The St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison welcomed a special furry friend recently thanks to a group that helps rescue animals.

Max just arrived in New Jersey from Louisiana. He arrived on a special transport with more than 40 other pups Tuesday with the help of the Good Flights Transport Program.

"The reason we do transports is because down south they have an overpopulation problem," says Diane Ashton, of the St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center. "Many places don't spay and neuter the way we do in the Northeast."

In its first year, the Good Flights Transport Program has brought more than 1,600 at-risk shelter dogs from Louisiana to new homes, including about 500 that tested positive for heartworm.

The dogs that tested positive on this flight will be treated as part of the Save a Heart initiative during heartworm awareness month, which is April.

"We have 90 shelter partners across the country, in the South and up here," says Ashton. "We bring dogs to areas in the Northeast like Massachusetts or Rhode Island where they are looking for dogs and don't have enough dogs."

Nineteen of the 45 dogs that came into Morristown Airport will stay at St. Hubert's.