Riverside County Animal Service flies 60+ dogs to Humane Societies in Idaho, Utah and Oregon
More than 60 dogs departed Friday morning to find their forever homes in Utah, Idaho and Oregon.
The transport flight followed a period of hoarding cases in which Riverside County Animal Services officers rescued dozens of dogs in three separate incidents in the Coachella Valley. One of these cases is still active in the Sky Valley community near Desert Hot Springs.
The flight was a joint effort by Riverside County, the Humane Society of the Desert Foundation and Wings of Rescue. The flight was funded by the Humane Society of the Desert and one of their volunteers, who worked with the county to make the transport happen swiftly.
Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, who is passionate about animal causes, commented that he was excited to see that the transport's support was sparked by residents and a longstanding organization within his Fourth District.
“I have been watching the recent challenges facing our employees at Animal Services and that’s why I am so proud to witness Coachella Valley residents step up and be heroes to animals that desperately need second chances,” Supervisor Perez said. “I want to personally thank Malinda Bustos [Humane Society of the Desert Foundation President] for her assistance in making this transport happen.”
Animal Services Director Erin Gettis said she was excited that help came so promptly at a time of crisis after the department's Thousand Palms-based officers responded to three separate hoarding cases in less than two weeks and impacted an already overcrowded Coachella Valley Animal Campus. Those cases accounted for approximately 80 new dogs added to the shelter, with more impounds expected from the most recent Sky Valley case.
“This is a fantastic example of how the community can help with this crisis,” Gettis said. “These volunteers secured funding for the flight, started calling northern shelters to locate Idaho and Cache and through our past partnership with Outcome for Pets, we connected with Utah Humane.”
Some of the dogs from those cases boarded the Wings of Rescue flight, Gettis said. Wings of Rescue is a nonprofit organization that has saved more than 73,000 pets since its inception in 2012, amassing an incredible 2.2 million flying miles.
Wings of Rescue only flies pressurized, temperature-controlled aircraft and only delivers pets to shelters where no local pets will be displaced, open shelter space is available, and local demand for pets is high.
Additionally, Wings of Rescue CEO Ric Browde was present Friday to see the pets take off.
“Our success in transporting pets to new, available homes has everything to do with the dedication and perseverance of hard-working shelter partners on the ground,” Browde said. “The Riverside County team, the staff at the Humane Society of the Desert, and a number of generous donors came together to save these pets under extraordinary conditions. We are honored to provide the transportation link in this incredible rescue.”
Longtime volunteers Kale and Anji Garcia handled the dogs during the flight. The couple is responsible for sending more than 2,000 pets to forever destinations.
The dogs' final destinations will include the Humane Society of Utah, the Idaho Humane Society and Cache Humane Society.
On Tuesday of next week, Supervisor Perez and Supervisor Yxstian Gutierrez will request support from their Board of Supervisor colleagues for an ad-hoc committee that will study Animal Services' operations, listen to advocates, and form solutions to support the department's goal and growth.
View our coverage of dog hoarding cases in the Coachella Valley:
