ASPCA, IPAW Rescue Commit $1.4 Million to Fly More Shelter Pets

The ASPCA and IPAW Rescue, the dog rescue initiative founded by Carl C. Icahn, will give Dog Is My CoPilot $1.4 million over several years so the nonprofit can fly more dogs and cats out of crowded shelters, the groups announced Nov. 5.

The money is meant to add transport capacity, which means more shelter animals moved from regions with too many pets to places where adopters are waiting.

How the $1.4 million is split

The ASPCA has pledged $1,000,000 over four years, paid as $250,000 a year starting in October 2026, according to the announcement. IPAW Rescue is adding $400,000. IPAW Rescue already supports Dog Is My CoPilot, and the ASPCA has worked with the group before through its own relocation program.

What Dog Is My CoPilot does

Dog Is My CoPilot flies more than 8,000 dogs and cats each year on three rescue aircraft. Most of the animals come from high-intake shelters in states including California, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The planes take them to adoption partners on the East and West coasts, where demand for adoptable pets is higher.

Since it was founded in 2012, the organization has flown more than 50,000 dogs and cats and has worked with over 200 shelters and rescue groups. Its flights cost partner organizations nothing, the group says.

Dr. Peter E. Rork, the founder and chief pilot, said the funding would help the group reach more animals. “No single organization can do this alone,” he said.

Why it matters for crowded shelters

Many U.S. shelters are full. Nearly six million dogs and cats entered shelters and rescues in 2025, according to the announcement, and dogs in particular are staying longer before they are adopted.

Moving animals frees kennel space at the sending shelter for the next intake. Flights reach partners that ground transport cannot, and they replace long drives that can be impractical or unsafe for the animals and the people handling them.

ASPCA President and CEO Matt Bershadker said these partnerships also open up space and resources for other animals still in shelters.

The ASPCA’s own relocation numbers

The new grant adds to work the ASPCA already runs. Its Animal Relocation program, launched in 2014, has moved more than 300,000 animals, including more than 225,000 dogs and more than 100,000 cats, on over 11,000 ground and air trips. The program operates in 40 states with 140 partner shelters.

Who is behind IPAW Rescue

IPAW Rescue is a philanthropic project created by Icahn to pull dogs out of high-kill shelters and cruelty cases. It funds selected partner groups directly and covers their overhead, and Icahn’s foundation matches the donations it receives. Its network runs transport programs, spay and neuter work and shelter care.

Icahn said IPAW Rescue started the project together with the ASPCA “to move more dogs out of danger.”

The groups did not say how many additional flights or animals the money will cover.

Source: AOL