HOPE HAS WINGS
Race for Life Rescue is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides air transportation for animals in life-threatening situations. Not only ensuring they survive, but thrive.
What We Do
To put it simply, we save lives. We rescue animals from overpopulated shelters, areas affected by natural disaster, and relocate those living in unhealthy environments to safe locations where they have a chance to begin a new life and find a loving home.
How We Do It
With a state-of-the-art airplane and team of dedicated pilots, we fly animals in the most gentle, safe, and secure conditions. We make every effort to minimize any stress or anxiety they might experience, because transporting animals by air ensures they reach a safe location as quickly as possible.
Where We Operate
While our headquarters is in Annapolis, MD, our plane resides in Nashville, TN – a prime midwest location that allows us to easily transport animals and fly rescue missions all over the United States, throughout the Caribbean and South America.
Our Mission
“At Race for Life Rescue, we believe every animal deserves a safe, healthy environment where they can flourish. Our goals are to reduce euthanasia by relocating animals to adoption centers that have a greater capacity for care and high adoption rates, provide lifesaving supplies and emergency evacuation for animals during natural disasters, and support underserved communities with the provisions and program needs necessary to their success.”
Jim DeFrancesco, Founder
Facts You Should Know
Nearly 7 million animals enter U.S. shelters each year and over 1 million of them are euthanized.
In 2024, there were 27 natural disasters in the U.S., resulting in losses of over $1B each.
83% of pet owners live in areas impacted by disaster.
There are 22 million pets living in underserved communities.
Race For Life Rescue Numbers
Flights
VOLUNTEERS
ANIMALS SAVED
STATES COVERED
*including Puerto Rico
Be a Champion For The Animals
We’re asking everyone to consider a monthly gift to Race for Life Rescue. Monthly gifts are the best, most effective way for you to help us continue rescuing animals and ensuring they have long, happy lives.
The Sky Is Not The Limit
By building long-lasting, trusted relationships with our partners, we’re able to maximize our missions and expand our rescue territory. If you think we could provide an impact in your mission to save animals and support communities, we want to hear from you!
Featured Flights & Mission Highlights
It was an extra special flight today, with our founder onboard as one of our pilots! Thanks to Jim, and his dream of saving animals, today made our 105th flight and these adorable passengers totaled 6,908 pets saved. ❤️
It was an extra special flight today, with our founder onboard as one of our pilots! Thanks to Jim, and his dream of saving animals, today made our 105th flight and these adorable passengers totaled 6,908 pets saved. ❤️
WHAT A WEDNESDAY! 🐾✈️ This morning we took off from Baton Rouge, LA with 73 dogs, puppies and kitties…all bound for welcoming adoption centers in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.
These newest New Englanders have a beautiful life ahead of them thanks to @bissellpets @cathy_bissell and these amazing shelters teams.
WHAT A WEDNESDAY! 🐾✈️ This morning we took off from Baton Rouge, LA with 73 dogs, puppies and kitties…all bound for welcoming adoption centers in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.
These newest New Englanders have a beautiful life ahead of them thanks to @bissellpets @cathy_bissell and these amazing shelters teams.
#rescue #animalrescue #disasterrelief #lawildfires #dogs #airtransport #save #adopt
Another unforgettable rescue with an outstanding team…THANK YOU @animalleague
We’re lucky to do what we do, but incredibly lucky to do it with amazing people. ❤️
Another unforgettable rescue with an outstanding team…THANK YOU @animalleague
We’re lucky to do what we do, but incredibly lucky to do it with amazing people. ❤️
It was another incredible weekend with another trip to California in continued efforts to help alleviate the overcrowded shelters in the Los Angeles area in the wake of the wildfires.
We had privilege of working with North Shore Animal League @animalleague and Riverside County Animal Services @riversidecountyanimalservices over the past few weeks to bring 43 dogs to the east coast for a second chance at finding the families they’re meant to be with and meeting their new best friends.
If anyone can give them that opportunity, it’s North Shore and the amazing Port Washington community.
WELCOME TO THE EAST COAST! 🐾❤️
Great things await you.
