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
*as well as Puerto Rico and the Bahamas
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
⏱️THERE’S STILL TIME!…we may be a little short on our goal, but we don’t give up easily! We’re still working toward that 10K goal over the next couple of days!
As of this week, we’re at 9,785 animals rescued to date, which means we won’t meet our big goal of 10,000 pets rescued by the end of 2025, but we already have flights lined up for January, so, we’ll hit our mark next month!
Even better than that, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is still matching all donations through December!! You have 2 DAYS to “make it a double with @titosvodka !” 🐾
Santa Claus isn`t the only guy flying through the sky and making dreams come true...here are our two pilots, Keith and Chris, who flew our sky sleigh and 24 very lucky pooches, from Hobbs, NM to Kansas City, MO, where the welcoming arms of our shelter friends were awaiting them.
Thanks to our partners at the @aspca these pups will have a chance to find a loving home and family of their own soon. 2026 will be their year! 🧡
Just a pretty sunrise plane pic on a New Mexico morning 💛💅🏻 …thanks to our pilot, Chris!
📸: @chrisegan66
We`ve been busy elves, working to ensure as many pets as possible will ring in a healthy and hopeful new year!
Yesterday, we met our partners at the @aspca in Mobile, AL...where we flew 56 dogs from overcrowded shelters to new adoption centers in West Chester, PA. 🐶🧡
We`re inching closer to hitting 10,000 animals rescued...and we`re squeezing in one more flight this week! 🎉 Stay tuned!
As we get closer and closer to the end of the year, these flights are so special to us...knowing these animals could have a warm and loving home in time for the holidays.
And today we were so lucky to take 66 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, from Baton Rouge, LA to Binghamton, NY where many of our friends at the most amazing adoption centers were awaiting their arrival.
Thanks to @bissellpets and @cathy_bissell for another great rescue. 💙
Last Christmas, Comet lay in a cold shelter cage... shivering on a thin blanket.
Waiting for a miracle that almost never came.
But you helped change his story.
This year, he`s sleeping under a Christmas tree with a little boy and a cat who love him.
Your donation turned a cage into a couch. Help us save the next Christmas miracle.
Donate $7 at R4LR.or9.
#ChristmasMiracle #CometsStory #LastChristmas #RescueFlight #DogRescueStory #OneShareSaves #RaceForlifeRescue #AdoptDontShop #MakeADogsWishComeTrue
#ShelterDog Rescue #FlightCrewForlife
It was a chilly morning in Alabama, but the sun was doing its best when 31 pups boarded our plane, bound for Minnesota ~ and toward bright, new futures, thanks to our partners at the @aspca 🧡
He ran into her arms like he’d been waiting his whole life.
From a cold cage to a warm Christmas home…
Your share made his miracle possible.
Donate $7 at R4LR.org to save the next one.
#LastChristmas #CometsStory #ChristmasMiracle
#AdoptDontShop #RescueFlight #SavedByLove
#OneShareSaves #MakeADogsWishComeTrue
#RaceForLifeRescue #dogrescuejourney
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.
Our Partners
We've Also Worked With...
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.