Abandoned Dogs Take Flight With Second Chance At Life

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) - A group of abandoned dogs is getting a second chance at life.

Thirty pooches were boarded up onto a bus Friday, headed to a safe haven on the east coast in search of a forever home.

"Words can not describe it," said animal advocate Riki Shaw, who helped organize the rescue mission. "Every one of these dogs, we saved their lives, and it's so heartening I just can barley breathe."

The dogs were rounded up from animal shelters across South Florida, many were on the euthanasia list before being rescued.

"These animals were brought from various animal shelters with a lot of different diseases," said veterinarian David Shapiro with Hollywood Animal Hospital. "We were able to treat them, bring them to a level of health where they were able to make the trip."

The life-saving journey is part of Pilots N Paws, a national mission that has helped rescue thousands of animals by flying or transporting them to other parts of the country.

"Every year 600 pilots and a number of truck drivers, these are guys who volunteer their time, transport hundreds of dogs from kill shelters all over the country to safe havens where they can for sure be adopted," said Shaw.

The trip is expected to take two days, including some rest stops so the dogs can stretch their legs. They should arrive at a cage-free, no-kill shelter near Pennsylvania by the end of the weekend.

"There are shelters, believe it or not, who really need dogs and there aren't enough dogs to adopt," said Shaw. "This is great group of dogs, every one of them, they'll all get adopted."

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)