Animal Samaritans
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
At Animal Samaritans we champion compassion and respect for all living creatures, with a primary focus on dogs, cats, and the people who love them. We view pets not merely as animals, but as members of our families. As their guardians and custodians, it is our aim to reduce the overpopulation and suffering of abandoned and unwanted dogs and cats. We believe pet spaying and neutering is an effective way to achieve this end and we are committed to providing quality, affordable spay and neuter services for pet owners and to our community's largest public animal shelter, Riverside County Animal Shelter in Thousand Palms. We believe adoptable, homeless dogs and cats deserve a chance at life and to live in a loving home, and we support this ideal through animal rescuing, animal sheltering, and pet adoptions. We believe the bond between people and pets is healing, both emotionally and physically, and we provide Animal Companion Therapy (aka Pet Therapy) to residents of local nursing homes, re
- Income
- $11.4 million
- Spending
- $10.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 66%
- Employees
- 86
- Volunteers
- 294
- Highest pay
- $415,029, veterinarian, dvm
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 68% of charities in its peer group (animals, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (animals, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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, 2024, 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 (5)
- $9.1 million spent. Veterinary Clinics: In 2024, our veterinary clinics outperformed services from 2023. Last year we saw approximately 23,332 animal patients, which increased our aggregate number of patients to more than 320,907. Our unique veterinary services in 2024 included: 11,402 Pet Exams; 4,771 Lab Tests; 6,785 Spay & Neuter Surgeries; 5,171 Non-Spay & Neuter Surgeries; 1,085 Dental Services (including dental surgeries); 986 X-rays; 15,503 Vaccinations, and 12,178 non-exam procedures (ear cleanings, anal gland express, nail trims, et al). In 2024, our second year providing ophthalmology services, our specialty team performed 7,569 ophthalmology procedures. Additionally, in year three of our Pet Oncology department, we performed 6,952 procedures on dogs and cats with cancer. Depending on the type, severity, and invasiveness of the disease, our Board-certified doctors provide three primary treatment options: Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, and Cryotherapy. Animal Samaritans offers several financial aid programs to help pet owners pay for the veterinary care their animals need. These programs include our Animal Care Fund for low-income pet owners, and our Senior Pet Wellness Fund, which subsidizes pet care for senior pet owners on a limited income. In 2024, we provided $156,131 in financial aid assistance to 330 pet owners. As you might expect, the demand for these programs is high. Additionally, our Cade L. Morrow Fund helps cover the costs of medical care for abandoned, abused and homeless animals. In 2024 we provided $8,104 to cover the costs of veterinary services for adoptable homeless animals that may not have survived without this care. After providing life-saving veterinary care, we then adopted out or provided safe haven for these animals. With significant assets coming to our Cade L. Morrow Fund in 2025, we will establish (per the donor's request) the Cade L. Morrow Endowment Fund to ensure veterinary care for homeless and/or abused animals in perpetuity.
- Shelter and Pet Adoptions: In 2024 our small no-kill animal shelter adopted out 351 homeless animals. Adoptions included 89 dogs (canines six-months and older), 85 puppies, 4 adult cats (one year and older), and 173 kittens. This was an increase of 4 adoptions over 2023.
- Humane Education: Last year we saw more teachers welcoming our Humane Educator back to their classrooms. In 2024, our bi-lingual educator presented state-accredited humane education lesson plans to over 12,000 students in our area Coachella Valley, Desert Sands, and Palm Springs Unified School Districts. Additionally, we provided humane education services to adults at local community events. Our Humane Educator and her volunteers also hosted seven free Summer Critter Camps, primarily for financially disadvantaged students. These camps are for children ages 7 through 12 and focus on the program?s core teachings that students learn during the school year. Critter Campers also enjoy interacting with live reptiles, birds, rodents, and dogs, creating animal-themed arts and crafts, and playing animal-themed games.
- Animal Companion Therapy: In 2024, our ACT volunteers and their therapy dogs continued seeing more local residents. Our pet therapy volunteers, their canine ambassadors and our other extraordinary volunteers, numbering 294 individuals in total, logged 9,287 hours of volunteer service - an increase of 8,219 hours over 2023. Some of the locations served include: Atria Senior Assisted Living, Banyan Treatment Center, Brookdale Assisted Living & Memory Care, Destiny Hospice, Neuro Rehabilitation Center, John Glenn Middle School, Palm Springs High School and The Bob Hope USO.
- Animal Rescue: This charitable resource for adoptable, treatable at-risk homeless shelter animals is provided free of charge to the County of Riverside and greater Desert community. In 2024 we rescued 604 animals from Riverside County Animal Shelter in Thousand Palms, an average of 50 animals per month. This was a decrease of 89 animals over 2023 but an achievement none the less.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1978.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 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.