Hundreds of Dogs and Cats Get New Chance at Life in Airlift at Van Nuys Airport

An airlift of dogmatic proportions is going on at Van Nuys Airport on Friday morning when 350-plus dogs and cats will be taken to new homes after facing the danger of being euthanisized.

The dogs and cats are heading out to other parts of California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Arizona and Idaho, thanks to volunteer pilots in a holiday airlift organized by Wings of Rescue, a voluntary pet rescue organization. The group helps place the animals in loving homes.

The take-off is planned for Van Nuys Airport on Friday morning, and other lift-offs are from San Francisco, Bakersfield and Palm Springs.

The dogs are "of all shapes and sizes that have gotten a holiday reprieve from a certain death sentence," according to the charity. They will be transported via private aircraft to safety and came from numerous area animal shelters.

The private planes will be bearing the Wings of Rescue logo rescue and the tag line, “Flying Home.” All of the pilots are volunteering their time and their planesfor this enormous effort.

Wings of Rescue, founded by Los Angeles resident and private pilot Yehuda Netanel, of Woodland Hills, and is made up of an all-volunteer organization of pilots who have combined a passion for flying with a desire to save shelter animals from euthanasia. Netanel himself, an owner of six dogs, says that one day he came to the realize “every day, amazing dogs awake to their last day on Earth" and he wanted to do something about it.

This group has become involved by lending support and volunteers. Other sponsors include Bob Smith BMW and Wells Faro Bank.

See some of the dogs and cats in the gallery above and stay tuned to Patch for photos and video.