CARE4Paws Inc

What it reported doing in 2025

Since its founding in 2009, C.A.R.E.4Paws short for Community Awareness, Resources & Education has worked to reduce pet overpopulation and improve pet family welfare on California's Central Coast. The organization serves low-income, senior, disabled and unhoused pet families throughout Santa Barbara County and, since 2022, San Luis Obispo County. In 2025, C.A.R.E.4Paws assisted more than 25,000 pets and their families with free and low-cost veterinary care, pet food distribution, emergency medical assistance and other support services.CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE OC.A.R.E.4Paws' Mobile Community Medicine & Spay/Neuter Outreach Program represents approximately 80% of total operational expenditures and remains the organization's largest program. Operating from two mobile veterinary units that travel throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, the program brings affordable veterinary care directly to underserved communities, helping families overcome financial, transportation, geographic and other barriers to care.In 2025, the mobile clinic program assisted more than 16,300 pets through free and low-cost vaccines, wellness services, medical treatment and spay/neuter surgeries. Medical services included examinations, dental procedures, diagnostics, treatment of ear, eye and skin conditions, bloodwork and other veterinary care.Through its Veterinary Partner Services program and the Albus Pet Lifeline Fund, C.A.R.E.4Paws helps families access urgent, emergency and specialty veterinary care when treatment falls outside the scope of its mobile clinics. The organization maintains partnerships with 25-plus veterinary hospitals and clinics throughout the Central Coast. More than 600 dogs and cats received critical medical treatment through this program in 2025, at an average of $250 per pet.C.A.R.E.4Paws' Companion Pet Assistance program provides pet food, supplies and other resources to families experiencing financial hardship. The program also supports pet families experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations through community outreach and resource distribution. In 2025, C.A.R.E.4Paws continued to distribute two to three tons of pet food monthly and has distributed more than 10 million pet meals to animals in need since 2020.The organization's Safe Haven program assists pet families exposed to domestic violence by providing temporary foster care and boarding for their animals. To support this program, C.A.R.E.4Paws developed and fundraised for a Pet Refuge in 2025, which provides confidential emergency boarding for families facing domestic violence as well as those navigating hospitalization, housing instability, deportation concerns and other crises. The Pet Refuge opened in April 2026 and serves families throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.Additionally, C.A.R.E.4Paws' Paws Up For Pets humane education program teaches children compassion, accountability and respect for animals while promoting kindness toward all living beings.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 87.7%; rating input score 88
• Program expense ratio: 84.6%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: $18.61 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -3.6%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.4; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5.3%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 19.2% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 18.8% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 20.8% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings