Florida volunteer pilots rescue 12,000 shelter pets with flights

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.