Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team Flies Mission To Island Of Tortola
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UPDATE (Oct. 3, 2017) --
The PAART team checked in after touching down with the rescued animals and humane workers in Ft. Lauderdale on Tuesday evening. They managed to rescue 23 cats and 18 dogs from the hurricane-ravaged Caribbean island.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team is undertaking a huge relief mission to the Caribbean.
A PAART team took off from the Allegheny County Airport Monday afternoon to head to the island of Tortola, which is part of the British Virgin Islands.
The island, which was left completely devastated by Hurricane Maria, is in desperate need of help.
According to PAART, a private donor provided them a jet to use for the journey. They packed the plane with relief supplies, including more than 1,000 pounds of pet food, veterinary supplies, crates and generators.
Once in Tortola, they will unload and then get to work packing up more than 20 homeless animals to bring back to Pittsburgh area shelters.
On their way back, PAART will first stop in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
There, they will drop off two Humane Society International workers, Chris and Adam, who have been working on Tortola for several weeks, helping the animals left homeless by the monster storm.
Chris and Adam also worked with animals affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. But after weeks on Tortola, living in a house with no roof and surviving on only rice and water, this is the rescue mission that will bring them and the animals they are caring for to safety.
After the stop in Ft. Lauderdale, the PAART crew will head back to Pittsburgh, where the animals will be unloaded and then taken to Pittsburgh-area shelters, which will find them forever homes.
Stay with KDKA for the updates on PAART's journey to Tortola.
