Dogs to Dog Tags Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

The 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report highlights a deeply concerning reality: 17 U.S. veterans die by suicide every day, and for veterans aged 45 and under, suicide is the second leading cause of death. This stark statistic drives home the urgency of our mission at Dogs2DogTags. In response to this ongoing crisis, we continue to face the challenges of growing our organization in a way that allows us to reach and support more veterans who are struggling with the mental health impacts of their service. When Dogs2DogTags opened its doors in 2016, rescue dogs lived with our founder, Torre Willadsen, and foster families. Dog training took place in Torre's backyard. This setup served us well in the early days but was no longer sufficient as we grew. In April 2022, with the generous support of our donors, we purchased property that included a 3,700-square-foot metal building. While this allowed us to begin training on-site, it became apparent that the space still lacked the essential amenities required to meet the needs of our dogs and veterans. Key areas such as on-site kennels, climate control, bathrooms, and sufficient fenced-in outdoor space for dog training and socializing were not yet in place. To ensure we could support more veterans, we embarked on a $1 million expansion project in 2023 with our sights set on doubling our facility to nearly 9,000 square feet. By June 2024, our expanded space was complete, thanks again to the continued generosity of our community and supporters. This investment represents a long-term commitment to improving the mental health and well-being of veterans. The expanded facilities provide a more conducive environment for training service dogs and canine companions, while fostering the bond between veterans and their dogs. Services - Training a service dog is a demanding, lengthy and expensive process. Assuming a dog begins training as a puppy with the best care and living conditions, it will take approximately two years to become a service dog. Even under these ideal circumstances, approximately 70% of the dogs who enter service dog training will fail to complete it. The average cost for a veteran to purchase a service dog from a for-profit organization is $30,000 to $50,000 and unattainable for most veterans. At Dogs2DogTags, we face an even more challenging situation. Rescue dogs often come from difficult backgrounds, experiencing trauma, neglect, and behavioral issues. Maturity can also affect a dog's ability to learn. The training timeline for most rescue dogs is longer and can extend up to three years before they are ready to pass the Public Access Test. Funded entirely by donations and grants, we make it attainable for all veterans to receive a service animal or highly-trained dog canine companion. Dogs2DogTags continues to provide free dog training and classes to veterans for the life of the dog. We also provide free dog training to veterans who already have a dog and seek to pass the Public Access Test. Dog training classes provide social, emotional, and psychological healing through camaraderie, support, and shared experiences with their veteran peers. Program Impact - Since day one, our vision has been to provide free, high-quality service animals to veterans for suicide prevention. Because of your support, our vision became a reality in 2024. Seven dogs passed their Public Access Test and are now service animals for deserving veterans. By December 2024, 38 veterans received a trained canine companion (seven service animals) at no cost, and 34 dogs were rescued since 2016, cumulatively. The impact of Dogs2DogTags goes beyond training and placement. We are deeply committed to supporting our veterans in all aspects of their lives, especially when they face unforeseen financial hardships. Since 2016, generous donations helped to provide $80,000 in veterinary care and dog medications; over $50,000 in dog and training supplies; over $45,000 in dog food; and over $40,000 in

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 20.6%; rating input score 21
• Program expense ratio: 59.4%; rating input score 59
• Fundraising efficiency: $32.2 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 70; 70th 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: 80%; rating input score 80; 18th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 65.9%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.29; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.17; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 39.5%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 20% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 39.3% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 47.9% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings