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Caryl Gates Gluck Resource Center

The past eight years have been ones of significant change and great promise for the Animal Friends organization. In 2001, Animal Friends embarked on a vision to move beyond the traditional way of sheltering homeless animals. We embraced a dream that broke down paradigms, refused closed-mindedness and dared to believe that we could better serve the animals and our community.

The physical embodiment of that dream then became reality for Animal Friends in March of 2006 with the opening of the new Caryl Gates Gluck Resource Center. By the end of 2007, after a full year of operation, we celebrated a successful transition of our programs and services into our new home and honored a dream realized. But Animal Friends isn’t an organization to rest on its laurels.

2008 was a year focused on further refining our vision, our internal operations and our customer service. Where 2007 celebrated programmatic growth and the development of new innovative outreach programs to better serve the needs of our public, 2008 focused on refining and expanding our core operational programs.

But, Animal Friends' work will never be done. While we continue to break new ground in our region while serving thousands of pets and people every year, we will always dedicate outselves to building proactive solutions, forging new relationships, and evolving to meet the changing needs of our community, while raising critical funds to support our mission.

Click here to view Animal Friends' Mission and Vision.

neuter clinic and a significant expansion of our presence throughout our region. The result was nothing short of impressive as we surpassed both our first year’s fundraising and surgery goals.

Remaining committed to our progressive community programming as well, Animal Friends achieved significant success through the organization’s core programs in 2009. From reaching record-setting numbers in our pet assisted therapy and humane education programs to forging new supportive partnerships with a dozen rural and underserved regional shelters; from breaking fundraising records at our core special events to helping more financially-strapped pet owners through our Chow Wagon program -- across our departments and programs, Animal Friends reached out and helped positively effect tens of thousands of lives in our community, both two and four legged.

Centered on the concept of community involvement, Animal Friends continues to serve as a model nationwide for the role that animal shelters should play within their communities. As long as millions of unwanted animals are euthanized nationwide, accepting the status quo is not an option. Here in Southwestern Pennsylvania, our community has been inspired to join us in this fight against pet overpopulation. And while change of this magnitude will take years to achieve, Animal Friends is committed for the long haul – and for the many lives that can be saved.

Warm regards,

David J. Swisher
President & Chief Executive Officer

Contact

David Swisher
p. 412.847.7000
e. dswisher@ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org

Downloadable Information

Animal Friends' 2009 Annual Report
Animal Friends' 2008 Annual Report
Animal Friends' 2007 Annual Report

2008 Audit Information

Indepedent Auditor's Report

2007 Audit Information

2009 Organizational Goals, Objectives and Action Steps

Vision -- Reduce the number of unwanted animals through aggressive spay/neuter programs;
Organizational Objective -- To facilitate 8,000 low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, a projected increase of 93% over the previous year’s activity of 4,140 surgeries.

To successfully implement the mobile clinic into our Low Cost Spay/Neuter department and complete a total of 3,500 surgeries through feral colony caretakers, distressed urban neighborhoods and rural shelters with limited access to spay/neuter services.
To develop and maintain supportive partnerships with eight shelters and animal welfare organizations by providing them with low-cost, accessible spay/neuter services; this represents a 25% increase over the previous year’s partnerships.
To facilitate three mass trap-neuter-return events targeting populations of feral cats in distressed urban areas in conjunction with the Three Rivers Feral Project, a collaborative effort between Animal Friends, Animal Rescue League and Western PA Humane Society.

Vision -- Provide for the well-being of companion animals in need, while adhering to our no-kill tradition, and find each a lifelong, loving home;
Organizational Objective -- To facilitate placement of 2,750 cats, dogs and rabbits into lifelong, loving homes; this represents a projected increase of 10% over the adoption activity in 2008.

