GreaterGood Is Partnering With FEMA To Fly 642 Shelter Pets To Safety On Historic Rescue Flight

Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/pawsxpacific-rescue-flight/

The pandemic has upended life as we know it, but humans aren’t the only victims of this global health crisis. As millions of Americans lose their jobs or fall ill, cats and dogs have become collateral damage, leaving shelters struggling to accommodate pets surrendered by people who can no longer care for them.

Nowhere is this crisis starker than in Hawaii, where the island’s tourism economy has ground to a halt, causing adoptions to plummet. This has left many shelters (which once shuttled excess animals to mainland shelters on commercial flights) near or above maximum capacity, forcing them to resort to euthanasia if flights remain grounded. This worrying situation has been further compounded by kitten season, which runs longer than usual in Hawaii’s warm climate, and the tropical storms brewing across the Pacific Ocean.

paws over pacific 1000x523 - GreaterGood Is Partnering With FEMA To Fly 642 Shelter Pets To Safety On Historic Rescue Flight — Hercules C-130. Photo: AdobeStock

This looming crisis has led Hawaii’s emergency management agencies to call for an emergency airlift of high-risk animals on a chartered Hercules C-130, a turbo-prop aircraft with a military and civilian history of airlifts and rescue missions. On October 29, 2020, the plane will cross the Pacific carrying 157 dogs and 525 cats saved from overcrowded shelters on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Lanai, and the Big Island, before touching down in Seattle, where all 642 animals will be distributed to shelters across the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Not only will these rescued pets be escaping euthanasia by flying to a region where demand for adoption is high, they’ll be participating in the largest pet rescue in American history!

paws over pacific 8 - GreaterGood Is Partnering With FEMA To Fly 642 Shelter Pets To Safety On Historic Rescue Flight — GreaterGood and The Animal Rescue Site have partnered with Wings of Rescue to fly shelter pets out of many disaster zones. Photo: GreaterGood

GreaterGood, The Animal Rescue Site, and Wings of Rescue are thrilled to be part of this historic rescue mission, which is being conducted in coordination with FEMA, Hawaii Emergency Management, USDA, and the Hawaii Veterinarian’s Association, and will be used to model future evacuation efforts.

We’re also using this flight as an opportunity to fly in large quantities of pet food, medical supplies, training personnel, and other critical necessities to help animals and caregivers in overwhelmed island shelters. Please click here if you’d like to help us fill up the C-130 with blankets, bowls, collars, leashes, toys, and treats before the plane heads back to Hawaii. Your generous donations will help Hawaiian shelter pets feel comfortable and loved until they can find their own homes.

pawsxpac 91000x523 - GreaterGood Is Partnering With FEMA To Fly 642 Shelter Pets To Safety On Historic Rescue Flight — Every donation helps us fly rescued pets to safety. Photo: GreaterGood/Wings of Rescue

Of course, Paws Across the Pacific wouldn’t be possible without your help. Your generous donations have helped us evacuate shelter pets from hurricanes and other disaster zones, and we’re counting on your generous support to help us fly 642 dogs and cats to safety on October 29. Just $25 allows us to purchase 625 air miles for a high-risk shelter pet, thus saving them from euthanasia. Donations of up to $150,000 will also be double matched by the John R Peterson Foundation, meaning every dollar you give actually yields $3 worth of impact. Thank you for helping needy animals during this very challenging time!