Hawaii along with numerous nonprofits rescue hundreds of pets for adoption in U.S. mainland

(FILE) A C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft was chartered to fly over 600 dogs and cats from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland where they would be adopted. (Courtesy Paws Across the the Pacific)

HONOLULU (Eagle News) – More than 600 healthy dogs and cats from overcrowded pet shelters throughout Hawaii were flown to the U.S. mainland for adoption under the program Paws Across the Pacific.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) teamed up with the nonprofit organizations Wings of Rescue and Greater Good Charities, which described this unique effort as the largest animal flight rescue in history.

“Pet shelters in Hawaii are in a COVID-19 crisis. Normal operations have been affected by months of shut down, economic downturn, limited hours, and routine flights to mainland halted,” said Liz Baker, chief executive officer of Greater Good Charities. “The Paws Across the Pacific flight is urgently needed to make space in Hawaii’s shelters for at-risk pets who otherwise wouldn’t be able to receive necessary care to survive.”

On Wednesday, October 28, volunteers boarded the dogs and cats – all in their individual kennels – on a chartered Hercules C-130 cargo airplane that made stops on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Big Islands.

The aircraft arrived at Seattle’s Boeing Field the following Thursday morning of October 29. The pets reportedly received medical exams before further relocating them to shelters in Oregon, Montana, and Idaho, while 120 of them would be slated to the border onto British Columbia, Canada.

Hawaii shelter partners include Kauai Humane Society, Hawaiian Humane Society, Lanai Cat Sanctuary, Hawaii Island Humane Society, Maui Humane Society, Aloha `Ilio Rescue, and Kauai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

U.S. Mainland shelter partners include PAWS, The NOAH Center, Seattle Humane, Humane Society of Skagit Valley, Kitsap Humane, Oregon Humane, Southwest Washington Humane, Kootenai Humane Society, Seattle Area Feline Rescue (SAFR), Spokanimal, Blue Mountain Humane Society, and Embrace a Discarded Pet Society.

The Paws Across the Pacific airlift was also conducted in coordination with the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association to ensure the safety and health of pets on the flight. In addition to transporting pets to their new families, Greater Good Charities and The Animal Rescue Site provided enrichment and critical medical supplies to assist the shelters and the sheltered pets of Hawaii.

(With reports from EBC Hawaii Bureau, Eagle News Service)