Dozens of cats and dogs displaced by Super Storm Sandy arrived in Southern California this weekend on a donated chartered Southwest Airlines flight.
The group of 60 orphaned animals – who traveled on the cross-country flight from Newark, N.J., chaperoned by animal rescue experts from SeaWorld – were taken to the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, which will serve as their safe new home for now.
The Center, located at 6461 El Apajo Rd., will shelter the rescued pets, which hail from Save-A-Pet in Long Island and Delco SPCA in Delaware County, Penn.
The animals, which were flown in to San Diego, will be evaluated and given medical treatments and vaccinations before placing them in loving homes with adoptive families.
“These are the silent victims,” said Mike Arms, president of the Helen Woodward Animal Center in a press release. "There are shelters that have been devastated by Hurricane Sandy, without electricity, without supplies.”
According to Center reps, this animal rescue is a huge collaborative effort. Southwest Airlines donated the chartered flight, their flight crews donated their time, fuel provider BP donated fuel for the flight and SeaWorld provided veterinarians and technicians to supervise the flight.
SeaWorld San Diego experts also transported the pets to the Center after they landed at Lindbergh Field Saturday afternoon.
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“Everyone involved in the rescue is going to incredible lengths to aid these displaced pets and to get them into loving homes,” said SeaWorld spokesperson Becca Bides. “Helen Woodward Animal Center and Southwest Airlines are big-hearted organizations and long-standing partners of SeaWorld and we are thrilled to team together for a cause.”
For more information about these Sandy pets and how to donate or help, call (858) 756-4117 or visit the Helen Woodward Animal Center website.
