BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Dozens of dogs from overcrowded shelters in Los Angeles have arrived at the Boise Airport on a special flight organized by Dog Is My Co-Pilot. These animals are getting a second chance at finding loving homes in Idaho, thanks to the Idaho Humane Society and local partners.
Kristine Schellhaas, public information officer for the Idaho Humane Society, said, “We raised our hands to help the cities of LA in the shelters weeks ago, and thankfully, they got a lot of responses from their local community and from national organizations. So basically, we were on a waiting list for them to help get animals that were already for adoption out of their shelters to make room for those displaced pets.”
The transport of these animals was handled by Dog Is My Co-Pilot. Frank Maresca, pilot coordinator for the organization, explained the logistics involved in the flight. “Make sure that they’re, you know, they have enough space, zip tie everything together. We, you know, pack the plane up pretty tightly normally, and that keeps them from moving around. And at the end of the load, we always bungee those last few crates down so they don’t move. And then we also kind of limit our altitude and flight. This is a non-pressurized airplane, so we can’t go too high,” he said.
Upon arrival, the dogs will undergo health checks and vaccinations. Schellhaas noted, “They’ve all had their vet checks that can’t clear the state and come here without them, but the Idaho Humane Society always performs independent veterinary exams. And then we go a step further, if they need dentals, if they need orthopedic surgery, we move forward, and we do all that.”
Kelly Mitchell, senior director of shelter operations at Mountain Humane, reassured the public that the rescue is not taking pets from their families. “People have a lot of questions about, you know, what if these animals had owners, and now they can’t find them, and it’s just important they know that the animals that we pulled from are all animals that were either surrendered by their owners because they couldn’t keep them, or they were strays and unclaimed. They don’t have to worry that some owner is looking for their pet right now,” she said.
With the dogs now in the Treasure Valley, the hope is they can find their forever homes. For those considering donating or adopting, there has never been a more important time to help.
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