LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) — Alaska Airlines and the Kauai Human Society are setting records this year in dogs and cats flown for free to the mainland for adoption. ADVERTISING LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) — Alaska Airlines and the Kauai Human Society
LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) — Alaska Airlines and the Kauai Human Society are setting records this year in dogs and cats flown for free to the mainland for adoption.
About 350 dogs and cats have been transported so far in 2015, well above the 227 during roughly the same period last year. The program was implemented years ago to reduce homeless pets on an island with limited shelter space and a set number of homes.
An agreement with Alaska Airlines allows certain passengers to sign for animals, avoiding a cargo fee of about $300 per pet. Once on the mainland, Kauai Humane Society executive director Penny Cistaro says the transferred animals are usually adopted within the first week.
“It’s really taking off,” Cistaro said. “This has doubled our capacity for getting animals out. It’s been amazing for us.”
The shelter has had to take in fewer pets each fiscal year since at least 2013. The number of cats and dogs that are euthanized has also been reduced.
The $100 crates used to transfer the animals are the program’s biggest cost. Shelters on the mainland and in Alaska are working to send them back. A barge recently returned 39 creates from Kitsap County in Washington State.
“It took six weeks to get them here, but we got them,” Cistaro said.
Melissa Kos of California volunteered to sign for four dogs flown off the island on Thursday.
“I’m happy to do this anytime I’m over here,” she said. “It’s amazing.”
