Florida volunteer pilots started flying animals out of overcrowded shelters in 2010

Winter Park nonprofit transports 12,000 animals to Florida rescues A nonprofit network of volunteer pilots based in Winter Park, Florida, has reached a major milestone after flying more than 12,000 rescued dogs and cats from overcrowded animal shelters to adoptive homes across the United States. Founded in 2010, the organization, called Animals Away, connects private pilots with animal shelters and rescue centers that are at or near capacity. Volunteer pilots donate their time, planes and aviation fuel to move vulnerable pets from overcrowded shelters in southern states to rescue groups in the Northeast and Midwest, where there is strong demand for adoptable animals. According to reports from WFTV Channel 9 News, the program began as a local effort to help Central Florida shelters dealing with ongoing space problems. Over 16 years, it grew into a multi-state air transport network that now moves dozens of animals each week.Airborne relief for overcrowded sheltersAnimal shelters across Florida often deal with serious overcrowding because of large stray populations, warm weather that supports year-round breeding and limited local adoption rates. When shelters run out of kennel space, ...