Aviation Group Airlifts Dogs, Cats From Wildfire Region

Wings of Rescue transports animals surrendered before blazes began in Southern California in order to make room for those displaced during the emergency.

Monday, January 13, 2025 at 04:58 PM ET

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Rescue flights flew from Bob Hope Airport (KBUR) in Burbank, California, to KBFI by way of Portland-Troutdale Airport (KTTD) in Oregon. [Courtesy Ric Browde/Wings of Rescue]

Key Takeaways:

Volunteer pilots from Wings of Rescue and Paws for Life K9 Rescue transported shelter animals from overcrowded Southern California facilities to Oregon and Seattle.
This initiative aims to create space in California shelters for pets displaced by ongoing wildfires, allowing officials to focus on reuniting families with their lost animals.
Wings of Rescue, a nonprofit that frequently responds to disasters, plans additional flights to other states and utilizes return trips to deliver essential supplies to affected areas.

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Amid the ongoing wildfire emergency in Southern California, volunteer pilots helped clear shelters in the region to transport animals to opportunities for new forever homes in Oregon and Seattle over the weekend.

Wings of Rescue, in partnership with Paws for Life K9 Rescue, transported animals surrendered to five city shelters and seven county shelters in the Greater Los Angeles area before the onset of the wildfires in order to make room for pets who have been separated from their families during the fire and need temporary shelter.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.