Yesterday morning, fourteen dogs from the Palm Springs Animal Shelter were flown to Oregon where shelters are less crowded and there’s a greater chance for adoption, according to local animal volunteers. Otherwise, they may have been euthanized.
The dogs were shuttled out to the tarmac at the Palm Springs International Airport before 7am, where they were readied for transport by Wings of Rescue – a group of pilots who donate their services and aircraft to transport shelter animals to rescue organizations throughout the western United States.
There were Chihuahuas, Terriers and mixed breeds, all traveling in individual carriers. These dogs were chosen because they’ve been at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter for a long time. They were flown to the Humane Society of Redmond, OR, Hope’s Haven near Salem OR and Oregon Dog Rescue.
It’s hard to believe that the Oregon shelters are running short on dogs available for adoption, when our Palm Springs Valley here has such an overpopulation of dogs needing homes. The Oregon shelters have successful spay and neuter, fostering and adoption programs – and this frees up space for more rescues to come in.
Tanya Petrovna, board member of the Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, says that the number of animals in our local shelters needs to be reduced and that the humane solution is to transfer the animals to a better situation.
The pilot, Yehuda Netanel, says that his canine passengers travel well. The flight to Oregon would take about three hours, and he said that eventually, the dogs lay down and go to sleep.
The volunteers were hoping to transport 17 dogs yesterday, but there just wasn’t enough room on the plane. Three of the dogs had to go back to the shelter in Palm Springs.
Heartbreaking. Hopefully these dogs will find homes soon !!!
Kudos to these wonderful volunteers who give of their time, money and heart to help protect and preserve the lives of animals. Our hats are off to you !!!