As Hurricane Laura approached the Gulf Coast, we knew we had to be there for shelter pets. With no owners to get them to safety, it was up to Rescue Rebuild and Wings of Rescue to make sure these pets were flown safely out of the way of the hurricane’s life-threatening storm surge.
The day of the flight, about twelve volunteers showed up to the airport in Houston, TX. With the help of airport staff, they got 59 dogs and 86 cats into crates. Then they used carts and a luggage buggy to transport them from their bus to the plane. From here the pets rode the luggage conveyor belt up into the plane. Once inside, volunteers made sure no two crate doors were up against each other, as a safety precaution.
The help of the local community made this process quick and efficient, and helped keep the pets calm. With these animals off the ground and headed for safety, shelter staff could breathe that much easier, and focus on their response and recovery from the hurricane.
Once on the ground in Richmond, VA, Wings of Rescue and Rescue Rebuild staff got to work unloading all the pets. As they were taken off the plane, the shelters receiving them pointed out where each animal was going. This was determined before the animals landed, so the process went like clock-work! Now 145 shelter animals are safely out of harm’s way, and it could not have been done without your generous support! Thank you!
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