Vieques Humane Society & Animal Rescue Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Alleviate the suffering of our island's animals by providing temporary shelter, finding forever homes, offering spay-neuter services and a low-cost veterinary clinic for our community.
- Income
- $733,137
- Spending
- $588,611
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 8.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 69%
- Employees
- 20
- Volunteers
- 129
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 71% of charities in its peer group (animals, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 8.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 20% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 53% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 87% of charities in its peer group (animals, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $254,937 spent. Vieques Humane Society operates the only weekly veterinary clinic on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, serving both shelter animals and the broader community. During the fiscal year, VHS delivered 1,586 clinical procedures, including approximately 101 spay/neuter surgeries (incorporating the organization's Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return-Home program for community cats), 480+ wellness and vaccination appointments, surgical procedures, dental care, wound and infection treatment, emergency care, and diagnostic imaging. The organization substantially expanded its diagnostic and surgical capacity during the year. In September 2024, VHS installed and trained staff on an in-house X-ray machine, performing 33 radiographs on 15 animals within the first month of operation. A new dental machine was added in December 2024. In November 2024, the clinic expanded its weekly schedule by adding Thursday clinic days staffed by a contracted veterinarian. The organization hired a full-time veterinary assistant in October 2024 and an Assistant Manager / Veterinary Technician effective July 2025 to expand clinical capacity further. VHS also hosted multiple volunteer veterinarian rotations during the year, including a week-long training visit by Dr. Carlos Morales in July 2024, a discounted community wellness clinic by Dr. John Kelley in February 2025, and shelter and free TNVRH days led by Dr. Ashley Bower in March 2025.
- $187,765 spent. Vieques Humane Society operates the only animal shelter on the island of Vieques, providing housing, medical care, nutrition, behavioral support, and adoption services for stray, surrendered, and abandoned dogs and cats. During the fiscal year, VHS took 224 animals into custody and achieved outcomes for 233 animals - the first fiscal year since the post-pandemic intake surge in which outcomes exceeded intakes, with the turnaround beginning in December 2024. Approximately 104 animals were adopted directly into homes during the year, comprising adoptions to Vieques residents, Puerto Rico main-island residents, and visitors who took animals home after their stay. The organization successfully managed a multi-month feline ringworm outbreak from July through November 2024 by implementing quarantine and treatment protocols that preserved the lives and adoptability of nineteen affected cats and kittens. The organization also advanced its operational capacity during the year. Shelter enrichment produced a publicly accessible library of animal training videos hosted on the VHS website. Representative outcomes during the year included the placement of a long-term resident senior pit bull adopted to Florida after more than three years in shelter care; the reunion of a previously surrendered dog with his original owner, who had relocated to Ohio for medical reasons; and the successful rehabilitation of a severely injured stray dog through daily wound care in foster placement following x-ray-confirmed treatment planning.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1990.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.