Pets Take Flight For A Forever Home

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss.(WCBI) – Dozens of cats and dogs caught a flight Sunday to find their forever home.

The Oktibbeha County Humane Society sent more than 70 furry friends flying north.

These little guys were nervous as the prepared to board their first plane.

Oktibbeha County Humane Society Director of Development and Community Relations Martha Thomas says it will all be worth it once they reach their destination.

” They are actually headed to a shelter in Delaware where they have an adoption event coming up this weekend. Last year during that event they adopted out 1,000 pets in a weekend. For comparisons sake at the Oktibbeha Humane Society we adopt out 1,000 a year each year. This is a huge opportunity for the 74 pets to be adopted,”said Thomas.

Erin Robbins is with Wings Of Rescue. She says depending on how far the pets travel the flights can cost up to $25,000 .

She says without help from the community, these flights wouldn’t be possible.

“All 100% donations. We fund raise via Facebook. The strange thing that people really don’t believe, but I see, the donations  and how they add up. It’s the people who donate on a regular basis of $5, $10, $20, $50 that adds up and pays for these flights,”said Robbins.

The cats and dogs are from shelters throughout North Mississippi.

Thomas says in order to continue helping the homeless animals throughout the area transports like this are so important.

“The Starkville Animal Shelter takes in thousands of homeless cats and dogs. We make every effort possible get them to owners. We also transport and working to find forever homes for these pets. So, transport is a fantastic way to do so. Mississippi Shelters are overcrowded. Not as many people are spayed and neutering their pets here, as there are in Northern Shelters. So, we are able to take pets from overcrowded shelters here to those Northern Shelters where there’s a greater demand for those adoptable pets,”said Thomas.

In the last two years Wings of Rescue transported 1800 pets.

If you would like to make a donation or volunteer visit www.ochsms.org

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