Largest Animal Rescue Flight in History Leaves Hawaii

From crowded Hawaii shelters to Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, more than 600 dogs and cats flew across the Pacific Ocean, where there is more room for them to wait for adoption, a charity operation that organizers said is the largest pet rescue flight.

On a chartered Hercules C-130 aircraft, the furry friends arrived Thursday in Seattle. The rescue flight was required because the coronavirus pandemic in Hawaii pet shelters has led to overcrowding.

“Lots of kittens,” said Douglas Carroll, spokesman for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, which helped coordinate the effort.

Carroll watched Wednesday night as masked employees loaded carriers of varying sizes into the plane in Honolulu carrying the animals.

Angie Wehmeyer, a veterinarian, was among the volunteers who greeted the flight in Seattle.

"You know, when I get to see all the animals coming off the plane and being able to feed them, it brings tears to my eyes, and there are animals from infants to adults, "Wehmeyer said.

The flight was peculiar to Greater Good Charities CEO Liz Baker, in addition to the logistical difficulty of organizing the operation, since she is adopting one of the transferred puppies. Her 10-year-old pit bull, Stella, died this week suddenly, she said.