Soldiers Best Friend

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025, we concentrated on expanding our service/therapeutic companion dog training program. As a testament to this, during the year we accepted 100 new veterans into the program, introduced a new training site and facility in Kingman, AZ, and launched the Prison Dog Training Program at Perryville. In 2025, the program served 221 veterans, rescued 85 dogs from local shelters, provided 3,544 training hours to veteran/dog teams, and celebrated the graduation of 51 veteran/dog teams from the program. Provided at no cost to eligible veterans, each veteran/dog team trains a minimum of 6 months. Providing this life-changing service includes: comprehensive application process, dog adoptions, fostering, professional training & testing, veterinary care, and providing equipment/supplies & support to help ensure program completion. As part of our program, we offer mentorship and operation graduate training (OGT) classes. The mentorship program pairs graduates with teams-in-training to help guide them through the program. The OGT classes are provided for graduates who want further training for their dogs. Our program serves as a parallel support plan to each veterans medical treatment & aims to lessen their symptoms of PTSD or TBI. A biennial survey of all graduates was conducted in 2024 to gather data about the programs effectiveness & attest to the significant impact on the lives of graduates & their families. Results include: 94% reported their service/therapeutic companion dog improved their overall quality of life, 89% positive impact on social activities, 71% a positive impact on their relationships with family & others. OF respondents who experienced suicidal thoughts prior to beginning trainings, 83% reported a reduction in those thoughts.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 50.2%; rating input score 50
• Program expense ratio: 74.4%; rating input score 74
• Fundraising efficiency: $23.92 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 64; 64th 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: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 35.5%; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.43; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.7%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 12.9% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 9.4% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 13.5% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings