It’s not something we love thinking about, but sometimes you have to wonder: if something happened to me, who would take care of my dog(s)? Knowing the outlook for pets surrendered to shelters in overcrowded areas, I’d prefer to see mine placed in the care of someone I know personally. However, not everyone has that option.

One particular side-effect of the coronavirus pandemic has been an increase in surrendered or abandoned animals. Many people lost their jobs or homes and ability to care for pets. Worse, many lost their lives, and had no one lined up to look after their animals.

That’s what happened to Coffee Bean, a tan and chocolate colored dog whose parent died of Covid-19. There were no family members able to take them in, so Coffee Bean and her sister Cocoa Mellon were brought to Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter in the New Orleans metropolitan area.

Sadly, this same fate befell many family pets in Louisiana this past year. In areas like New Orleans with more animals coming in than kennels available, some shelters have no choice but to euthanize perfectly adoptable animals due to overcrowding and lack of funding.

Transport Will Save Coffee Bean

In order to give these abandoned animals a real chance, on December 31st, 2020, iHeartDogs will sponsor an entire flight of up to 100 pets out of Louisiana. The Operation Second Chance: New Beginning Rescue Flight will bring these adoptable animals up to no-kill shelters and rescues in Michigan with space where their chances for adoption are much higher.

As with our July 2020 Operation Second Chance: Oklahoma Pet Rescue Flight, the Nonprofit Wings of Rescue will be flying these pets in need to safety and new beginnings. Wings of Rescue relies on donations for funding. Their pilots are all volunteers. Under this model, Wings of Rescue has already transported 8,597 pets (6,376 dogs, 2,159 cats, 23 rabbits, 38 guinea pigs and one 3-legged mouse) to safety in 2020.

I think Coffee Bean and her sister both deserve this chance too, don’t you?

How You Can Help

Coffee Bean is just one of the dogs whose lives will change for the better thanks to this flight. You can help us save these pups by purchasing eligible products from the Second Chance Movement Collection or, of course, making a direct donation to the flight fundraising.

Every item in the Second Chance Movement collection provides travel miles via iHeartDogs’ charity partner GreaterGood.org. These “miles” go to organizations that facilitate the transportation of adoptable animals, like Wings of Rescue. The miles get them from areas of low-demand to areas of high-demand by reducing transportation costs. Flying is very expensive, but that shouldn’t stop us.

Help us save Coffee Bean!

Shop & Transport At-Risk Pets To Safety!

Your purchase of any of the following items provides rescue transport miles. These miles help rescue groups save pets from overcrowded shelters, taking them on a trip by road and by air to areas with low shelter populations where loving families are waiting to adopt. Learn more about our Second Chance Movement™ program.