Hundreds of Hawaiian shelter pets flown to mainland

Hundreds of pets from the Hawaiian islands were flown to the mainland on Thursday to alleviate tight shelter space brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Usually Hawaiian pet shelters use commercial flights to transport adopted animals, but travel restrictions reduced the availability in planes, said Liz Baker, CEO of Greater Good Charities, one of the several groups involved in the operation.

In July, her organization and others decided to charter a flight to free up space.

The dogs and cats that arrived will be taken in by shelters in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana where they will be available for adoption.

The animals arrived in Seattle's Boeing Field on a chartered Hercules C-130. Volunteers worked diligently to unload, feed, sooth and sort the animals in the crates.

"You know, it brings tears to my eyes when I get to see all of the animals getting off the plane and being able to feed them and there is animals from babies to adults. And so it just it really warms my heart to see how incredible of an organization this is," said Angie Wehmeyer, a volunteer from Tacoma.

For Baker, beyond the logistical challenge of planning the operation, the flight was special because she is adopting one of the puppies aboard. Her dog Stella, a 10-year-old pit bull, died unexpectedly this week, she said.

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(Image Pixabay)