Rescue Plane Completes 200th Flight for Shelter Pets
Annapolis – October 31, 2026 -- Race for Life Rescue, a nonprofit that flies at-risk dogs and cats out of overcrowded shelters and disaster zones, completed its 200th mission on Oct. 14, carrying 112 animals from Louisiana to the Northeast. The milestone comes four years after its first flight. The group has since flown more than 12,000 animals and worked with shelters in more than 30 states.
Through Dec. 31, founder Jim DeFrancesco is matching every donation to the organization.
The first flight carried hurricane relief supplies
On Oct. 2, 2022, the group flew its first mission, taking relief supplies from Nashville, Tennessee, to Naples, Florida, after Hurricane Ian. The plane came back with nearly 40 displaced cats bound for adoption.