Interstate rescue mission highlights need for animals in need of forever homes

The sky is the limit for 30 dogs that were flown to Boise as part of a recent and massive rescue operation that originated in Southern California.

Taken out of living conditions described by rescue workers as “distressing and deplorable,” the dogs have been given a second chance at a forever home thanks to the efforts of the Idaho Humane Society ( IHS ) and Wings of Rescue , an agency that helps transport animals to safety.

The two nonprofits teamed up during the last week of July to safely remove 60 dogs from three separate locations throughout the Riverside County area. According to Kristine Schellhaas, IHS public information officer, 25 of the 30 dogs airlifted to Boise have already been adopted. The other 30 rescues were flown to shelters in Utah and Oregon.

“In California, it was a horrible situation involving three cases, including a bad hoarding episode, and a lot of healthy, adoptable dogs could have been put down,” Schellhaas said. “These were a lot of highly desirable animals that we knew we could get into homes.”

For pilot Angela Keeling, the life-saving operation conducted in Riverside is all in a day’s work. Since going airborne in 2012, Wings of Rescue has helped transport more than 73,000 dogs and cats from harm’s way to new homes.

“This mission helps relieve the shelters that are overcrowded in California,” Keeling said. “The transport definitely saves lives by making room in the California shelters so not so many animals have to be put down.”

The monumental effort to rescue the dogs and to coordinate the logistics for transport involved lockstep cooperation from each entity involved in the process, as well as all required documentation demonstrating the health and fitness of the animals to fly.

“Anytime you cross state lines, you must have all the proper paperwork, meaning the animals are fit to be transferred,” Schellhaas said. “They must have current vaccinations and a health report saying they are ready to be brought into the new shelter such as ours.”

Likewise, any dog deemed healthy enough to fly but still in need of some type of medical care is treated by a veterinarian and then placed in foster care prior to becoming ready for adoption. Of the 30 shipped to Boise, Schellhaas said one dog required an orthopedic procedure, and another suffered from an ear infection.

“These examples are all a part of what we consider our everyday lifesaving efforts that we undergo and have to spend money on to care for these animals,” she said. “It takes all these different charities working together to make these rescue efforts possible.”

Plus, costs associated with large-scale, interstate rescue efforts add up quickly. As nonprofit entities, both IHS and Wings of Rescue rely heavily on donors and the community to provide the funding necessary to perform such missions.

“We each work quite hard to do our own fundraising,” PR Specialist Laurien Mavey said of IHS. “Wings of Rescue raises money for the flights and transportation, while we raise funds to cover the care and housing costs in order to adopt them out. The organizations work together to ultimately save lives.”

However, in today’s economy, shelters such as IHS and other nonprofit organizations are all feeling the pinch of fewer dollars being directed their way. Figures recently provided by the philanthropy research foundation, Giving USA, indicate a 2.4% decline in charitable giving donations in 2023 compared to the previous year.

“Like so many other shelters, we are seeing individual donations and donors decreasing these days,” Schellhaas said. “So, when we say every $5 or $10 matters, it really does make a difference.”

And sometimes when working to raise money it is necessary to invoke the name of someone with a bit of clout, such as former Hollywood legend and lifelong animal lover Betty White.

Shortly after her passing in December 2021, and days before what would have been her 100th birthday in January 2022, White’s name and legacy regarding her love of animals began trending on social media. Animal enthusiasts created a #BettyWhiteChallenge asking fans to pick a local rescue or animal shelter in which to donate $5 in White’s name.

The longtime comedic actress apparently made her mark with her many fans here in Idaho.

“We received nearly $32,000 in that fundraising effort alone,” Schellhaas said. “All the efforts publicized to save lives are funded through donations. It’s so important to understand how much we rely on our community support and charitable donations to do the work we do at the Idaho Humane Society.”

Funds generated help pay for a variety of medical services, spay and neuter procedures, vaccinations, microchips, as well as food and other supplies necessary to house animals seeking a forever home.

With Idaho generally considered one of the nation’s more “dog-friendly” states, Mavey said the track record or adoption rate for IHS, classified as a no-kill shelter, and its available kennel space at the time of the recent rescue operation in California, made for a good fit.

“A dog that remains available for adoption for two weeks at our facility is considered long-term, which is an amazing statistic compared to other shelters where a dog can routinely wait months to be adopted,” she said.

Similarly, stories profiling air transports of rescues can easily overshadow the day-to-day efforts of local shelters. Each year, IHS transfers in over 1,500 cats and dogs, Schellhaas said, from numerous “under-resourced shelters statewide.”

“People read about these life-saving transfers from California or other states and will sometimes question why we’re not doing more in our own backyard,” she said. “But we work with rural shelters from all across the Treasure Valley, usually within a two to three-hour driving radius. The vast majority of the animals we help are right here in Idaho.”

While some may question why IHS will bring in dogs from out of state, Mavey said the agency will continue its efforts to partner with local shelters as their first priority and will remain willing and able to step up and help when situations like the one in California arise.

“Often the pushback is minor and it’s because people don’t truly understand how closely we work with our neighboring Idaho shelters,” she said. “What happens in our adoption community here in Boise speaks volumes and paints a great picture of how awesome our adoption community is.”

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