WESTBROOK, Maine (AP) - The Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland has accepted 14 dogs and eight puppies that were once strays on the streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico, with plans of putting them up for adoption.
WGME-TV reports (https://bit.ly/2oiBbUj ) American Airlines works with 40 rescue groups to send formerly stray dogs north for the winter and a better life.
League officials say animal shelters in Puerto Rico have a 99 percent euthanasia rate while the organization itself boasts a 99 percent placement rate.
This current shipment of dogs, which was picked up in Boston earlier this week, was sent from the U.S. territory in the Caribbean rescue group All Sato.
League officials say the canines were each given an examination by a veterinarian and all are healthy.
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This story has been corrected to show Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, not an island nation.
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Information from: WGME-TV, https://www.wgme.com
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