Lost Dog Rescue Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
311789600
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Falls Church, VA, USA
Phone
7032953647
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Animal Protection and Welfare

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,109,762
Expenses
$1,456,897
Assets
$5,590,773
Liabilities
$121,589

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • AUSTIN GARCIA (PRESIDENT)
  • DAWN WALLACE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • DAWN WALLACE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $117,500 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Lost dog & cat rescue foundation is considered a leader in animal welfare, with its efforts making a difference both locally and nationally. The organization focuses resources on rescuing dogs and cats from overcrowded shelters, natural disasters and other crises and finds them loving homes through foster and adoptions. Animals begin their journey starting with intake all the way to adoption. During their time at the organization, there are a number of programs in place that have a positive impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of the pets. The organization's programs are made possible by a large volunteer network that it has built and maintained. The organization has expanded its mission by building a reliable network of volunteers from many different backgrounds. With a shared passion for the overall mission, the volunteer base has myriad professional and diverse talents. This allows the organization to maximize contributions directly to the care and needs of the animals.

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2018 lost dog & cat rescue foundation purchased a brick-and-mortar facility which is now known as the rescue care center. The care center is located in the greater Washington dc area of falls church, va. This central location provides a unique service to the community and hasfurther expanded the organization's rescue efforts. The 15,000 sq. Ft. Facility serves as a safe haven for orphaned companion animals, providing them with shelter, enrichment, and care for up to 150 dogs and cats. While the facility provides the space for a large number of rescued pets, the organization prioritizes placing rescued pets with foster families prior to adoption. The acquisition of the rescue care center has allowed the organization to rapidly respond and work with partner shelters in the event of natural (continued on schedule o ) disasters or other life-threatening events. Since 2001 the organization has saved over 50,000 dogs and cats, and as this number continues to grow so does the organization's volunteer network and its life-saving impact.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 69% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 74
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 64.3%; rating input score 64
  • Program expense ratio: 89.8%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $31.44 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • 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: 30.9%; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.84; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.1%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.5% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 64.3% of revenue deployed · 89.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $1.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $118K · 6 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $260K reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: CEO compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 40/100.