It was the flight of a lifetime for 110 dogs; in fact, it saved their lives. A few weeks ago, animal rescue organizations came together to remove over 100 dogs from kill shelters in Oklahoma, flying them to Oregon to be placed in new homes.
The Oregon Humane Society (OHS) spoke with Lady Freethinker and discussed taking in 70 of the dogs. OHS is the largest humane society in the Northwest, offering an onsite medical center, teaching hospital, and best of all, a place for animals to remain until they are adopted – no death row.
With the help of Fetch Fido a Flight, an organization that facilitates the movement of animals in need around the country, the dogs arrived and were spayed and neutered to prepare for adoption. In less than a week, 62 had already found new homes. OHS reports that with a little bit of media coverage and a “wonderful community of adopters in Oregon,” they were able to easily and swiftly find homes for the Oklahoma dogs. In 2017 alone, OHS found homes for over 11,000 animals in need.
Though some shelters in Oklahoma have excellent facilities and adoption rates, many are overcrowded and resort to euthanasia. There is a long history of an overabundance of strays and not enough shelters throughout the state.
Fetch Fido a Flight is part of a growing trend of transporting animals from overcrowded kill shelters to better facilities. Dogs are driven from Texas to Oregon, flown from Mexico to Washington, and even come from as far as South Korea. The OHS calls their program for transporting and accepting animals destined to be euthanized Second Chance. Last year, they were able to bring 7,140 animals to their facility in Oregon.
Here’s something to consider as an animal lover: even if you aren’t in the position to adopt and care for a dog or cat, you can volunteer to help transport them to a new home.
