ASPCA and IPAW Rescue Announce $1.4 Million Joint Initiative to Support Dog Is My CoPilot in Expanding Lifesaving Animal Transport Program

The multi-year funding will enable Dog Is My CoPilot to increase flight transport capacity to help even more shelter animals find homes

NEW YORK, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) and the Carl C. Icahn's IPAW Rescue have announced a joint multi-year $1.4 million funding initiative to support Dog Is My CoPilot – which is currently supported by IPAW Rescue – enabling them to expand their lifesaving work transporting at-risk animals by airplane from crowded shelters to areas where they have a greater opportunity to find homes. The ASPCA has committed $1,000,000 over four years, providing $250,000 annually beginning in October 2026, with IPAW Rescue contributing an additional $400,000.

Dog Is My CoPilot transports more than 8,000 dogs and cats annually using three rescue aircraft, primarily moving animals from high-intake, crowded shelters in states including California, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, transporting them to adoption partners on both the east and west coasts, where there is greater demand for adoptable pets. Since its founding in 2012, Dog Is My CoPilot has flown more than 50,000 dogs and cats to safety, working with over 200 shelters and rescue organizations nationwide.

This grant funding will help create additional transport capacity and expand opportunities for Dog Is My CoPilot, complementing the lifesaving transport work already underway through organizations such as the ASPCA Animal Relocation program.

"The ASPCA Animal Relocation program has transported more than 300,000 animals since launching in 2014, working with partners like Dog Is My CoPilot to move at-risk animals from under-resourced shelters to communities where there is greater capacity and demand for adoption," said Matt Bershadker, ASPCA President and CEO. "These lifesaving partnerships do more than change the lives of the animals on board — they also create much-needed space in shelters and resources for other animals in need. We're proud to combine our expertise with IPAW Rescue to support Dog Is My CoPilot and its critical work helping more animals find loving homes."

"We are deeply grateful for the generosity and investment in Dog Is My CoPilot. Support at this level has a profound impact on our ability to save lives and reach even more animals in need," said Dr. Peter E. Rork, Founder and Chief Pilot of Dog Is My CoPilot. "The most powerful thing that we can do for shelter animals is to work together. No single organization can do this alone. It takes shelters, transport organizations, adoption partners and supporters working together to create more opportunities for those animals in need. Collaboration is what allows us to reach more communities, save more lives and give thousands of at-risk shelter animals a second chance."

"This is the kind of collaboration animal welfare needs. The ASPCA brings tremendous reach and expertise, Dog Is My CoPilot has built a proven transport network, and IPAW Rescue is committed to getting resources directly to programs that save lives," said Carl C. Icahn, Founder and President, IPAW Rescue. "We are excited to have initiated this project with the ASPCA to move more dogs out of danger and give them the second chance they deserve. Since the commencement of our operations, we and our network partners have saved thousands of lives. We look forward to continuing this progress."

Many shelters across the country are at capacity with nearly six million dogs and cats entering shelters and rescues in 2025, and animals, especially dogs, are often staying longer in their care before being adopted. Animal relocation efforts help reduce overcrowding at partner shelters, and flight transports are especially beneficial as they allow organizations to safely expand their reach to partners in areas otherwise unreachable by ground transport. Flight transports also provide an important alternative for shelter partners when the distance involved may make ground transport impractical or create safety concerns for the animals and people involved.

This grant funding builds on previous ASPCA collaboration with Dog Is My CoPilot and will help increase transport capacity, allowing more animals to be relocated efficiently to communities where they have greater opportunities for adoption.

As a national organization, the ASPCA collaborates with hundreds of local shelters and rescues, working together to save and improve the lives of animals by providing life-changing tools and resources to help give even more animals a second chance. Since launching in 2014, the ASPCA Animal Relocation program has been responsible for the safe transport of over 300,000 animals — including more than 225,000 dogs and more than 100,000 cats — on over 11,000 ground and air trips. The ASPCA Animal Relocation program operates in 40 states nationwide with a network of 140 participating partner shelters.

To learn more about the ASPCA's relocation and animal placement initiatives, please visit www.aspca.org.

About the ASPCA^®
The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) believes every animal deserves to live free from suffering. For 160 years, we've been on the frontlines to save, transform and protect millions of lives in the fight against animal cruelty. As the nation's first and leading animal welfare organization, we assist animals in need through on-the-ground disaster and cruelty interventions, behavioral rehabilitation, animal relocation and placement, legal and legislative advocacy, and the advancement of the sheltering and veterinary communities through research, training and resources. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation with more than 2 million supporters nationwide, our commitment to eliminating animal cruelty is unwavering. For more information, visit aspca.org, and follow the ASPCA on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

About Dog Is My CoPilot
Dog Is My CoPilot is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the lives of homeless dogs and cats through life-saving air transport. Since 2012, the organization has transported tens of thousands of animals from overcrowded shelters to communities where adoption demand is higher. Working with more than 200 shelter and rescue partners across the United States, Dog Is My CoPilot transports thousands of shelter pets each year aboard its fleet of aircraft—at no cost to partner organizations. By connecting shelters with communities where these animals have a better chance of finding homes, Dog Is My CoPilot helps increase live outcomes, reduce shelter overcrowding, and give thousands of animals a second chance every year. To save lives with Dog Is My CoPilot, please visit dogcopilot.org.

About IPAW Rescue
Founded by Carl C. Icahn, IPAW Rescue is a philanthropic initiative dedicated to saving dogs from high-kill shelters and animal cruelty. IPAW Rescue is driven by Mr. Icahn's lifelong love for dogs. The philosophy behind IPAW Rescue is to select network partners in animal welfare operations with strong leadership, proven execution and financial responsibility that meet Mr. Icahn's principles. IPAW Rescue provides the funding support to the network partners eliminating any overhead and allowing for every donation to go immediately and directly to the dogs. Mr. Icahn's foundation matches the donations received by IPAW Rescue. IPAW Rescue's network includes robust transport programs to relocate dogs from areas where they have no pathway out, spay and neuter initiatives to address prevention and shelter support for the care that is needed until the dogs are adopted into their forever homes.

SOURCE ASPCA