If I can’t make a donation, how can I help my local shelter?
Your local pet shelter likely needs supplies, such as towels or pet food. It also can use volunteers to help walk dogs, clean cages, and so forth. Call you shelter directly and ask.
What shelters will you give to?
We are screening shelters to look for ones that spend donations efficiently and are reputable. We use our own research plus third-party charity evaluators. Read some of the “thank you” letters we’ve gotten from pet shelters here, here, and here.
Is Help Pet Shelters a charity?
Yes! Help Pet Shelters is a project of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called CORE (EIN 26-0006579). Your donation is tax-deductible.
Does Help Pet Shelters run any shelters?
No. This campaign is to raise money for shelters and raise awareness. Many animal lovers give to national groups not knowing their donation will fund executive salaries or sit in offshore accounts instead of helping needy animals. That’s why we are running this campaign–to collect money and distribute it to good shelters.
Can’t I just give to a shelter directly myself?
You certainly can. However, we do screen shelters before we give to them, so you can be confident your donation is going to a good place. One way or the other, please consider sharing our HelpPetShelters.com information on social media with your friends and family.
Will my donation go to a shelter near me?
We will make every effort to ensure donations go to a shelter near you. But since we are screening shelters to give to ones we think are the best, there may not be one near you that we give to, especially if you live in a remote area.
How can I see where my donation goes?
This campaign is brand new, but we will be publishing a report for transparency. We will send donors a copy of the report.
Is Help Pet Shelters affiliated with my local shelter?
No. We are independent from local shelters, just like the major national animal groups. However, unlike those national groups that give as little as 1% of their donations to local pet shelters, our program gives 95%.
How can I be sure 95% of my donation will go to a pet shelter?
Help Pet Shelters has set aside money to educate the public about the importance of supporting their local pet shelters. 95% of your donation will go to a pet shelter, and the remaining 5% supports spreading the “give local” message.
What are some examples of shelters you have examined?
Three examples:
- Jacksonville Humane Society. Spends 85% of its budget on programs. Provided care for nearly 9,000 animals in 2018.
- Humane Society of Greater Kansas City. Spends 86% of its budget on programs. Finds homes for 97% of pets in its care.
- Humane Society of El Paso. Spends 78% of its budget on programs. Receives 4 stars out of 4 from Charity Navigator. Helped over 4,000 animals find a home in 2018.
Who runs this site?
This site is run by HumaneWatch, a watchdog of animal groups. Since 2010, we have been educating people to support their local pet shelter. This new campaign is intended to not just educate, but actually raise funds to support these shelters.