Due to new transport opportunities, we've increased our goal!
Update - July 16, 2024: Since the beginning of 2024, we have transferred 82 dogs and puppies to our partners in California, Oregon, and Washington. Just last week, 4 HIHS dogs and puppies traveled to Seattle Humane where they were adopted within days. We continue to pursue opportunities to transport animals to organizations that experience high rates of adoptions. Please continue to support our work.
Update - April 22, 2024: Since the beginning of 2024, we have transferred 54 dogs and puppies to our partners East Bay SPCA, Oregon Humane, and Seattle Humane. Some of the puppies traveled directly from Hawaii County Animal Control, thus creating space and more lifesaving opportunities. We continue to seek opportunities with our partners so that our overlooked puppies do not grow up in our shelters and so that we can continue helping more animals in need on island. On April 11, 2024 five of our longest stay puppies - all of whom who had been in our care for more than a month - traveled to Oregon Humane where they were each adopted within 3 days! In the coming week, we will be sending a total of 12 more dogs and puppies to our partners at East Bay SPCA and Seattle Humane. Your support is needed to keep this critical initiative going!
In 2024, our total costs of the program have exceed $15,000 thus far.
Update - January 24, 2024: In the past 2 days, we transported 16 more dogs and puppies to partners on the mainland. We have more transports scheduled for February. We will continue to need your support for this lifesaving effort!
Update - December 5, 2023: After our transport of 23 puppies in September, we were yet again inundated with more puppies and dogs in need. Unfortunately, our mainland partners were impacted in the same way. We experienced yet another hold on transports during the months of October and November. As of early December 2023, our partners are open to accepting puppies and young adult dogs. We have secured transport placements for 31 dogs and puppies in December. These transports will also provide lifesaving opportunities for litters of puppies from Hawai'i County Animal Control; without these transports, and without space available at HIHS, these puppies' lives are at risk. With your support, we can save their lives and help them find happy new beginnings!
To make this transport a reality, we will need to raise an additional $10,000 to fund flights and purchase crates.
We are hopeful that this will be an ongoing opportunity for puppies, and appreciate your continued support. Please consider a recurring monthly donation in support of our transport efforts.
Information from September 2023: The current national animal welfare crisis has meant that shelters are often at or overcapacity, locally and nationally. National sheltering database, Shelter Animals Count, shows that transfers have steadily declined since 2021. Mainland transfer was once a reliable and consistent opportunity for our island's animals, but that opportunity has halted significantly in the past 2 years as our partners have experienced a dramatic increase in local need. However, after a long hiatus, we are starting to see opportunities for relief. We are currently coordinating the lifesaving transport of 23 puppies to partners on the mainland; HIHS is assisting in transferring 13 of those puppies directly from Hawai'i County Animal Control, which will have an immediate impact on saving their lives.
We need your help. Transport efforts from Hawai'i to the mainland are expensive. As part of our commitment to save the lives of animals in need in Hawaii, HIHS funds the entire transport effort. HIHS funds the transport crate, health certificate exam, vaccines, and the flight. On average, the total average cost to send a dog to the mainland is approximately $400-500.
Please consider a donation to fund this effort, today!
ABOUT OUR PARTNERS: We carefully select partners through a review process to ensure that each of our pets will have the best possible outcome: being adopted into a forever, loving home. We only work with reputable, professionally-run non-profit organizations that have the staffing and programs to provide the ultimate care for our animals. When our pets land at our rescue partners, they are often adopted within just a few short days. Often, these are pets who have been waiting to be noticed for many months. Our transport program is a truly lifesaving effort for animals in need.