Volunteers organized pet carriers filled with cats and dogs so they could be loaded onto a waiting Hercules C-130 airplane headed for the U.S. mainland on Wednesday.

“Pet shelters in Hawaii are in a COVID-19 crisis. Normal operations have been affected by months of shut down, economic downturn, limited hours, and routine flights to mainland halted,” said Liz Baker, CEO of Greater Good Charities.

The pets were scheduled to arrive at Seattle’s Boeing Field in the late morning on Thursday, where pet shelters and rescue groups will pick them up, while 120 of the shelter pets continue their journey to Walla Walla and Coeur d’Alene.

A cat awaits boarding the chartered Hercules C-130.

Cats are stacked up as they await their flight to Washington state. The flight picked up its first furry passengers on Kauai, making this stop on Oahu, and then stopped on Maui and Hawaii island before heading to the mainland.

Hawaii shelter partners include Kauai Humane Society, Hawaiian Humane Society, Lanai Cat Sanctuary, Hawaii Island Humane Society, Maui Humane Society, Aloha `Ilio Rescue and the Kauai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Volunteers worked in the dark to load the last few pet carriers onto the plane.

Volunteers soothed and nourished a dog before it was loaded onto the airplane. The Paws Across the Pacific airlift was conducted in coordination with the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association to ensure the safety and health of pets on the flight, a news release says.