More than 100 cats and kittens from a Fort Walton Beach shelter will soon be headed north on a life-saving flight designed to give them a better chance at finding forever homes.
Save Our Cats and Kittens (SOCKS) announced it is partnering with Dog Is My CoPilot and Last Chance Animal Rescue to transport approximately 110 cats and kittens from Destin Executive Airport to Maryland on Aug. 6.
The free flight, coordinated by the Wyoming-based nonprofit Dog Is My CoPilot, is intended to ease overcrowding at the Fort Walton Beach shelter while connecting adoptable cats with areas where demand for pets is higher.
For SOCKS Executive Director Nancy Schimmer, the flight represents much more than relocating animals.
“Every cat we load onto that flight is a life we were able to say yes to — and every life we say yes to means another cage opens up for the next desperate call we take, the next kitten or cat who has nowhere else to turn,” Schimmer said.
She said the organization faces constant intake demand, and every available kennel allows the shelter to rescue additional homeless cats and kittens.
“The demand we face for cat and kitten intake is overwhelming, and every single kennel matters,” Schimmer said. “Our partnership with Dog Is My CoPilot and Last Chance Animal Rescue isn’t just about 100 cats headed to safety. It’s about building an ongoing relationship with these groups — one that we hope eventually will carry forward the adoptable kittens we find during our trap, neuter, and return work, and place them into the loving arms of a waiting adoption network.”
Dog Is My CoPilot has transported tens of thousands of shelter animals across the country since 2012 at no cost to participating shelters. The organization works with more than 200 rescue groups and shelters nationwide to relocate animals from overcrowded communities to areas with greater demand for adoption.
“Partnering with organizations like SOCKS ensures more animals waiting in overcrowded shelters have the opportunity to find loving homes,” said Dr. Peter Rork, president and chief pilot of Dog Is My CoPilot. “We believe collaboration is the key to saving more lives, and we are continually inspired by the dedication of our shelter and rescue partners.”
Once the cats arrive in Maryland, they will be cared for by Last Chance Animal Rescue before becoming available for adoption.
The Maryland-based rescue partners with more than 30 PetSmart and Petco locations throughout the region and adopts out roughly 130 cats and kittens each week. The organization receives animals from shelters across several states, including Florida.
“The local shelters don’t have the manpower or funding to keep kitties healthy to prepare them for adoption,” said Last Chance Animal Rescue President Cindy Sharpley. “You guys, through some miracle of funding and manpower—you guys have pulled it together.”
Founded in 1993, SOCKS operates a limited-intake, free-roaming shelter in Fort Walton Beach and places more than 500 cats and kittens into homes each year. The nonprofit also conducts extensive trap, neuter, and return (TNR) efforts to reduce the number of homeless community cats, which the organization says account for an estimated 80% of homeless kittens born each year.
With more than 100 cats leaving for new opportunities next month, shelter leaders say the flight will immediately create space for the next wave of animals in need while strengthening a partnership they hope will continue saving lives for years to come.
How to Help
Community members who would like to support Save Our Cats and Kittens (SOCKS) can help by adopting, fostering, volunteering or donating supplies. The shelter maintains an Amazon Wish List featuring many of the everyday items needed to care for rescued cats and kittens.
Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2MICOC0MJMNP/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex
Every donation helps provide food, litter, cleaning supplies, and other essentials for the cats and kittens awaiting their forever homes.
