San Bernardino County sends 31 dogs on largest Wings of Rescue transport yet

San Bernardino County Animal Care sent 31 dogs on its sixth Wings of Rescue rescue flight on September 24, 2026, the county reported.

The county said this is the largest single Wings of Rescue transport from its shelters; with the sixth flight, the county reported a total of 71 dogs have been moved through the partnership.

County officials attributed the larger load to community members who served as short-term fosters; the county said these fosters provided temporary homes and allowed more dogs to be included on the flight.

Acting Director Janki Patel of the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health was quoted by the county; “This really is a culmination of the hard work of our staff, building relationships with rescues across the nation and with the Wings of Rescue Organization.”

According to the county, Wings of Rescue is a national nonprofit that transports pets from overcrowded shelters and disaster-impacted areas to locations with increased adoption opportunities; the county described animals traveling aboard fully pressurized aircraft with safety and comfort prioritized.

The county also credited Animals aRe First Fund (ARFF) for providing hard crates used in transports and noted residents can donate at arffund.org. The county provided a link for those interested in adopting or fostering at AnimalCare.SBCounty.gov.

Practical consequence: if the county's account is accurate, the transport temporarily reduces local shelter occupancy and moves dogs to communities where adoption chances may be higher; the county framed the flights as part of its effort to save lives and reduce overcrowding.

What the county did not provide: independent adoption or outcome data after transport, costs per flight, and long-term shelter-capacity trends; those metrics would be needed to evaluate sustained impact.

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