ASPCA, IPAW Fund $1.4M Dog Is My CoPilot Expansion

The joint multi-year initiative will help the pet transport nonprofit move more shelter dogs and cats by air.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Pets — General

ASPCA, IPAW Fund $1.4M Dog Is My CoPilot Expansion

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Do you support nonprofit groups flying shelter pets to areas with more adoption demand?

ASPCA and IPAW Rescue announced a joint $1.4 million multi-year funding initiative for Dog Is My CoPilot, a nonprofit that flies shelter animals to adoption partners. The ASPCA committed $1,000,000 over four years, with $250,000 annually beginning October 2026, and IPAW Rescue contributed an additional $400,000.

Why it matters

Many shelters are at capacity, with nearly six million dogs and cats entering shelters and rescues in 2025. Flight transport lets organizations reach adoption partners in areas that ground transport cannot easily serve.

Dog Is My CoPilot transports more than 8,000 dogs and cats annually using three rescue aircraft and has flown more than 50,000 animals since 2012. The funding's projected effect on transport capacity has not been quantified in the announcement.

The players

ASPCA

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a national animal welfare organization that runs the Animal Relocation program, which has moved more than 300,000 animals since 2014.

IPAW Rescue

IPAW Rescue is an animal rescue organization that contributed $400,000 to the joint funding initiative for Dog Is My CoPilot.

Dog Is My CoPilot

Dog Is My CoPilot is a nonprofit founded in 2012 that uses rescue aircraft to transport shelter dogs and cats to adoption partners.

The details

Dog Is My CoPilot primarily moves animals from shelters in California, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas to adoption partners on the East and West Coasts, working with more than 200 shelters and rescue organizations nationwide. The grant is intended to create additional transport capacity and expand opportunities for the organization.

2012: Dog Is My CoPilot founded.
2014: ASPCA Animal Relocation program launched.
2025: Nearly six million dogs and cats entered shelters and rescues.
October 2026: ASPCA's $250,000 annual funding begins.

Roadmap

Air transport of shelter animals has grown alongside the ASPCA Animal Relocation program, which has moved more than 300,000 animals since 2014 through 140 partner shelters in 40 states. This funding extends that model to a nonprofit that already operates three rescue aircraft.

Shelters in California, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, along with adoption partners on the East and West Coasts, may see more animals moved through this network as transport capacity grows. Prospective adopters in receiving regions could find more available dogs and cats as a result.

The takeaway

Air transport is one way shelters in high-intake regions can reach adopters elsewhere, and funding of this kind directly determines how many animals can be moved. Readers who want to help can look for organizations like these that accept donations or volunteer support.