145 shelter animals rescued by pilot during hurricane chaos

Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the East Coast of the United States hard, displacing hundreds of animals and forcing one pilot into action. Southwest Airlines captain Matthew Prebish was able to transport 145 shelter animals displaced last Saturday, October 12.

Hear how this heroic flight came about and which of the animals rescued from the flight captured Prebish’s heart forever.

Take off from the ground

Employees at animal shelters across the country routinely work around the clock to provide their animals with the best possible care. In the case of hurricanes Milton and Helene, the best care decision What these shelters could do for their animals was put them on a plane and say a harsh goodbye to them. This emergency flight was possible thanks to Great good charitieswhich partnered with Southwest Airlines and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue to keep the animals safe.

“At Southwest Airlines, we lead with our hearts to provide assistance where needed, and we were honored to lend an aircraft for this rescue flight to transport these animals to their forever homes,” Whitney Eichinger, senior vice president and chief communications officer. on Southwest Airlines says.

When he found out his employer was involved, Prebish took the opportunity to pilot the emergency flight. In addition to Prebish, around 60 volunteers joined in to make the emergency flight.

The emergency flight included about 145 cats and dogs temporarily housed at Lucky Dog Animal Rescue’s South Carolina Rescue Campus to a safe location in Milwaukee, WI, on October 12, 2024. The affected animals had previously been relocated from shelters in eastern Tennessee and Florida in the path of hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Pilot falls in love with a kitten

After the landing, a total of eight Midwest animal shelters took in the displaced animals and are currently in the process of providing them with the extensive medical care they need before being placed up for adoption. But one rescued animal caught the attention of one Southwest Airlines pilot in particular, becoming the first of the emergency flight group to be adopted.

“Once we landed in Milwaukee, I started noticing the animals a little more,” Prebish says. “One of them caught my eye and then I ended up taking a cat home.”

The cat in question is Avery, a four-month-old kitten who now lives with Prebish and three furry siblings in Texas: Smalls the cat, Tahoe the Labrador retrieverand Wrigley the golden retriever. In addition to being adorable, Prebish picked up on Avery’s personality right away.

“I opened the box a little bit to let him see if it would really come out,” Prebish says. “And immediately, his head popped up and he was looking around and he had this personality that he wants to explore.” the world and just seeing everything the world has to offer.

For a kitten who wants to explore the world, it’s hard to beat having an airline pilot for a father!

How to adopt a displaced pet

If you live in the Midwest and are looking to adopt a new furry friend, consider this special group of animals.

You can visit and adopt airlifted pets at the following animal shelters in Wisconsin and Illinois:

• Humane Animal Welfare Society
• Elmbrook Humane Society
• Washington County Humane Society
• Jefferson County Humane Society
• Dane County Humane Society
• Eau Claire Community Humane Association
• Green County Humane Society
• One queue at a time (Illinois)