ASPCA, Cloud Nine Rescue Flights Partner to Fly Homeless Animals Displaced by Hurricane Maria from St. Croix to Five Southeast Shelters

NEW YORK—The ASPCA^® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) and Cloud Nine Rescue Flights are collaborating to transport homeless animals displaced by Hurricane Maria to five animal shelters in the Southeast where they will be made available for adoption. More than 70 cats and dogs will be transported and placed with shelters including the SPCA of Brevard, Louisiana SPCA, Grand Strand Humane Society, Humane Society of Charlotte, and the SPCA of Wake County.

The animals will be transported from an emergency shelter established by the ASPCA in September where nearly 600 animals displaced by Hurricane Maria have received care to date. The cats and dogs will be transported out of St. Croix on three flights by Cloud Nine Rescue Flights, arriving at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and continuing on to the Southeast-based shelters in Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and North Carolina to find safe and loving homes.

“While the ASPCA is providing daily care and critical support for hundreds of animals impacted by Hurricane Maria in St. Croix, we are continuously working to relocate homeless cats and dogs to the States where they can escape the devastation left behind by the storm and find safe and loving homes,” said Jessica Rushin, partnerships senior manager for ASPCA Field Investigations & Response. “The ASPCA has helped transport nearly 300 homeless animals from its emergency shelter so far, and we are grateful to work with Cloud Nine Rescue Flights and our dedicated response partners to make this life-saving effort possible so these animals can move on to the next chapter in their lives.” 

Since late September, more than 100 ASPCA responders have been working around the clock conducting field rescues and managing an emergency shelter in St. Croix. In addition, approximately 17,000 animals impacted by Hurricane Maria have been assisted by the ASPCA through the distribution of critical pet supplies. For the latest updates on the ASPCA's response, please visit www.aspca.org/maria-response.

WHEN:

Friday, December 15, 2017 @ 12:30 p.m. ET 
Saturday, December 16, 2017 @ 12:30 p.m. ET 
Sunday, December 17, 2017 @ 12:30  p.m. ET 
**The flights can be tracked on www.flightaware.com by entering the tail number N25MG** 

WHERE:  
Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport 
6000 NW 21st Avenue 
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309