40 Cats To Fly From Fredericksburg To New Jersey To Find Homes

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Up to 40 cats will take to the skies Tuesday from Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg. A volunteer pilot will fly the animals from Virginia to a shelter in New Jersey to help them find new homes.

Tuesday's flight is a joint effort by the Best Friends Animal Society and Pilots to the Rescue.

Pilots to the Rescue is a volunteer-run organization that flies animals at risk of being euthanized to shelters across the country to increase their chances of being adopted.

The Best Friends Animal Society is a national outreach organization focused on stopping euthanization at shelters across the country, according to its website.

Michael Schneider, founder of Pilots to the Rescue, will pilot Tuesday's flight from Fredericksburg to New Jersey.

"We are thrilled to work with Best Friends and their partner shelters and fosters to rescue all these cats," he said. "There are a lot of moving parts when doing a rescue of this size, and having an organization like Best Friends really helps with logistics and coordination."

Tuesday's flight is one of many that Pilots to the Rescue plans to organize in 2021.

"We look forward to the partnership and reaching our goal of rescuing 1,000 animals this year," Schneider said.

Pilots to the Rescue operates from 30 different airports across the United States. Prospective volunteers can sign up for more information on the Pilots to the Rescue website.