Wings of Rescue Flight Transports At-Risk Shelter Pets to New Lives

Wings of Rescue flies large-scale transports of at-risk shelter pets or abandoned pets from disaster areas and overcrowded shelters to distant shelters where there is kennel space, and they have a better chance of being adopted.

According to Wings of Rescue, the February 22 flight was extra special because of the number of cats on board. The flight was also scheduled to make a brief stop in Northern Florida to pick up two dogs that were tortured and abused by a person described as "a vindictive girlfriend" who recorded the abuse on her phone. The dogs, named Duke and Bear, have been nursed back to health and after a short evaluation period, they will be placed up for adoption in Maine.

The animals are transported in travel cages. Upon arriving in Portland, the pets will be met by a coalition of shelters and rescue groups led by the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (ARLGP). These volunteers load the animals in vans and trucks and transport them to shelters where people can visit them and perhaps, take them to their forever homes.

Wings of Rescue was founded in 2012 and has flown more than 53,000 at-risk shelter pets to safety. The organization transports healthy dogs and cats, rabbits, pregnant and nursing pets, and pets in need of major surgical procedures.

Wednesday's flight can be tracked in real-time with tail number N684AK.

Wings of Rescue is a not-for-profit organization. It accepts donations and welcomes volunteers in both the cockpit and on the ramp to help the furry and four-legged find new homes.