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
It was an incredible day for 70 lucky cats and kittens, thanks to the @aspca and their Animal Relocation Program 🧡, which made sure these sweet felines flew first class from Chattanooga, TN, to Brandywine Valley, PA.
There, amazing teams from local adoption centers were waiting to take them in and show them lots of love while they wait to meet their new families. 🐱🩷
We are so lucky to be the first step in their second chances. It’s only blue skies from here! 🩵
It was a busy day at Chattanooga’s Humane Educational Society (HES) as the team prepared 70 cats and kittens for a big adventure tomorrow! 🐱✈️🧳
Thanks to our amazing partners at the @aspca these sweet kitties will be fly first class from Chattanooga, TN to Pennsylvania - where they’ll make their way to safe, accommodating adoption centers in Brandywine Valley.
After that…a loving home! All thanks to the ASPCA and their Animal Relocation Program. 🧡
#rescue #animalrescue #adopt #airtransport #cats
The Pulse, a Chattanooga, TN publication and local arts and culture guide, wrote a great article about tomorrow’s flight with our partners at the @aspca and our Director of Flight Operations, Keith Felter.
“On the morning of Tuesday, July 14, Chattanooga’s Humane Educational Society (HES) will load up 70 cats and kittens into crates and head to the Wilson Air Center, where the animals will begin their journey to
Brandywine Valley SPCA in West Chester, PA.
The flight will be piloted by Hixson resident and retired Air Force veteran Keith Felter of Race For Life Rescue. After landing in Pennsylvania, ASPCA drivers will transport the cats to Brandywine Valley SPCA, where they will be prepared for adoption.”
You can read more here: https://www.chattanoogapulse.com/citylife/news/hes-teams-up-with-local-pilot-to-fly-70-cats-to-their-foreve/
It was beautiful morning in Baton Rouge while we get ready to rescue…see you soon, New England!
#rescue #animalrescue #adopt #airtransport #flight
The Hump Day Hundred…what a great mid-week boost for the soul, flying 103 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens to better tomorrows, starting today! 🐶🐱🩵
Thanks to @bissellpets and @cathy_bissell these animals were flown from Baton Rouge, LA to new adoption centers in NY, CT and NH.
There are bright futures, families and lots of love ahead for these 53 kitties and 50 pups. 🩷
With the end of June comes our recap of the first half of the year. So far, we have had a total of 31 flights, 20 of which transported animals to shelters in Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. While the majority of our flights brought animals to the East Coast, we were lucky to transport animals to safe adoption centers across the country.
Within those 31 flights, we have helped a total of 1912 brave animals. Our passengers included 1363 dogs, 548 cats, and 1 special guest, an adorable pot-bellied pig named Georgie Porgie. This charming animal is the second potbellied pig we have flown here at Race for Life Rescue, and we hope he is not the last!
April was our busiest month so far, with 7 flights and 362 animals transported. Throughout the second half of the year, we hope to continue our hard work in transporting as many animals as possible to safe adoption centers across the country.
If you can help us make the next six months as successful as the first, we would appreciate your support!
DONATE TODAY
https://gcld.co/ZL937AY
54 eager little faces boarded our plane today, and flew with us to Minnesota, where bright futures with new homes and loving families await!
#animalrescue #airtransport #adopt #rescue
This morning, 54 pets from Georgia and Alabama put their football rivalries aside and boarded the plane for their flight to a better future is Minnesota ~ thanks to @bissellpets and @cathy_bissell 🐶🐱💙
These southern ladies and gentleman are newly appointed Midwesterners! And looking forward to meeting their new families and learning all about having a safe, happy home.
We wish them all the very best lives!
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.