Santa Fe Animal Shelter Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO SUPPORT ANIMALS, SAVE LIVES, AND SPREAD COMPASSION.
- Income
- $7.8 million
- Spending
- $10.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 24.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 44%
- Employees
- 149
- Volunteers
- 490
- Highest pay
- $215,060, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 24.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 34% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 13% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 27 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 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.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited 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 December 31, 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 (3)
- $5.2 million spent. The Santa Fe Animal Shelter is the largest animal shelter and care facility in Northern New Mexico, serving more than 25,000 lost, stray, abandoned, injured, and owned animals annually. As an open-admission shelter, we contract with the City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County to provide care for homeless and stray animals and offer resources to help families keep their pets at home.Animal Care includes sheltering, daily care, behavioral support, and enrichment, as well as adoption services and the Animal Resource Center, which provides community-based assistance, including pet retention support and rehoming resources. In 2025, the Shelter took in 3,255 animals and maintained a 94.0% live release rate. The adoption program placed 2,097 animals into permanent homes, reunited 569 lost pets with their families, and provided foster care for 1,454 animals.The CASA (Community Assistance for Santa Fe Animals) program is a vital safety net to keep pets and their people together during times of financial hardship. CASA supports pet families by providing free or low-cost spay/neuter services, vaccinations, pet food, assistance with unexpected veterinary expenses, and support with city and county-related fees. Additional services include microchipping, ID tags, licensing, temporary housing solutions, and protective support for pets in crisis. In 2025, CASA assisted 744 pets and provided $5,026 in veterinary and medical support, along with $7,941 for spay/neuter and vaccine services. The program also helped families return pets home by covering $5,998 in shelter, city, and county fees and by distributing 69,114 pounds of pet food to families in need.Volunteer support remains critical, with more than 60,900 hours contributed in 2025, along with an additional 1,426 hours from corporate, community, and school groups.The Shelter also operates mission-driven resale stores that generate critical funding to support animal care and community programs. Through the sale of donated goods, these stores provide a sustainable revenue stream that helps offset operating costs, while engaging the community through volunteerism and promoting reuse and environmental sustainability.
- $1.8 million spent. The Clare Eddy Thaw Animal Hospital provides accessible, high-quality veterinary services to the general public, including a sliding fee scale for income-qualified residents. The hospital offers preventive care, diagnostics, and treatment services to help families afford necessary care during times of crisis. This program plays a critical role in keeping pets healthy and at home, reducing unnecessary surrenders, and improving overall animal welfare in the community, and is supported by the CASA program. In addition, revenue generated by Thaw Animal Hospital supports the Shelter's broader operations by helping offset the cost of SFAS animal care and sustaining essential programs. This revenue stream enhances financial stability and enables the organization to reinvest in shelter services, medical care, and community outreach initiatives that directly benefit animals in our care and throughout the region.
- $1.7 million spent. The Shelter Clinic and Spay and Neuter Clinic provide essential medical services to both shelter animals and the broader community, including vaccinations, basic treatment, and high-volume spay/neuter surgeries. In 2025, the program performed 4,509 spay/neuter surgeries and administered approximately 19,000 vaccinations, helping to reduce animal overpopulation and improve community animal health.These services are foundational to the Shelters mission, supporting adoption readiness, reducing intake, and addressing the root causes of pet homelessness across Northern New Mexico.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 December 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 November 1941.
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.
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