East Bay pound pups travel 2,000 miles for chance at adoption

PINOLE, Calif. (KGO) -- Dozens of Bay Area shelter dogs will be sent on a one way flight to Minn. in the hopes that they'll find their forever homes.

It may take weeks for the small dog to get adopted in California, but in the Midwest they'll be adopted in a matter of days.

Shelter dog McQueen just missed his one way flight to Minneapolis, Minn.

Kris Russell and her daughter came to the Contra Costa County Animal Shelter in Martinez to find a dog, but discovered the small breeds were headed to the Midwest for adoption.

"I called Minnesota and they called the shelter back here and then they worked it out and they called us about an hour ago and they said, 'Come get him right now,'and so we did," Russell said.

The rest of McQueen's pound pals are busting out Thursday morning, six dogs from Martinez and 21 from the Pinole shelter. The crates are ready and so are volunteers.

"Who're actually going to be walking the dogs in the morning helping load all the animals and driving them up to Sacramento to the airport," said Noell Cross of the Contra Costa Animal Services.

Animal shelters in the Bay Area are constantly at capacity, but Russell learned that's not the case in Minnesota.

"They said that they just don't have dogs to adopt like they do in California," she said.

Vetrinarians at UC Davis made the shelter connection and helped get the pooches healthy enough for travel.

"They're taking animals that normally might not always get out of the shelter quite as quickly as other animals, because they do have some health issues," Cross said.

There's no shortage of excitement at the prospect of a new home even if it is 2,000 miles across the country.