On a beautiful weekend early in November, Petra loaded up the Cherokee at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, CA for a planned relay mission to rescue a mom and her 7 puppies from an overcrowded shelter in Tijuana, Mexico.

An incredibly dedicated animal rescuer would bring the little family across the border into San Diego, where Petra planned to link up with them at Gillespie Field. But when Petra met the volunteer who had brought the doggies across the border, two surprises were waiting: an extra puppy who had gotten separated from his litter, and a tiny orange kitten!

Luckily, there was plenty of room - and extra kennels - in the Cherokee for the surprise hitchhikers. So with a little help from some friendly bystanders - who were thrilled to cuddle some fluff bundles for a few minutes - Petra got the plane all loaded up. The sweet and adorable momma dog liked to walk between the legs of whoever held her leash!

Next, Petra flew the crew from San Diego to Bakersfield, California, where another volunteer pilot, Les, was ready to fly the pets the rest of the way to Star Rescue in Northern California. It was a beautifully smooth day to fly and the pets made it the rest of the way to Star Rescue in no time!

Once they are healthy and old enough, each baby will be put up for adoption, and then the sweet mama dog will get to find the perfect family too. A huge thanks for all the dedicated volunteers who came together to pull off this freedom flight - check out the video below for a full recap of the mission!