Capt. Ramin Pourteymour (United), founder of Last Hope 4 Paws, on the flight deck of a B-787.

It’s been said that if you can dream it, you can make it happen—an axiom Capt. Ramin Pourteymour (United) has clearly adopted in his pursuit to become his airline’s youngest pilot at the time, a successful real estate developer, and a far-reaching philanthropist. Along the way, he’s achieved various honors, including a declaration on Nov. 16, 2022, from the city of San Diego, Calif., where he lives, that the day be remembered as Ramin Pourteymour Day. In addition, he was among the 2023 Gallery of Legends of Flight honored at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, where the organization previously displayed his airline uniform.

Among Pourteymour’s many charitable pursuits, one of his most celebrated causes has been an animal-rescue operation he founded called Last Hope 4 Paws. “I’ve been rescuing animals for many years, covering the costs of required surgeries, medications, vaccinations, neutering and spaying, and food, with the goal of finding them loving homes through friends and social media,” Pourteymour remarked. “Our mission is to operate a no-kill shelter, caring for and treating all animals with love and compassion.” And his work, combined with Last Hope 4 Paws, has improved the lives of more than 1,000 animals.

Pourteymour had decided to buy a villa in nearby Playa de Rosarito, Mexico, on the Baja Peninsula, as a vacation home. On one of several drives to make the acquisition, he came across an injured, malnourished dog along the side of the road. “I couldn’t look way,” he remembered. “I just had to stop the car.”

Pourteymour and one the of many dogs that he and Last Hope 4 Paws have rescued.

Pourteymour, who previously served as his pilot group’s Master Executive Council Professional Standards vice chair, took the dog to a local veterinarian, and over time these rescue efforts became a habit—so much so that the vet and others began referring to Pourteymour as “Noah,” referencing the biblical figure noted for collecting and saving two of every animal. While 95 percent of the creatures Pourteymour has saved have been dogs, others include cats, birds, a horse, and a mouse.

Several years ago, an attorney helped the B-787 pilot formalize this arrangement with the creation of Last Hope 4 Paws, the not-for-profit foundation based in both Rosarito and San Diego. Pourteymour works with a team of full-time administrators and vets, and houses up to a dozen animals in his vacation villa at a time. The rescue covers the cost of housing, food, medical care, and grooming until suitable homes can be found.

Pourteymour’s early life was filled with many examples of overcoming challenges. Born to a wealthy family in Tehran, Iran, he fled the country during the Iranian revolution in 1979. He lived in several European countries before moving to the United States. Growing up, Pourteymour held a variety of jobs to help his parents make ends meet, but he always had a fascination with flying. Between various jobs and high school, he found a way to take flying lessons.

Pourteymour later held several positions with America West Airlines and United Airlines and had the opportunity to use the organizations’ flight simulators during off hours. In 1990, at age 22, he reportedly became the youngest pilot at United at that time.

In 2008, Pourteymour severely damaged his leg in a motorcycle accident and was told by his physicians that he’d never professionally fly again. While healing from the accident, he focused on his ongoing real estate interests as well as his work for numerous charitable organizations. However, he proved the doctors wrong roughly 15 years later, returning to the airline flight deck in 2023.

Pourteymour hopes to expand his operation by buying a dedicated property and creating a separate for-profit pet-sitting and boarding facility to help fund the animal-shelter portion of his operation. In time, he’d like to develop additional facilities in new locations. No stranger to overcoming adversity, the odds are in his favor that he’ll accomplish all this and more.