Paws Chicago

“1. Paula fasseas is the mother of alexis fasseas. Alexis fasseas serves on the board and as the executive director. 2. Michael and melissa canning are married, they are major fundraisers and contributors, both serve on the board. 3. Barbara bradford and robert sherman are married, they are major fundraisers and contributors, both serve on the board”

“Before the form 990 is filed, it is reviewed in detail by the treasurer and the chairman of the board. After that review and before it is filed, a copy of the form 990 is distributed to all members of the board of directors.”

“Board members and senior staff will annually disclose and promptly update any disclosures previously made regarding their interests that could give rise to a conflict of interest. This includes family relationships, substantial business or investment holdings, or other transations or affiliations that may present a conflict of interest. The chairman of the board will determine whether (a) no action need be taken, or (b) the situation be disclosed to the board for further discussion and resolution. In some cases the person with the conflict may be excluded from sensitive discussions so as not to unduly influence the discussion of the conflict.”

“The chairman of the board and the president perform an annual comparison of the organization's top management compensation to that of similar organizations and by evaluating industry standards. During this evaluation the roles, experiences, and level or education are taken into consideration. The process is documented.”

“The organization makes its forms 1023, 990, 990-t (if applicable) and its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available to the public upon request for the same period of disclosure as set forth in irc section 6104(d). In addition, form 990 is commonly available on the organization's website - www.pawschicago.org”

“An industry-leading adoption center, a state-of-the-art medical center, and a high-volume spay/neuter clinic work synchronously to address the needs of homeless and at-risk pets citywide. Lifesaving rescue and adoption programs save more than 4,500 homeless pets annually, with nearly 18,000 additional animals from under-resourced communities receiving free and low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, medical care, and other support including a pet food pantry. Paws chicago's programs implement solutions to build no kill communities, end pet overpopulation, and transform animal welfare by setting standards that are used as a model by other organizations. Since paws chicago's founding in 1997, the number of pets killed each year in chicago has been reduced by 90.2%. Despite this incredible progress over time, in june of 2023, paws noticed a surge in intake to chicago animal care & control based on post-pandemic effects: inflation making pet food and veterinary care unaffordable for many people; a dramatic rise in backyard breeding; and less availability of veterinary care for people and shelters. Paws began developing programming to help with this crisis. In 2023, cacc saw an additional 1,203 pets come through its doors over 2022 intake numbers. This, combined with transfers to non-paws chicago rescues dropping by 555 pets compared to prior year, meant an overcrowding crisis and a rise in euthanasia at the city impoundment facility. In 2023, paws transferred in 698 additional pets over 2022 transfers. While euthanasia at chicago animal care & control increased by 22.7% (an additional 551 pets euthanized), that number would have been up 50.6% without paws immediate action. Overall paws chicago 2023 results include 16,587 free and low-cost spay/neuter surgeries; 4,561 adoptions of homeless animals into new, loving families; a 98.62% save rate even while rescuing an extremely vulnerable population of at risk homeless pets; 54,989 pounds of food distributed through the pet food pantry; 1,921 homeless animals placed in foster care; 106,221 hours worked by volunteers (the equivalent of 51 full-time employees); and earning charity navigator's highest 4-star rating consecutively since 2003. Beyond chicago, paws chicago is also able to save at-risk animals from 8 additional high-kill states, and support animals impacted by natural disasters such as tornadoes that impacted animal shelters in tennessee in april 2023. Another major rescue was a donated flight of 79 dogs and cats from dominica, an island nation in the caribbean, when the island's only shelter was forced to close and the pets were going to be euthanized or put back on the street where they previously faced unimaginable cruelty. All of paws chicago's programs work toward building no kill communities through the organization's comprehensive no kill model. The foundation of the no kill model is community engagement inspiring people's involvement in the cause of homeless pets. Atop this foundation are paws chicago's mission-critical programs the pillars of prevention (spay/neuter), animal health & behavior, adoption, and volunteers. Detailed program information follows.”

“There was no change to the oversight process or selection process during the year.”