HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — More than 140 dogs and cats are headed to shelters across the Midwest in the wake of Helen and Milton.
Southwest Airlines, Greater Good Charities, and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue partnered to provide emergency airlift for shelter animals affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helen.
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The pets brought in by plane were in evacuation centers in Tennessee and Florida before the storm.
The pets were taken to Lucky Dog Animal Rescue in Florence. The campus serves as a lifesaving transportation hub for pets at shelters in the South that are over capacity.
“We’re in a good position to make this happen. We weren’t far from the area affected by the hurricane, but we’ve been safe. There’s a little bit of flooding, but it’s not that bad. That’s what we really wanted to do on this campus. We wanted to be a resource for shelters across the South and help at a time when we all need to come together during a national disaster. ” said Mila Horowitz of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue.
Greater Good said it also delivered humanitarian aid to Asheville and surrounding areas last week.
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“It’s a surreal experience. It’s one of the most special events I’ve ever been a part of. But the pets are tired of being passengers on commercial airlines. We’ll be put on a plane with them, we’ll fly to our destination, we’ll be taken off, and we’ll definitely be hired right away,” said Sara Valsa of Greater Good Charities.
This is Lucky Dog’s third flight in partnership with Southwest Airlines. The first time was after Hurricane Maria and the second time was after the Maiu wildfires.
