What Pilots-n-Paws does

Pilots N Paws (PNP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 by Debi Boies and headquartered at 4651 Howe Rd, Landrum, South Carolina (legal entity: WWW Pilotsnpaws Org Incorporated, EIN 26-3754228). It operates a volunteer-coordination platform that connects private pilots with animal rescues and shelters to transport animals over long distances to areas with adoption demand. The organization serves two primary user segments: volunteer private pilots who donate their aircraft, time, and fuel, and animal rescue organizations, shelters, and fosters who post transport requests. Secondary participants include ground-transport and foster volunteers who support multi-leg missions.

The core product is a phpBB-powered discussion forum supplemented by Google Maps-integrated interactive tools—the Trip Request Map and Volunteer Map—that allow pilots to identify transport needs along their flight paths and locate nearby volunteers. Supporting offerings include downloadable pilot reference materials (flight forms, guidelines), a Mailchimp-powered newsletter, a story-submission portal, an educational sub-brand called Brock's Kids Corner, and a merchandise store operated through CafePress. Partnerships with PetMate (equipment sponsor), the AOPA Foundation, NBAA, and Lightspeed Aviation Foundation supply safety education, crates, collars, leashes, seatbelts, and pilot-training resources. The organization's technology stack is conventional LAMP-era web tooling with no native mobile application and no AI/ML components.

PNP's revenue model is donation-driven, with 100% of contributions directed toward mission expenses including aviation-event education, community education on pet sterilization, shipment of transportable animal crates, insurance, website management, brochures, and office supplies. Merchandise sales through CafePress provide a secondary revenue stream. PNP charges no fees to rescues for flight services; pilots volunteer their time, planes, and fuel and may claim portions of flight expenses as charitable deductions under the FAA's compassionate flight policy, which the FAA Office of Chief Counsel has formally recognized as covering PNP rescue flights. The organization is essentially all-volunteer, with one paid Executive Director and a board that donates its time.

Name

Pilots-n-Paws

Legal name

WWW Pilotsnpaws Org Incorporated

Website

https://pilotsnpaws.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pilots N Paws is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that runs a forum-based matching platform connecting volunteer private pilots with animal rescues and shelters to transport animals to adoption locations across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Landrum

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: 100% of donations go towards helping animals, including pilot education through aviation events, planned elementary school education on responsible pet ownership, community education on pet sterilization, transportable animal crates shipment, insurance, website management, brochures, and office supplies.
2. Merchandise Sales: Shop through CafePress offering Pilots N Paws branded merchandise

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pilots N Paws operates a free, web-based matching platform (powered by phpBB forum software and Google Maps) that connects volunteer private pilots with animal rescue organizations and shelters to coordinate free air transport of animals to adoption destinations. Volunteer pilots donate their time, aircraft, and fuel; rescues and shelters post transport requests on the Ride Board; the organization charges no fees and is funded through donations and merchandise sales under its 501(c)(3) status.

Product overview

Pilots N Paws operates as a non-profit volunteer coordination platform that connects animal rescues with volunteer pilots willing to transport animals via aircraft. The core offering is a phpBB-powered discussion board forum where transport requests are posted and coordinated. Supporting products include interactive maps (Trip Request Map and Volunteer Map) that integrate with Google Maps to visualize transport needs and pilot locations. The platform provides Pilot Tools including downloadable flight forms and guidelines for safe animal transport. Additional offerings include educational resources for children through Brock's Kids Corner, newsletter subscription via Mailchimp, and a merchandise store through CafePress. The organization facilitates humanitarian rescue flights recognized by the FAA under their compassionate flight policy, enabling pilots to claim flight expenses as charitable deductions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Discussion Board / Forum (Ride Board) phpBB-powered online discussion board that serves as the primary coordination platform where animal rescues and shelters post transport requests and volunteer pilots claim and coordinate legs of rescue flights; also used for sharing rescue stories and recruiting volunteers.
• Trip Request Map Interactive Google Maps-based tool displaying all active animal transport requests across the United States, enabling volunteer pilots to find transport legs along their planned flight routes.
• Volunteer Map Interactive searchable map showing locations of volunteer pilots, fosters, and other Pilots N Paws volunteers by zip code and distance for coordination purposes.
• PNP Store (via CafePress) Third-party merchandise storefront operated through CafePress selling Pilots N Paws branded items such as t-shirts to support the organization's mission.
• Brock's Kids Corner Educational program and content hub for children featuring coloring books, crafts, puzzles, animal facts, and ways kids can get involved in animal rescue, named after the founding rescue dog Brock.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150,000+ animals rescued since 2008
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PetMatecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDedicated sponsor providing volunteer pilots with kennels, collars, leashes, and seatbelts to ensure safe relocation of homeless pets. PetMate is dedicated to the safe transport of all animals and supports raising awareness for the program.
• JetSetPets (by flyydogg)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWoman-owned company focused on animals and aviation providing comfort and support products for pups during transport to their forever homes.
• Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAviation foundation providing safety recommendations for volunteer pilots including the Public Benefit Flying Safety Course. Supports pilot education for charitable flights.
• Lightspeed Aviation FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAviation foundation supporting pilot safety and education initiatives.
• National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness aviation association providing resources and advocacy for general aviation, including animal transport safety guidelines.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mercy Medical Angels: Charitable air and ground transportation assistance for patients traveling for medical care. Comparable donation-funded volunteer aviation model with national U.S. reach, though mission is patient transport rather than animal rescue.
• Wings of Rescue: U.S.-based nonprofit that coordinates volunteer pilots to airlift shelter animals, often in large 'rescue missions' transporting dozens of dogs at a time. Operates the closest direct analog to Pilots N Paws' animal-rescue flight model.
• Pilots to the Rescue: Canadian volunteer-pilot nonprofit that transports at-risk animals (and sometimes wildlife) to safety. Mirrors Pilots N Paws' volunteer-matching platform for animal rescue flights, with a primarily Canadian geographic footprint.
• Lifeline Pilots: Volunteer-pilot organization providing free air transportation for medical and humanitarian purposes across the Midwest U.S. Same volunteer-pilot-to-mission-matching model, but focused on human medical transport.
• Corporate Angel Network: Charity that arranges free flights aboard corporate aircraft for cancer patients needing treatment. Comparable volunteer-aviation charity structure and FAA-recognized humanitarian flight framework as Pilots N Paws.
• Angel Flight: Network of volunteer pilots providing free air transportation for medical patients with rare or specialized treatment needs. Closely comparable operating model (volunteer pilots, donation-funded, FAA-recognized humanitarian flights), but mission is medical rather than animal rescue.

Broad incumbents

• Pet Airways: Historical U.S. airline (defunct 2011) dedicated specifically to transporting pets in-cabin. While commercial and now inactive, it addressed the same long-distance pet transport problem Pilots N Paws solves via volunteers.
• Air Charity Network: Umbrella organization coordinating multiple volunteer pilot member charities across the U.S. for medical transport. Operates broader in scope than Pilots N Paws and is not animal-focused, but shares the volunteer-pilot charity ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pilotsnpaws
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PilotsNPaws
• Facebookfacebook.com/pilotsnpawsfanpage
• Instagraminstagram.com/pilotsnpaws

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pilots-n-Paws