To expand our admissions partnerships by facilitating the admission of 10% more adoptable animals from animal control facilities and shelters in underserved, rural and depressed areas within our identified service region.
To expand our ability to admit more animals in need by increasing the number of animals placed into our foster care program to 800, a projected increase of 160 animals or 25% over the previous year’s total.
To maintain our return kennel rate at or less than 8% for all placements within 90 days of adoption.
To reduce to zero, the time that a cleaned, set-up cage sits empty on the adoption floor.
To increase to 250 the number of animals placed through offsite opportunities and by integrating the Mobile Resource Center into our Community Adoptions program.
To maintain a standard of physicals and vaccine administration no more than 24 hours of admissions for all animals entering the Animal Friends system.
To ensure that 100% of animals admitted receive an initial behavior assessment upon admission.
To increase by 25% the number of subsidized rabies vaccinations provided to limited-income pet owners and feral colony caretakers by integrating the Mobile Resource Center into the Rabies Clinic program.

Vision -- Promote the animal-human bond through education and outreach programs;
Organizational Objective -- To touch the lives of 26,500 individuals, a 5% increase over 2008 activity, through a wide array of outreach and educational programs that encourages the community to engage in our work and further our mission.

To increase participation in Animal Friends University classes and activities by 10%.
To increase total participation in all behavior program classes by 5%, from 2,558 in 2008 to 2,685 in 2009.
To facilitate the high demand for our caring Pet Assisted Therapy interactions within the elderly and medical community by increasing the number of active Pet Assisted Therapy volunteer teams by 5%
Develop at least one new curriculum package incorporating the Mobile Resource Center to offer in our humane education menu of programs.
To increase by 10% the retention rate of volunteers within the first three months of participation through a refined orientation program and stronger relationship-building with our newest volunteers.
To provide consistent, informative and meaningful communication that reaches 100% of the volunteer corps.
To increase attendance of Health & Wellness roundtables, lectures and other senior outreach programs by 10%.

Vision -- And, act as an advocate on behalf of animals in crisis and as an enforcer of their rights and protection.
Organizational Objective -- To provide intervention, rescue or safe haven to 3,200 animals through our Humane Investigations program, a 10% increase over 2008.

To increase by four the number of trainings provided to local police departments to facilitate much needed awareness and education to our law enforcement professionals.
To increase by 20% the amount of food and pet care supplies provided to pet owners in dire financial need to help them become compliant with animal care standards.
To expand by 10% the list of resources, referrals and educational materials available online for individuals searching for answers for pet-related problems and an understanding of animal law.

Vision -- We are deeply committed to these goals while ensuring the financial security and stability of the organization for future generations.
Organizational Objective -- To provide necessary financial support and stability for the organization’s operations and programmatic needs by raising a total of $2,127,174.

To implement a strategic fundraising campaign in support of the Mobile Resource Center in the amount of $1,000,000 over the next three years; ensure an income stream of a minimum of $335,000 in 2009 from campaign donations and pledges.
To build stronger relationships with our donors by promoting a reformatted membership program; increase membership and program revenues by 58%.
To recruit financial partners to provide $100,000 in new support for the organization’s programs and services.
To establish new and strengthened relationships with corporate and community partners to encourage support of $82,500 from third part events; this represents an 18% increase over the 2008 total of $69,809.
To increase to $625,000 the amount raised through our two primary events, Black Tie & Tails and the annual Telethon. (A 2% increase over 2008.)
To increase by 17% the amount raised through our annual appeals to $390,000; and increase the overall response rate from our supporters to 10%.
To increase the gross sales in our retail store to $246,900, a 5% increase of 2008, by offering the public an increasing array of pet related products, supplies and giftware.
To encourage at least 1,000 new users, up from our 12,000 current users, to log in and make profiles on our website.
To identify and secure two new contacts to provide volunteer or pro bono printing or design support services.
To respond to or acknowledge all emails and phone inquiries within 48 hours on working business days.

Pet Adoption & Resource Center | 562 Camp Horne Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 | 412.847.7000
Come visit us! Monday - Friday 11am - 7pm | Saturday & Sunday 10 am - 5pm