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 was almost too much cuteness to count, but our manifest said 45 absolutely adorable dogs were waiting for us in Mobile, AL...thanks to our friends at the @aspca
These pups flew with us to Wilmington, DE, safe and sound and ready to wait out Winter Storm Fern from the warm beds of their new shelter. With faces like these, it won`t be long before they`re in happy homes with new families and friends 🧡
With 3 incredible flights this week, we creeped EVEN CLOSER to hitting our 10,000 Animals Saved milestone! 🐶🐱🐾🩵 We’re certainly kicking 2026 off right, and if you can help us keep up the momentum…this will be our best year yet!!
Visit raceforliferescue.org to show your support and DONATE TODAY!
Flight two was a super cute crew! 48 dogs and 28 cats left Baton Rouge, LA for New England this morning...with shelter destinations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Thanks to @bissellpets and @cathy_bissell new homes, loving families, warm beds and snuggles watching the snow fall await these lucky ones.
Yesterday morning, we kicked off a "Two for Two" ~ two flights in two days, from Baton Rouge, LA. Thanks to @bissellpets and @cathy_bissell 43 dogs and cats flew to new adoption centers in Connecticut and New York, where a new year and new beginnings await!
Winter blues getting the best of you? Maybe this adorable crate of puppies will help!! 😍🐾
New Year…Same Us! 🐶🩷 Yesterday we joined our partners at the @aspca to ensure 21 dogs are going to have their best year yet. We flew these lucky pups from Baton Rouge, LA to Nee Mexico and Michigan, where fresh starts begin today and bright futures lie ahead of them.
Here’s to many more rescues in 2026! 🥂
⏱️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 !” 🐾
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.