It was another incredible weekend with another trip to California in continued efforts to help alleviate the overcrowded shelters in the Los Angeles area in the wake of the wildfires.
We had privilege of working with North Shore Animal League @animalleague and Riverside County Animal Services @riversidecountyanimalservices over the past few weeks to bring 43 dogs to the east coast for a second chance at finding the families they’re meant to be with and meeting their new best friends.
If anyone can give them that opportunity, it’s North Shore and the amazing Port Washington community.
WELCOME TO THE EAST COAST! 🐾❤️
Great things await you.
FROM LA, WITH LOVE…✈️🐾💕🕊️
When natural disasters occur, which is becoming more and more frequent, the initial response to make room…create space for the lost, displaced, injured and suddenly orphaned. The best way to do that is to transport animals currently in shelters to healthy, available adoption centers in safe locations.
Although the LA wildfires have been extinguished, their devastating effects are still being felt. The @dove_project not only worked to help create more of that much needed space, but also found foster homes for the dogs struggling in the overcrowded shelters and ill with respiratory ailments. Over several weeks, these loving fosters loved, nursed and healed these loving souls and helped them get ready for their next journey.
On Saturday, we met @dove_project and these outstanding fosters in LA, where 23 dogs waited to board our plane tucked in with favorite blankets to keep them comfy on their flight to Minnesota.
Six amazing shelters were waiting for them! After a quiet and uneventful morning flight, our perfect passengers were greeted with loving arms, open hearts and lots of hope. 🩵
We are so thankful to have met this wonderful team and incredibly happy to have been part of this story.
Looking forward to saving lives with you all again soon!
When natural disasters occur, which is becoming more and more frequent, the initial response to make room…create space for the lost, displaced, injured and suddenly orphaned. The best way to do that is to transport animals currently in shelters to healthy, available adoption centers in safe locations.
Although the LA wildfires have been extinguished, their devastating effects are still being felt. The @dove_project not only worked to help create more of that much needed space, but also found foster homes for the dogs struggling in the overcrowded shelters and ill with respiratory ailments. Over several weeks, these loving fosters loved, nursed and healed these loving souls and helped them get ready for their next journey.
On Saturday, we met @dove_project and these outstanding fosters in LA, where 23 dogs waited to board our plane tucked in with favorite blankets to keep them comfy on their flight to Minnesota.
Six amazing shelters were waiting for them! After a quiet and uneventful morning flight, our perfect passengers were greeted with loving arms, open hearts and lots of hope. 🩵
We are so thankful to have met this wonderful team and incredibly happy to have been part of this story.
Looking forward to saving lives with you all again soon!
🥁….FLIGHT #100 IS IN THE BOOKS!
Yesterday, thanks to @bissellpets @cathy_bissell we were able to make our 100th rescue, and we’re happy that it was with the team that took us on our first!
We left Baton Rouge, LA with 74 dogs and cats onboard, bound for amazing shelters in Maine and New Hampshire. Here are some of the sweet pups we had the pleasure of helping begin their new life!
✈️🐾❤️
🥁….FLIGHT #100 IS IN THE BOOKS!
Yesterday, thanks to @bissellpets @cathy_bissell we were able to make our 100th rescue, and we’re happy that it was with the team that took us on our first!
We left Baton Rouge, LA with 74 dogs and cats onboard, bound for amazing shelters in Maine and New Hampshire. Here are some of the sweet pups we had the pleasure of helping begin their new life!
✈️🐾❤️
Flying Saves More Lives
We never lose sight of what’s at stake if we don’t complete our mission. We aim to safely transport as many cats and dogs as we can from overcrowded shelters to new adoption partners across the US.
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Our Partners
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Get On Board Now
Race For Life Rescue intends to become one the largest animal air transport programs in the country. We are building a passionate team of pilots and animal advocates to increase our animal rescue operation and conduct multiple rescue missions each week.
We need your help. Every donation, each partnership, and all our volunteers are vital in helping us achieve our goal of providing thousands of animals with a new life, in a loving home.
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