From a Hurricane Ian evacuation in 2022 to more than 12,000 dogs and cats flown, the nonprofit has helped shelters in more than 30 states

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Oct. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Race for Life Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that flies at-risk dogs and cats from overcrowded shelters and disaster zones to shelters with room and waiting adopters, completed its 200th rescue mission on Oct. 14, flying 112 animals from Louisiana to the Northeast. The milestone comes four years after the organization's first flight. Since then, it has flown more than 12,000 animals, working with shelters in more than 30 states.

Through Dec. 31, founder Jim DeFrancesco is matching every donation, so each gift to keep the plane flying does twice the good.

"An airplane is simply a machine until you give it a purpose," said Jim DeFrancesco, founder and chief pilot of Race for Life Rescue. "When the aircraft door opens at the destination and you see rescue workers waiting to receive them, you realize that the flight wasn't simply transportation. For those animals, it was a flight to a new life."

It started with one flight

On Oct. 2, 2022, Race for Life Rescue flew its first mission, carrying relief supplies from Nashville, Tennessee, to Naples, Florida, after Hurricane Ian. The plane returned with nearly 40 displaced cats bound for adoption. Since then, the team has averaged about one mission a week, with 49 missions and 3,267 animals flown so far in 2026. Every flight is planned with shelter partners and tracked on the organization's flight map.

A commuter plane, rebuilt for rescue

Race for Life Rescue at a glance:

• Aircraft: a 1999 Beechcraft 1900D, a 19-passenger commuter plane converted to carry more than 100 crated animals in a climate-controlled cabin
• Range: about 1,000 nautical miles in under five hours, a trip that can take 20 to 25 hours by road
• Registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an animal carrier
• Sending shelters screen every animal before boarding, and a partner representative flies on every mission

Shelters don't pay for flights. Race for Life Rescue covers the cost with support from donors, foundations and partners, including BISSELL Pet Foundation and the ASPCA, who help connect overcrowded shelters with places that have room.

How to help

Follow every mission on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, or donate to fund the next flight. Learn more at raceforliferescue.org.

About Race for Life Rescue

Race for Life Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides lifesaving air transport for dogs and cats threatened by euthanasia, natural disasters or unsafe living conditions. Founded in 2021 by Jim and Pam DeFrancesco, it flies animals from overcrowded shelters and disaster areas to partner shelters where they can be adopted. Its aircraft is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and its office is in Annapolis, Maryland. Learn more at raceforliferescue.org.

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SOURCE Race For Life Rescue