Operation Chihuahua airlifts puppies from San Francisco to New York

Passengers on Virgin America Flight 174 from San Francisco to Newark, N.J., did a double take Tuesday when some of their fellow passengers barked their in-flight meal order to flight attendants. Literally.

A dozen Chihuahuas in canine carriers and their volunteer human handlers were seated around the passenger cabin of the aircraft for an early morning cross-country trip.

Flight attendants pampered the puppies giving them first-class attention on the five-hour flight.

It’s not the first time that Virgin America has airlifted homeless dogs across the country. For the sixth time in five years, the airline assisted the City of San Francisco Animal Care & Control by flying Chihuahua pups in need of homes from San Francisco to the New York area.

So far, more than 80 of the tiny strays have received frequent flyer points on Virgin America.

Seems that there’s a glut of the small dogs in the Bay Area and a long list of people who want to adopt quickly into loving homes in New York.

“It is great to partner once again with Virgin America to help these animals find a loving and caring home on the East Coast,” said Virginia Donohue, Director of the City of San Francisco Animal Care & Control. “With California having a major overpopulation of Chihuahuas, this partnership has continued to help us in our mission to find families for these animals in need.”

The Chihuahuas were met by volunteers from the ASPCA at Newark Liberty International Airport Tuesday afternoon and will be available for adoption in a few days. (David Handschuh/Yahoo News)

Photographs by Bob Riha Jr.

Find more news-related pictures in our photo galleries and follow us on Tumblr.