A Southwest Airlines pilot who flew over 100 animals to safety from areas affected by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene took his duty a step further and gave one of the rescues a new family.
The flight was part of a Southwest Airlines partnership with Lucky Dog Animal Rescue and Greater Good Charities that got 145 cats and dogs out of Tennessee and Florida to shelters in Milwaukee on Oct. 12th, Southwest Airlines said in a statement.
Among the pets onboard was a kitten named Avery, who was adopted mid-flight by Southwest Airlines Capt. Matthew Prebish, Southwest Airlines said.
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"The first of the pets adopted from this group was a match made at 30,000 feet," the airline said on Monday. "Avery the kitten was adopted from Lucky Dog Animal Rescue by Southwest Airlines Captain, Matthew Prebish.
According to Southwest, the animals were initially taken from Florida to South Carolina last month but had to be relocated from Myrtle Beach to Milwaukee after Hurricane Helene devastated the state.
"A midflight adoption was not something we planned to do during this amazing flight, but some things are meant to be," Lucky Dog Founder and CEO Mirah Horowitz told Telemundo. "The instant connection Captain Matt and Avery the kitten shared was truly special."
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The Southwest flight also delivered humanitarian supplies to residents affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, the airline said.
