MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Wings of Rescue, an animal rescue organization based in Los Angeles, partnered with the Pet Compassion Centers and West Memphis Animal Shelter to rescue over 100 at-risk cats and seven dogs, flying them from Memphis to Washington State on Tuesday, April 5 at 9:00 a.m.
The rescue flight was organized to reduce crowding in animal shelters and to resolve recent obstacles Tennessee animal shelters face when trying to complete animal adoptions.
“Saving cat’s lives is challenging when only local options are considered,” said Cindy Dewey, Founder of Pet Compassion Centers, a foster-based pet-rescue operation in Memphis. “Our best hope of finding homes for these great pets is to move them to an area where demand is high and local shelter space is available.”
According to Wings of Rescue, several of the cats included in the rescue flight were relieved from hoarding situations. The shelter also said that the cats and dogs included in the rescue were identified as abandoned.
When the cats and dogs arrive to Washington State, they will be released to four regional rescue organizations that will help process and care for the animals.
Those rescue organizations include Seattle Humane, the NOAH Center, the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and Kitsap Humane Society.
The rescue organizations will also work to help the at-risk animals complete the adoption process and find permanent homes in areas where pets are in high demand.
“There is currently a great regional imbalance between demand for adoptable pets and availability,” said Ric Browde, President of Wings of Rescue. “Many animal shelters, like those in some parts of the Southern United States, have more adoptable cats and dogs than capacity and demand, while other regions, like the Pacific Northwest, are experiencing a pet shortage.”
Wings of Rescue said that all the cats and dogs on the rescue flight are medically cleared and fully vaccinated.
Wings of Rescue has rescued over 61,000 to date since the organizations start in 2012. In addition to saving at-risk animals, the organization supports local shelters and animal-rescue groups throughout North America by delivering pet food and relief supplies to disaster zones.
