Paws and Claws Inc Dba Paws and Claws Humane Society
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 411311160
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2023
- Location
- Rochester, MN, USA
- Phone
- 5072887226
- Rating
- 85
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Animal Protection and Welfare
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $2,070,609
- Expenses
- $1,453,269
- Assets
- $8,522,016
- Liabilities
- $170,850
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
15 people listed
People named in this filing
- TYLER DESPINS (DIRECTOR)
- ANDREA KILEN (CHAIR)
- DANNY BUCKNELL (SECRETARY)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The paws & claws mission is to: promote and provide humane protection and shelter for abandoned or lost companion animals; seek adoptive homes for companion animals under our protective care; provide public education regarding the societal problem of animal overpopulation; promote the principles of responsible companion animal care; and, advocate the spaying and neutering of all companion animals. Paws & claws does not euthanize except on the advice of a veterinarian in the case of critical injury, terminal illness, debilitating pain, or severe behavioral problems in which the animal is a danger to themselves, other animals or humans. Paws & claws will be the animal shelter of choice in southeast Minnesota by being the acknowledged leader in the rescue and care of abandoned animals; enhancing the quality of life for individuals and families through the adoption of companion animals; providing health and animal care education; partnering with the community; and providing ease of access.
What it reported doing in 2024
Paws and claws provides food, shelter and veterinarian care for lost, abandoned, and unwanted animals in olmsted county and surrounding communities. Services include adoption placement for matching lost and found animals, including a service for owners to find new homes for animals they can no longer maintain. For the fiscal year ended july 31, 2025, 933 cats and 833 dogs were adopted. The shelter operates at capacity with an average of 240 animals in our care each month.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 67% 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 76
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 88
- Sustainability: 85
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 67.3%; rating input score 67
- Program expense ratio: 89.1%; rating input score 89
- Fundraising efficiency: $59.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 80; 80th 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- 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: 29.8%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.86; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 11.1% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 9.2% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 7.5% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 67.3% of revenue deployed · 89.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $1.3M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 15 people listed
- Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
- Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
- 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.