Our 2022 in Review✨
50 missions.
513 pets rescued this year.
1008 lives saved all-time!
2022 was a rollercoaster at a global level, but it was a milestone year for Amelia Air. In just the past week, we surpassed our goal to rescue 500 pets in 2022, finishing the year with a total of 513 lives saved! Our 50th mission of the year also crossed another huge threshold for us: Amelia Air has now given freedom flights to over 1,000 pets in total!
Whether rescuing 30 dogs from the devastating Kentucky floods this summer, or flying our first ferrets in the winter, our small but mighty team will never forget 2022. Keep scrolling to relive some of our favorite moments from the past year of airborne rescue adventures, and remember: we couldn’t do what we do without you!
May 2022 - First international rescue from Loreto, Mexico!
No matter where they live, we believe all animals deserve dignity, safety, and respect. So when we heard about an opportunity to fly dogs from Loreto, Mexico to happy futures in California, we said we’d love to help!
After flying down to Loreto, Petra and David were greeted by a remarkable team of rescuers from SOAR, Animalandia, and Stray Paws, who advocate tirelessly for the area’s many pets. The next morning, 11 dogs hitched a ride north to our amazing partners at Priceless Pets, who were waiting with open arms to welcome them to the sweet life! After tons of planning, this mission went off without a hitch… and it was so fun that we’re already arranging a repeat rescue for 2023!
June 2022 - First vet clinics!
Spaying and neutering animals is the best way to reduce overcrowding in shelters. So we were over the moon to celebrate the graduation of our very own “Flying Dogtor,” Dr. Adi Chatow, from vet school! Already a rescue pilot and operations coordinator for Amelia Air, Adi couldn’t wait to launch our vet clinics. Adi teamed up with Priceless Pets for the first Amelia Air Clinic, where she performed 27 kitty surgeries in just one day!
Soon after, Adi ran another spay & neuter clinic with Shannon Corbit, our incredible collaborator in Porterville, California. This time, Adi provided surgeries to 24 dogs and cats, and she has no intention of stopping there! Adi recently moved to New Orleans, where she is setting up our new rescue hub in the South!
August 2022 - First Rescue Social!
Hosted by our amazing friends at Bark Social in Bethesda, MD, we designed our first Amelia Air Rescue Social to strengthen the bonds of our community. Alleviating overcrowding in shelters requires a ton of teamwork, and it’s rare that we get the chance to gather and talk about new ways to collaborate and save more lives! We are lucky to work alongside so many dedicated individuals who often fly under the radar - so we also wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate their passion and commitment. Here’s to more opportunities to get together in 2023!
December 2022 - 19 ferrets from a testing facility got a freedom flight with Dean & Katy!
We began this year by flying our 500th pet to safety; we finished this year rescuing our 1,000th. To everyone who donated, volunteered their time, collaborated with us to rescue animals, adopted a pet, and bought our merch: YOU empower us to dream bigger! If you’d like to make your first act of 2023 a charitable one, please donate or shop our swag to help us rescue even more pets in the new year!
From all of us at the Amelia Air Force, Happy New Year and our best wishes for a restorative 2023!
