Washington Animal Rescue League

What it reported doing in 2016

Shelter operationsshelter and intake: since 1914, the Washington animal rescue league (warl) has been caring for abused, neglected, and homeless animals in Washington, d.c., across the nation and, when resources allow, in other countries. Warl is sometimes the only place a dog or cat will have one more chance to live the kind of life all animals should have. The Washington animal rescue league's shelter provides a calming and nurturing temporary home for animals, with dogs housed in cage-free doggy dens and cats in kitty condos. They are treated with dignity and respect and cared for in every conceivable way during their stay by dedicated staff, veterinarians, behavior and training experts, and experienced animal caretakers, along with an impressive roster of trained volunteers.the animals receive high quality food twice or more per day, depending on their health requirements; have constant access to clean, fresh water; are given medicine as needed; are walked and/or played with outside at least 3 times a day; and are provided with toys and other forms of mental stimulation. Cats that get along spend supervised time playing on the "towers and climbing trees in the center of "kitty city." dogs that enjoy canine companionship engage in play dates in one of the league's fenced dog parks and are included in weekly pack walks. In addition, cats may share two adjoining condos with a pass-through and two or more dogs may share a kennel. This is especially important if the animals had a bond prior to arriving at warl. The goal: to ensure that, long or short, the animals' stay at the shelter is as comfortable as possible. In 2016, the Washington animal rescue league continued its partnership with local, national and international organizations in rescuing pets from extreme circumstances.adoptions: the organization continued an aggressive outreach program as warl continued to host events throughout the Washington, d.c. Region. Adoption counselors attended the events, enabling the organization to institute on-site adoptions to qualified and vetted applicants, allowing the organization to place animals with families that previously would never have visited our facility. Each week, one pet-the pet of the week-is featured in several local news media and other sites.in order to make the best possible matches for both adopters and animals, the Washington animal rescue league uses a scientifically based "meet your match" system that delves into both the adopters' lifestyle preferences and each animal's temperament. A staff of trained adoptions counselors emphasizes conversation over written forms and education over judgment.one week after an animal has gone home, a warl volunteer calls the adopter to find out how the adoption is going. An online survey is emailed to each adopter one month and one year after their adoption to check in on their pet. Adoptions counselors and behavior and training staff are always available to help adopters with advice and training post adoption. To further ensure a successful-permanent-placement, adopters of puppies under 16 weeks old are encouraged to enroll in a puppy kindergarten class (at a reduced rate), which teaches the skills puppies need to become well-behaved, adult dogs with solid temperaments. Many other classes, ranging from basic manners to agility and tricks, are available to adopters and the public.foster: the Washington animal rescue league dedicates one adoptions counselor to implement a robust foster program. Fosters are crucial to the overall adoption process, as many animals that find themselves in our care for extended periods need a "break" from shelter life. For kittens, fosters can sometimes be the difference between survival and death, as the tiny felines are very susceptible to upper respiratory infections in the shelter environment. Kittens are often sent directly to foster homes until they have grown to an age where shelter life is more manageable.warl is constantly looking for new, c

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 98.2%; rating input score 98
• Fundraising efficiency: $1.93 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 9; 9th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
• 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 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • 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: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -3,344.1%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 0.6%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 44.1% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -6.8% per year; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -12.1% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings