Southwest Airlines Flies Cabin Full of Dogs and Cats Rescued From Harvey-Struck Texas

Sixty four orphan dogs and cats were flown from overcrowded shelters in Harvey struck Houston to San Diego, Calif.

Photo: Southwest Airlines/Twitter

Southwest Airlines is helping displaced pets affected by Hurricane Harvey find their forever homes.

On Wednesday, a cabin full of 64 dogs and cats were flown from over crowded Texas shelters to San Diego, Calif. in order to make room for family pets whose humans are currently displaced from their homes.

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Southwest Airlines coordinated with Texas rescue group, Operation Pets Alive!, and San Diego’s Helen Woodward Animal Center, where the 64 animals have relocated to after their 1,400-mile flight.

Four medical personnel from HWAC flew to Texas to help the organization and provide medical care for shelter animals.

“These are the silent victims,” said Mike Arms, President of Helen Woodward Animal Center. “There are shelters that have been devastated by Hurricane Harvey, without electricity, without supplies.”

“Operation Pets Alive! has taken in an overwhelming number of orphan dogs and cats who had inhabited those shelters before the storm and were suddenly facing euthanasia simply because they had no place to go. We are honored to help save those lives and we are lucky to have incredible friends like Southwest to help make this all possible,” Arms’ statement concluded.

Rescue efforts are still underway as thousands in the Houston, Texas, try to recover from Hurricane Harvey.

Also this week, Illinois charity group Wings of Rescue flew 180 dogs and cats from Texas to Waukegan, as reported by local media outlet, WGN-TV.

How You Can Help

• A GoFundMe page has been set up by 4 Paws Farm and the I Love My Dog Team to raise donations for veterinary care, food, and bedding for animals impacte by Hurricane Harvey. To date, the fundraiser has surpassed its original goal, raising almost $50K in just a few days. Click here for more information and to donate.
• Best Friends Animal Society, the first animal rescue on the ground during Hurricane Katrina, has deployed its disaster response team to Texas to help rescue stranded animals, deliver supplies and transport displaced pets. You can donate to the disaster relief fund here.
• The SPCA of Texas is working to evacuate pets out of the affected ares and is helping to provide resources on pet-friendly housing to those evacuating the Houston area. The SPCA of Texas is accepting donations here.
• Austin Pets Alive! Is moving as many displaced animals as possible into its shelter and is working on adopting out the animals currently residing there, so it has more room for Harvey evacuees. The rescue is looking for financial donations and potential adopters, learn more here.
• American Humane is working to rescue animals from the flood waters, as well, and is also providing hundreds of pounds of pet food to pet owners and their animals currently displaced by Harvey. To support these efforts, click here.
• The Humane Society of the United States has several on-the-ground response teams rescuing animals and helping people with pets get to safety. It recently took the lead in organizing a flight of shelter dogs from Texas to New Jersey. Readers can donate towards the rescue effort by clicking here.