Photo courtesy of Jessica Apicella of Buzz Creators
After being rescued from Puerto Rico, 120 dogs will find a new home in Westchester, thanks to the help of luxury operator Million Air.
This Valentine’s Day took on a whole new level of love for 120 Westchester County families, thanks to the kindness of an area private jet company. Million Air Westchester, the luxury fixed-based operator at Westchester County Airport, partnered with The Sato Project to unite rescued dogs with their new families over Valentine’s Day weekend. Collaborating with Wings of Rescue, a donation-based charity flying large-scale transports of at-risk shelter pets from overcrowded shelters and disaster areas, both teams airlifted over 100 dogs to Million Air’s hangar, where they were then received by their new, loving families. To add to the love and festivities in the air, the dogs’ crates were adorned with hearts and other Valentine’s-themed décor.
All of the dogs on the transport were rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico, where they were saved from severe hoarding situations, abandonment, or overburdened animal shelters. These transports are known as ‘Freedom Flights,’ the life-changing journeys that allow each dog’s dream of a forever family to finally come true.
For thousands of abandoned dogs across Puerto Rico, The Sato Project is their only hope. There are currently an estimated 500,000 stray dogs roaming the island’s streets and beaches. With no access to food, fresh water, or veterinary care, many of these dogs are living daily lives of severe suffering. The municipal shelter system is drastically overwhelmed, with only five shelters across all 78 of the island’s municipalities. These shelters have a combined euthanasia rate of over 94 percent.
This is just one example of Million Air as a company utilizing its hangar space for the greater good; the FBO has also assisted in transporting service dogs, helping transport life-saving organ donations, as well as donating coveted KN95 and surgical respiratory masks to White Plains Hospital at the initial emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
