JULY NEWSLETTER

Hello Friends...

It's been another busy month for us, and we can't complain, because that means lives are being saved! With August approaching, so is National Aviation Day on August 19th. We have some fun ideas to celebrate and hope to bring you some aviation excitement throughout the month.

Speaking of flying, our Featured Flight this month highlights a rescue from Louisiana to the northeast, with over 100 pets! There are lots of cute photos of the dogs, cats, puppies and kittens as they prepared for their first flight.

July is usually peak intake for shelters, and our blog this month covers some of the reasons behind that, and what we all can do to help our neighborhood adoption centers during this critical time. We have two special news stories...one is about US! The Fox40 media crew joined the shelter team waiting for us in Pennsylvania last week, and they wrote a wonderful piece about our work. Check it out!

We also offer some tips for our pets while we navigate the wildfire smoke covering so many of our states and making the air quality dangerous at times. Be sure to stay informed and be careful when outdoors.

HAPPY SUMMER & STAY SAFE!

Amanda Gates

amandag@raceforliferescue.org

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

National Aviation Day is special to us for several reasons...obviously aviation is integral to the life-saving rescue work we do, but also our Founder and Chief Pilot, Jim DeFrancesco, and our team of pilots who committed so much of their lives in service to our country and now rescue, through flight.

Throughout the month, we are going to showcase our pilots in fun fact features, a little aviation history, unique plane passengers and more! If you're not following us on social media...this is the week!

FEATURED FLIGHT

LOUISIANA to NEW HAMPSHIRE | JULY 8TH

That Wednesday morning was a great mid-week boost for the soul, flying 103 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens to better tomorrows! 🐶🐱 Thanks to BISSELL Pet Foundation 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.

THIS MONTH'S BLOG POST

While the Fourth of July has come and gone, its lasting effects continue to affect animal shelters across the country. It is well known that fireworks tend to frighten animals due to the sudden loud sounds, vibrations, and bright flashes of light. Dogs and cats have a much broader range of frequencies that they can hear, so fireworks that are slightly inconvenient to us can be painfully loud to them. Furthermore, fireworks are unpredictable, going off at random intervals throughout the night. This only adds to the stress and fear that pets face during this time.

Exposure to these extremely loud sounds can initiate a fight or flight response, which can lead to unintended consequences.

WE'VE RESCUED NEARLY 1,500 PETS IN 6 MONTHS!

The first half of 2026 has been incredible, with almost 1,500 animals receiving a second chance at life. We would love to give more animals this chance in the coming months, but we need your help!

Can We Count on You?

DONATE TODAY

IN THE NEWS

Helping Shelter Pets Find a Forever Home: Race for Life Rescue Flight Touches Down in the Southern Tier

FOX 40 | JULY 24

Some furry friends make a long flight to the Southern Tier to hopefully find their forever homes.

The Race for Life Rescue flight touched down today, bringing 49 dogs and 9 cats to the southern tier.

Keith Felter, Director of Flight Operations with the Race for Life Rescue, said, "This is a mission that we do every month. It is a partnership between the Bissell Pet Foundation and Race for Life Rescue to move animals from overcrowded shelters."

During the Wildfires: 3 Things to Know About Helping Pets When the Air Turns Bad

MPRNEWS | JULY 16

Heat, smoke and pets just don’t mix. That was clear last summer when we wrote about the needs of our animal friends during last year’s wildfire smoke.

Polluted air and smoke can adversely affect animals’ eyes and respiratory systems, just like humans.

Conditions are worse now, so here’s a quick look at what I learned about pets, heat and smoke from Dr. Kate Farmer, a veterinarian at the Animal Humane Society.

﻿WE'VE RESCUED NEARLY 1,500 PETS IN 6 MONTHS!

Helping Shelter Pets Find a Forever Home: Race for Life Rescue Flight Touches Down in the Southern Tier

During the Wildfires: 3 Things to Know About Helping Pets When the Air Turns Bad

WE'VE RESCUED NEARLY 1,500 PETS IN 6 MONTHS!