We here at Amelia Air know our shelter partners are always facing overcrowded conditions and have an ongoing need to place animals in rescues, in order to avoid euthanizing due to lack of space. Advanced logistical planning is often necessary to ensure an available pilot alongside a receiving rescue group with resources to care for the arriving pets. Sometimes, our Amelia Air logistics team spends weeks coordinating a rescue operation…and sometimes, it falls together practically overnight! 

From the time the team at Kentucky River Regional Animal Shelter in Hazard, KY contacted us on August 27th, it was a mere 36 hours later that 19 adorable puppies were touching down in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Thanks to quick work by our East Coast logistics coordinator Nicole, all teams were at the airport bright and early on Sunday morning. Due to the incredible commitment of our friends Jessie at the Atlantic County Humane Society, and Lynn with the East Coast Claws N Paws Rescue group, all 19 puppies already had foster families lined up and ready to snuggle them!

Despite some light summer rain over New Jersey, it was a smooth flight for our founder Dean and his co-pilot Joel! It was also an exciting time on the ground for our social media coordinator Stacy and her five-year-old son Nolan. As Amelia Air’s smallest volunteer, Nolan is learning young about the importance of animal rescue and the life saving work being done by Amelia Air. 

Many thanks to AC Humane and East Coast Claws N Paws for making such quick work of this rescue; we know these 19 puppies will soon be settled into loving forever homes! Check out our recap of this serendipitous mission below or on Instagram, and thanks for all the support!