Over 100 animals in animal shelters in Maui have been airlifted out in order to make room for more animals in need.
A Southwest Airlines plane that had initially arrived in Maui on Aug. 17 with supplies for people and animals affected by the Hawaii wildfires departed the following day with more than 130 animals from the Maui Humane Society, according to People.
The effort was reportedly part of a partnership between Southwest Airlines, Greater Good Charities, and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, according to the outlet.
“It’s best practices in disaster to clear the shelter of adoptable pets so that the shelter has the room to take in any pets that the disaster may have impacted, whether that be strays or pets waiting to reunify with their families or animals that need help short term,” said Liz Baker, the CEO of Great Good Charities.
Over 130 Adoptable Shelter Pets Airlifted Out of Maui to Make Room for Animals in Need https://t.co/aIbrvKNCTt
— People (@people) August 21, 2023
Animals aboard the return flight included cats and dogs that had been adoptable prior to the start of the wildfires.
The animals were reportedly sent to shelters such as the Oregon Humane Society, Berkeley Humane Society, Marine Humane Animas Rescue Foundation, and the East Bay SPCA on the West Coast of the United States.
“It’s really all hands on deck, and it takes many, many, many organizations,” Baker said. “It happened with the help of Maui Humane, their veterinarians, and their fosters, who prepared the animals for the flight. Southwest Airlines helped us load the plane and then fly it over.”
Baker noted that a veterinarian had checked the animals before being boarded on the flight and that the animals received examinations upon reaching their new shelters.
“We had a veterinarian on the ground doing double checks of all the animals, and then the pets got distributed to the rescue groups that lovingly took them in,” Baker said.