Stephen M. Keller / Southwest Airlines
He just couldn’t say goodbye ❤️
Last week, in anticipation of Hurricane Milton, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue and Greater Good Charities worked together to evacuate shelter animals out of the storm zone. In partnership with Southwest Airlines, they got 145 cats and dogs on a plane and flew them from Florida to Milwaukee.
“It was truly a magical experience,” Mirah Horowitz, CEO of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, told The Dodo. “The animals [got to] ride in the cabin.”
The Southwest Airlines staff made fast friends with the cats and dogs. The flight’s pilot, Captain Matt Prebish, found himself particularly drawn to a little kitten named Avery.
“I admired her excitement [about] the world and her energy,” Prebish said in a Southwest Airlines press release.
Stephen M. Keller / Southwest Airlines
Mid-flight, Prebish realized he couldn’t bear to say goodbye to Avery. He hadn’t expected to adopt one of the rescue animals, but his wife knew better.
“My wife said she knew that when I accepted this trip that I would probably come home with some animal,” Prebish said.
Stephen M. Keller / Southwest Airlines
When they landed, there was a bit of a storm at the airport, so everyone had to wait for 20 minutes before deplaning. That left just enough time for Prebish to call his wife and ask how she would feel about him bringing home a new family member.
She gave Prebish the green light, so Prebish and the shelter staff made the adoption official — right there on the plane.
“It definitely wasn’t anticipated,” Horowitz said. “There was a little bit of a mad scramble to get the paperwork done for an adoption.”
Prebish flew back home to Denver with his new kitty in tow. It was a relief for both to finally get Avery settled in her new forever home.
The flight captain was happy that he not only got a new cat, but that he was also able to help animals affected by the hurricane.
By transferring the animals from Florida shelters to Milwaukee, shelters in Florida had more room to accept local animals who were displaced or injured in the aftermath of the storm.
Stephen M. Keller / Southwest Airlines
“I’m honored and glad that we could make a difference,” Prebish said. “And hopefully these animals will find their forever homes and make a bunch of people very happy.”
