Dogs at the Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center recently were flown to the North Shore Animal League America in New York, where they can be adopted. The flights are part of a new partnership between Longview P.A.W.S (Pets Are Worth Saving) and Pilots to the Rescue, a nonprofit founded in 2015 that uses volunteer pilots to transport shelter and rescue dogs across the country.
Before the partnership, P.A.W.S volunteers drove animals to other states each month in a van. Those trips required volunteer drivers to make a 36-hour round trip, and the long drives were hard on the animals, which rode in crates. The organization said the flights can take dogs farther in less time, giving them more chances to be adopted.
Jenna George, executive director of the Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center, said Pilots to the Rescue works to help shelters and rescues in areas that have fewer resources than large cities. She called the partnership a significant step.