A bath, a vet visit and window seating. A terrible deal for humans, but a lifeline for more than a hundred dogs and cats who rode a four-hour flight Saturday from Long Beach Airport to find a new home in Oregon.

The flight, provided by Southwest Airlines, was chartered through Greater Good Charities. Since 2021, the nonprofit has transported more than 16,000 shelter pets through its Good Flights program, including airlifts made in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton and the Maui wildfires.

Animals flown out Saturday — 38 dogs and 65 cats — were chosen ahead of time from seven shelters across Los Angeles County. Pets chosen were cleaned and given a full medical examination prior to the flight, to ensure they are “quickly adoptable.”

The County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care & Control and COPE Preparedness also assisted in the transfer.

Executive Vice President Sára Varsa with Greater Good Charities explained the airlift was conducted in anticipation that, following the wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena,  shelters will be inundated with more shelter pets, be it newfound strays left behind by evacuees or those surrendered by displaced families can no longer provide for them.

A dog named Rocky waits and shakes as workers lift crates up one at a time and onto the plane. Photo by John Donegan.
A line of volunteers snakes from the animal control van up the air stairs connected to the plane, each carrying a dog crate. Photo by John Donegan.

This flight brought elbow room to an already overcrowded animal shelter network so it can accommodate the incoming animals that may be sick, injured or have nowhere to go because of the wildfires.

“If they had a safe haven for their animals, with friends or family, that becomes exhausted as time goes on, and maybe they don’t have an option,” Varsa said. “And this gives the county breathing room to say, maybe we can, let’s see what services we have for you.”

These shelter pets will be sent to the Oregon Humane Society, in Portland.

Emmett, an older dog, sits inside his kennel buckled into a row in the midsection of the plane. Photo by John Donegan.
A younger dog named Buzz sits quietly in his kennel on the tarmac. Photo by John Donegan.

In the kennels were beagles and hounds, pit bull mixes and Labradors, one that looked like a German shepherd, a saggy-eyed bulldog and gaggles of puppies and kittens.

Some of the dogs barked and whimpered when they were placed on the tarmac. The whining continued as they were carted and buckled into their rows.

One teary-eyed flight attendant said the plane was a “flying animal shelter” as the rows filled up with crates. Another attendant said it’s the easiest flight in the world, save the smell.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Sára Varsa’s name and the year when Good Flights began.