ARF again

A while back, I did a post on Animal Rescue Flights, or ARF, and since then, they've really done a helluva lot of good work flying animals from one location where they faced imminent destruction to another where homes were waiting for them.

Here are a couple of recent transports as written up by Julia Ryan, the organizer of ARF.

ARF volunteers,

We've had a great couple of weekends of transports at ARF. In case you haven't been on the website lately, here's an overview. Thanks to all the pilots and ground crew that participated...you are making the world a better place for animals, one life at a time. Hugs to all of you.

2/15/09: 1 Dog - Murray, KY to Farmingdale, NY


There are probably few things in dog's life scarier than having his muzzle bound by tape by inhuman human beings and being thrown into the middle of a group of dogs to work them into a frenzy before the prize fight. But such is the life of a "bait dog." Without the ability to protect themselves, bait dogs often don't survive but this 55 lb pit bull survived this horror. Once called Ribbon because of his ears being torn to shreds...but now called Rebel...this dog is a bundle of wags and wiggles despite the nightmare he experienced. He captured the hearts of the men of Rescue Ink in New York who will care for him the rest of his life and will make him the mascot of their campaign to put an end to dogfighting. ARF helped get Ribbon (aka Rebel) from Kentucky to his new home on Long Island, with a cameraman along to video the trip for a new TV series coming out soon...I will let you know when the episode will air. In the mean time, check out the photos here.


02/21/09: THE GREAT ESCAPE - 16 "Death Row" dogs - SC to NY (and one cat from NY to SC)


In Anderson, SC, is an animal shelter with easily 500 dogs in it on a day-to-day basis. In this economy, not many of these dogs will find local adopters. Fortunately, the women that run the shelter for the city are dedicated to working with rescues and transporters to get as many dogs out of their shelter as possible and on their way to parts of the country where there is not an animal overpopulation problem and where the dogs will more likely find new homes of their own. But there is a huge amount of dogs and many end up on death row...perfectly adoptable...but not able to get out in time. Pets Alive in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in NY agreed to take 26 "death row dogs" from the Anderson shelter, rehabilitate them and find them new homes. Last weekend, 16 lucky dogs flew with ARF and the other 10 rode the Freedom Train...thanks to both the air team and the ground team for getting these 26 dogs to safety. Check out the photos here. Channel 14 Charlotte showed up at KRUQ to do a little story on The Great Escape. They didn't get all their facts right (including the name of the airport) and cut out most of the interview with Rhonda including any mention of ARF, but it did make the news on TV that night and showed people compelling images of beautiful dogs available for adoption that would've been euthanized due to space issues ... we hoped it helped educate the public just a little bit.

Thanks again to the good people at to the folks in Murray, KY, who gave Ribbon the medical attention he needed and found him a good home at Rescue Ink, to the good people at Rescue Ink for rescuing Rebel, to the good people at Pets Alive that agreed to take 26 dogs from the Anderson shelter and find them new homes, to the good people at Anderson Shelter for working to save as many animals as possible, and most of all a giant thanks to Rhonda Sims and the Freedom Train who partnered with ARF to transport by ground and air 26 dogs to a new life.

Rhonda of Freedom Train posted a special word of thanks to everyone who volunteered for The Great Escape...she wanted me to make sure I passed it along to you. Click here.

Of course, we don't have long to reminisce on a job well done. There are more animals to save. If you can fly this weekend, please take a look at the ARF Mission Board and volunteer if you can.

Blue skies,

Julia
ARF