Welcome to Wings of Rescue
Wings of Rescue is a donation-supported 501(c)3 public charity that flies abandoned, homeless and at-risk pets from overcrowded shelters and disaster areas to shelters with available space without displacing any locally sheltered pets. The result is that great pets in need of loving homes are brought to welcoming locations where families are eagerly waiting to adopt them. At Wings of Rescue we strive to transport pets to their new homes safely, quickly and with as little stress as possible.
In times of natural disaster we often use our in-bound planes to deliver humanitarian and veterinarian aid, pet supplies and shelter materials, thereby making the most efficient use of each of our flights.
From our unique perspective traveling across North America we know that spay-and-neuter programs are key to reducing the number of unwanted pets flooding municipal shelters. For this reason we sponsor spay/neuter programs to make a difference.
Our core philosophies are that all pets deserve a healthy and loving home and that responsible pet ownership enriches lives and builds stronger and more compassionate communities.
We're Off to a Good Start in 2023!
Our First Flight to Dominica, Feb 15
A recent mission to Dominica was our first. What a great bunch of staff and volunteers. Here is what they have to say about themselves:
“Saint Nicholas Animal Rescue takes its name from the Patron of sick and injured animals, Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. The Saint’s name also serves as an important reminder that The Lord looks favourably upon those considerate souls that care about unnecessary suffering – not only among us humans, but also other creatures of this world. Capable of compassion, we should extend our helping hand and make a difference. Saint Nicholas Animal Rescue Dominica team is made of dedicated people with different backgrounds and education – from a teacher, to a lawyer, to a medical doctor, and other professions. While being active professionals, we find time for this voluntary work. We are driven together by the commitment to help ending unnecessary suffering of helpless animals. It is our belief that only together we can stop animal cruelty and make Dominica a better place for them.”
Amen to that!
Expanding Our Fleet and Offering More Spay & Neuter Programs
In 2023 we are excited to be expanding our fleet of aircraft. In addition to the large Embraer 120 Brasilias and Pilatus PC-12 airplanes we currently fly, we will be adding several new aircraft types which will allow us to serve more shelters and save even more at-risk pets throughout North America. And of course we will be ready when disasters strike, standing by to deliver humanitarian and veterinarian aid, and to do our part by transporting out already adoptable pets in order to free space for those displaced by the emergency.
At Wings of Rescue, we recognize that transport alone will never permanently solve shelter overcrowding, so we are extremely proud of our innovative Operation Pit Stops which we staged this year in Miami and Fort Worth. At these events we provided free spay/neuter surgeries and core vaccinations to over 750 bully breed dogs, which should diminish intake in these communities’ shelters by over 15,000 dogs in the next 18 months. We also provided free core vaccinations to several hundred pets in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where such resources are scarce. We will be expanding our Operation Pit Stops to even more communities including shelters in Louisiana, northern Florida, and Delaware.
Our Merchandise Store is Now Open
Show your support for Wings of Rescue and help us save more pets. We have been adding new items frequently, so check back often! We appreciate your support.
We are already off to a strong start in 2023!
Arrivals
18 March – Hammond – Coatesville – Portland, Maine 74 dogs, 28 cats
16 March – Merced – Everett 23 dogs, 32 cats
4 March Hammond — Coatesville 93 dogs, 34 cats
22 February Freeport – Fort Pierce – Gainesville – Portland Maine 14 dogs, 49 cats
20 February Jackson Mississippi – Hagarstown – Norwood Massachusetts, 2 dogs, 77 cats
18 February – San Juan – Morristown 33 dogs, 2 cats
18 February – Hammond – Coatesville – Portland Maine 89 dogs, 64 cats
15 February Dominica – Tampa 39 dogs, 4 cats
10 February Bakersfield – Calgary 33 dogs
5 February – Hammond – Coatesville – Portland Maine 77 dogs, 51 cats
21 January – Olive Branch – Spokane – Bend 42 cats
21 January Hammond – Coatesville 57 dogs, 48 cats
12 January 2023 – Merced – Everett – Omak 53 dogs, 42 cats
7 January 2023 – Hammond – Coatesville 51 dogs, 71 cats
19 January 2023 – Special flight 7 dogs
To view a full list of the flights we completed in 2022 and other prior years, see the links below.
Departures
1 April Hammond – Georgetown – Coatesville – Portland Maine
26 April Nassau – Portland Maine
28 April Phuket – Manassas – Chicago (Soi Dog Foundation flight)
Click on Each Year to See Our Past Flight Schedules
We Fly All Over North America Saving Pets and Delivering Veterinarian and Humanitarian Aid
Thanks to our extensive network of planes and pilots, we have the ability to fly on short notice to rescue and transport helpless pets out of overcrowded shelters and from disaster areas. We also have the ability to respond to natural disasters, such as hurricanes in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas, tornados in Alabama, floods in Tulsa and Nebraska, earthquakes in Haiti and Puerto Rico, and a volcano in St. Vincent. On these missions we deliver urgently needed veterinarian and humanitarian relief aid and supplies on our in-bound flights.
Our Flights Help Shelters Reunite Families with Pets Lost or Displaced During Emergency Situations
When Conditions Require that Pets Need Help, it Often Means the Human Community Does Too
While the mission at Wings of Rescue is to primarily help pets in need, during times of natural disasters we work very hard to deliver relief for the human community as well by loading our incoming planes with whatever supplies will do the most immediate good. It is our mission to help alleviate suffering and make the world a better place with each of our flights. In addition to supplies for pets, we have delivered human medicine, food, water, blankets, a complete field hospital and just about anything a community facing challenges needs. Our versatile fleet and experienced pilots go where we’re needed.
Pet Safety is Our Highest Priority
We fly only pressurized and temperature-controlled aircraft suitable for safe long-distance and high-altitude journeys. We have worked with other national pet welfare organizations and veterinarians to develop strict transportation protocols that both we, as well as our shelter partners, must follow in order to keep our pet passengers safe and comfortable while on the ground and in the air. Our highly experienced pilots and Wings of Rescue crew members are extensively trained on the intricacies of handling pets, safe and efficient loading, and how to handle emergencies should they come up. Additionally, all pets meet strict medical requirements and carry with them any medical, behavior or other records available.
Why Our Services Are Needed so Badly
A great deal of success in reducing unwanted pet populations has been achieved in recent years thanks in great measure to the implementation of successful spay-and-neuter programs, comprehensive behavior training, and low-cost vaccination clinics. The availability of educational resources has also proliferated, which helps give people the skills they need to successfully retain their pets and not discard them in shelters. Yet sadly in many areas, especially those that have been hard hit by economic and housing challenges, pet overpopulation and high euthanasia rates remain an issue. Irresponsible backyard breeding also contributes to the pet-population problem. This means that local shelters, which are already often underfunded, end up with far more pets than their staff and facilities can care for.
So that’s where we can help. Wings of Rescue partners with outstanding animal shelters and a number of prominent rescue groups throughout North America to facilitate the transportation of at-risk pets. These partners not only have the available space to take in and care for our at-risk passengers, but also have dedicated staff and volunteers who work in their local communities finding responsible and loving individuals and families to adopt each and every rescue.
Wings of Rescue will never transport pets to communities where locally sheltered animals would be displaced by our arriving pets.
Wings of Rescue often responds to tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters by delivering emergency humanitarian and veterinary aid, and pet supplies, to disaster victims and pets throughout North America by making use of the space on its incoming flights sent to rescue at-risk shelter pets in the afflicted areas.
