Local Dog Rescue to Participate in Shelter Dog Airlift

Carlsbad-based Upward Dog Rescue is pleased to be participating in the upcoming Wings of Rescue San Bernardino airlift to fly dogs from overcrowded shelters to new homes in the western United States. The upcoming flights out of San Bernardino International Airport are scheduled for April 26th and 29th. Volunteer pilots in chartered planes will fly the animals to rescue organizations and humane societies in Oregon, Idaho, and Arizona. Almost all of the dogs on the flight will be saved from either San Bernardino City Shelter or the San Bernardino County facility in Devore.  

“The way this works is pretty simple,” explains Valerie Ashton, founder of Upward Dog Rescue, a 501(c)(3) organization. “The dogs are going from an area where supply exceeds demand to areas where demand matches the supply of adoptable dogs. All of these dogs were pulled from high kill shelters. Without rescue organizations, many of these dogs would be euthanized at the shelter.”

Upward Dog Rescue rescued two small dogs from the San Bernardino City Shelter on April 18 that will go on the upcoming flights, and plans to rescue more next week. “We will be paying for all of our dogs’ spay and neuter surgeries, vaccines, microchips, fecal tests, and deworming,” explains Valerie. “The dogs going on these flights are healthy and adoptable. They are not damaged, and have done nothing wrong to end up in shelters. Their futures are bright. They will make beautiful and amazing pets.”

The non-profit is seeking donations for vet care of the dogs, which will be done at Mohnacky Animal Hospital in Carlsbad. Small plastic airline crates are also needed and can be dropped off this week at the animal hospital located at 2505 S Vista Way, Carlsbad, CA 92008.

Upward Dog Rescue was founded in 2012 by Carlsbad residents Valerie and Ryan Ashton with the goal of rescuing dogs facing a life of misery and suffering on the streets or imminent death in overcrowded shelters. Dogs are routinely saved off the streets of Ensenada, or rescued from shelters in San Bernardino and Riverside. For more information about Upward Dog Rescue, visit www.upwarddogrescue.org.

Wings of rescue was founded by Yehuda Netanel, of Los Angeles, who flies  shelter animals in his Jetprop Piper Malibu throughout the western United States.  The 501(c)(3) non-profit orchestrates and coordinates with more than 120 rescue and shelter organizations up and down the West Coast and Canada. For more information, visit www.wingsofrescue.org. Pilots wishing to donate their aviation skills and aircraft to fly shelter animals to animal rescue organizations can contact Rescues@wingsofrescue.org.