WestJet Cargo and The Beagle Alliance

Poppy’s journey helped The Beagle Alliance discover that air travel could transform the future for dogs needing safe transport and compassionate care. She stepped out of her crate calm, resilient, and ready to begin again. That single flight opened the door to what would become a lifesaving pathway for countless animals across Canada.

Since that fateful trip, WestJet Cargo has been the preferred carrier for The Beagle Alliance. With our shared commitment to animal welfare and the safe transport of all types of guests in our world, we are ecstatic to continue working together and strengthening this relationship!

Today, we are proud to support their work and play a part in helping dogs reach the safe homes, soft beds, and loving families they deserve. Together we celebrate every wagging tail that marks a new beginning.

Lori Cohen, Executive Director at The Beagle Alliance, shares her story about the first days:

"After Trouble and my other dog, Journey, passed away, my world became very quiet. I thought Lily, my small Jack Russell–Beagle mix, and I, would grieve together and find our new normal side by side. But Lily had other plans. It was clear she was lonely—and that she wanted another dog in her life.

As The Beagle Alliance was just beginning, we received a call from another rescue about a beagle named Poppy. She was considered “too much beagle” for many foster homes—too big, too energetic, too overwhelming. They were looking for someone with experience with the breed and asked if we would take her in. They even offered to fly her from British Columbia to Manitoba.

Poppy became our very first rescue. When she arrived, something remarkable happened. Despite her trauma, despite the long flight in cargo, she stepped out of her crate calm, resilient, and ready to begin again. She was doing far better than anyone had expected. In that moment, a door opened. I realized that safe, compassionate air transport could be a viable way to move dogs quickly and humanely across a country as vast as Canada—bringing them closer to their forever homes without unnecessary delay.

Once again, it was one of my own dogs leading the way. I ultimately adopted Poppy, becoming the Beagle Alliance’s very first foster failure. She didn’t just change my life—she helped redefine how we could save lives. Together, Lily and Poppy showed me that even in grief, new beginnings are possible, and that sometimes the dogs we rescue are the very ones who teach us how to move forward."

Click below to learn more about The Beagle Alliance: