20 good things that happened in 2017

9. Southwest had a flight full of dogs and cats

2017 saw some of the most damaging and dramatic hurricanes on record. One of the first to cause serious and widespread damage, Hurricane Harvey, caused major flooding in the region of Houston, Texas. Indeed, it is currently the most expensive hurricane on record, with almost $200 billion in damage. That also qualifies it as the most costly natural disaster to ever hit the U.S.

Many areas received over 40 inches of rain, trapping numerous people. There are at least 91 confirmed deaths resulting from the storm: 1 in Guyana and 90 in the United States. Though it was later overshadowed by even more dangerous storms in the incredibly active 2017 Atlantic hurricane season (Hurricanes Irma and Maria resulted in 134 and, reportedly, nearly 600 deaths respectively), Harvey remains devastating.

In the midst of all that destruction, there was nevertheless signs of hope. People across Texas and the Southern U.S. cooperated to save their neighbors from floodwaters. Many people have also dedicated their time and money to extensive recovery and cleanup efforts.

Even airline companies were able to help. Southwest Airlines transported 64 dogs and cats to San Diego on September 5 as part of this effort. The animals were traveling from Texas shelters to the Helen Woodward Animal Center, based in Southern California.

Animal shelters in Texas were overcrowded with pets that had been displaced by the storm. These included family pets whose owners were displaced by the storm and who could not currently care for them. Existing shelter animals had to be transported out to relieve the pressure of so many pets.

This effort was organized by Operation Pets Alive, a Houston nonprofit volunteer organization.