Operation Helping Hounds!

In one of Amelia Air’s most urgent and logistically complex rescues to date, we partnered with Operation Helping Hounds to save 10 sweet dogs from an incredibly overcrowded shelter in Kentucky River.

When the call came in, these 10 hounds were already out of time, and needed a rescue immediately to avoid euthanasia. The entire Amelia Air team went into overdrive along with our friends at Operation Helping Hounds, all searching for a solution anywhere on the eastern seaboard. After an incredible amount of outreach, we were so happy to connect with two remarkable new rescue partners in New York: Animal Haven and the Dutchess County SPCA (DCSPCA)!

After playing some dog crate Tetris, our founder Dean Heistad and his nephew fueled up the plane and flew to Kentucky to collect the 10 hounds just in the nick of time. With the hounds safely loaded, the crew headed to Poughkeepsie, New York, to meet the teams from Animal Haven and the DCSCPA, who had each organized 5 foster families who heeded the call to save the day!

With all the pets safe, Dean & his nephew flew back home to Leesburg, Virginia, capping off a marathon 6 hours of flight time that made all the difference for these 10 deserving dogs.