidays

On Thursday, December 15, approximately 100 dogs that were slated to be euthanized will instead be flying to their new homes thanks to Wings of Rescue, a Los Angeles-area volunteer group.

Wings of Rescue is made up of volunteers who love both flying and animals. These volunteers, led by pilot and founder Yehuda Neta, combined their passions to rescue dogs and transport them to new homes in private aircraft, giving them an opportunity for a lifetime of love they otherwise would not have.

Wings of Rescue works with START (Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team), whose specially-designed bus is made for canine passengers. START will be taking the dogs from shelters to Van Nuys Airport, where Wings of Rescue will board them onto private planes that will deliver them to their new homes. Additional volunteers and support come from IL Care, a branch of the Israeli Leadership Council.

Thousands of dogs are euthanized every week in the overpopulated Los Angeles shelter system. According to Steve Spiro from START, “START is dedicated to saving animals on death row and giving them a new beginning by sending them to out of state rescue groups where they are wanted and will be loved.”

It’s innovative ideas like this that are making waves in the rescue movement. If one area has a surplus of pets available for adoption, move them to areas where they are more likely to be adopted.  Kudos to Wings of Rescue, START, IL Care, and all the volunteers who make these life-saving flights possible.

This guest post comes from Sonia Singh, who writes the Big Dog Blog at PawPosse.com.