A dog rescue organization in the Ottawa Valley is calling out for volunteers flying directly from Winnipeg to Ottawa to take a furry friend in need of a home along for the ride, free of charge.

Karen George of Sash-Mar Helping Northern Dogs is hoping to find passengers on direct flight from Winnipeg to Ottawa to voluntarily check-in a rescue dog due for re-homing in the Ottawa-area.

“There isn’t a lot for (the passenger) to do other than play with the puppies or get puppy kisses,” George told CTV News Channel on Wednesday. “(With) the older dogs, they could probably take them for a little walk around the airport or something.”

The dogs and puppies are largely strays from northern Manitoba First Nations reserves, where semi-feral dog populations have been a problem for years.

Through George’s organization, the dogs are flown from these communities to Winnipeg, where they are given proper veterinarian treatment and are sent to a foster home until they can be flown to Ottawa to find a forever home.

Volunteers send their flight reservation number to Sash-Mar Helping Northern Dogs, which will then contact the airline and pay for the additional fees for the dog’s transport. Once the passenger arrives at the airport, a volunteer will meet them with the dog and remain at their side until both the dog and the passenger are through security.

Once in Ottawa, the passenger will meet with George and hand over the dog and any paperwork.

Last year, the organization transported 127 dogs to the Ottawa-area and have already brought 102 dogs this year. They have four dogs landing in Ottawa this week alone.

“We had a lot of dogs that turned eight weeks (old) in the previous few weeks, so they were actually able to fly,” George said.

Anyone interested should contact Sash-Mar Paws Helping Northern Dogs on their Facebook page.