Due to the months of shutdown caused by COVID-19, Hawaii shelters are having trouble adopting pets into local homes. On October 28, 2020, over 600 shelter dogs and cats from Hawaii will be flown to the mainland. This makes Paws Across the Pacific the largest pet adoption flight in history.
Kamaka Air Cargo provides cargo shipping in Hawaii. They have generously donated the flight from Lanai to Maui, so that 55 of our cats will be able to join in the historic flight. With the help from Maui Humane Society, the cats will be carefully transferred to the Hercules C-130 before being flown to shelters in Washington state, where they’ll be quickly adopted into loving forever homes.
“We are beyond grateful to be a part of this historic rescue,” says Keoni Vaughn, Executive Director at Lanai Cat Sanctuary. “With 55 of our cats finding homes, we’ll have the capacity to rescue 60 more at-risk cats who otherwise wouldn’t be able to receive the necessary care to survive.”
The Paws Across the Pacific rescue is being conducted in coordination with the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association to ensure the safety and health of pets on the flight. In addition to flying pets to their new families, Greater Good Charities and The Animal Rescue Site are providing enrichment and critical medical supplies. Hawaii shelter partners include: Kauai Humane Society, Hawaiian Humane Society, Hawaii Island Humane Society, Maui Humane Society, Aloha `Ilio Rescue, and Kauai SPCA. Mainland shelter partners include: PAWS, The NOAH Center, Seattle Humane, the Humane Society of Skagit Valley, Kitsap Humane, Oregon Humane, Southwest Washington Humane, Kootenai Humane Society, Seattle Area Feline Rescue (SAFR), Tracs, Spokanimal, and Blue Mountain Humane Society.