Flight to deliver shelter pets to Idaho from El Paso canceled due to weather

A flight that intended to take dozens of dogs and cats from El Paso to find homes elsewhere was canceled due to the threat of inclement weather.

El Paso Animal Services officials had coordinated a flight that would have taken nearly 60 shelter pets to various cities in Idaho. Shelter crews had finished loading the animals into cargo bins at the shelter when they got word that the pilot was grounding the flight after fearing that ice was forming.

The flight comes as the Animal Services Center is seeing a longer-than-usual peak intake season, meaning the center is at capacity.

The plan is now to fly out on Wednesday, according to shelter officials.

Officials credit a collaboration of local and national partners, Dog Is My CoPilot (DIMC) and Tails from the Shelter to making the flight possible.

DIMC is a 501(c)3 organization that provides long-distance air transportation to places that are hard to reach on the ground. The organization aims to save animals from being euthanized, and works with municipal animal shelters and nonprofit animal rescue organizations to coordinate flights and save animal lives. There is no charge to the animal welfare organizations for whom DIMC flies.

DIMC has flown over 8,000 pets to new lives, according to DIMC officials.