High Tails Animal Rescue, NFP
A Safe Haven For Animals
High Tails Animal Rescue, NFP
EIN: 88-3685894
as of November 2023
as of November 13, 2023
Mission
High Tails Animal Rescue, NFP is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that operates as a licensed dog and cat rescue. We are both volunteer-run and foster-based serving the Greater Chicagoland area and Northern Suburbs of Illinois. High Tails is not breed or age-specific; our organization is dedicated to rescuing dogs and cats in need of a permanent home. We rescue primarily from animal controls, animal shelters, and euthanasia lists, and assist with local strays. High Tails is also committed to advancing the cause of animal welfare by being an educational resource for pet owners to promote responsible pet ownership. Our organization provides up-to-date resources and guidance to reduce surrendered pets to shelters and animal controls.
Ruling year
2022
President
Bobi Shaw
Directors
Lauren Shaw, Victoria Butkus, Angelika Bolotnikov
Main address
P.O. Box 2205
Glenview, IL 60025-6205 USA
EIN
88-3685894
Domesticated animals
Voluntarism
Nonprofits
Public affairs
Community service
Population served
Adults
Families
Domestic workers
Retired people
Veterans
NTEE code
Animal Protection and Welfare (includes Humane Societies and SPCAs) (D20)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reportsWhat we aim to solve
We aim to assist in solving the homeless pet crisis that continues to increase every year. Approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide. Of those, approximately 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. Each year, approximately 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized (ASPCA, 2022). Many factors contribute to companion animal overpopulation, most commonly being the lack of affordable sterilization and veterinarian care, behavioral challenges, and a general lack of education surrounding responsible pet ownership. High Tails is working directly towards reducing the homeless animal population by rescuing dogs and cats, placing them into our foster program, and finding suitable adopters. We also strive to decrease the number of owner surrenders to shelters and animal controls, where pets may otherwise be euthanized, through animal welfare initiatives such as public education and pet owner assistance.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Adoption Services
We offer adoption services for the dogs and cats within our foster program to interested parties. Our adoptable animals are shared on our website and various third-party platforms such as social media and adoptable pet sites. All prospective adopters are thoroughly screened upon the submission of their adoption application including an interview, home check, and reference calls. Our team works closely with potential adopters to understand their preferences and lifestyle to match them with the best-suited pet. When an adopter is approved, they are introduced to the pet of their interest during a scheduled meet and greet. To officially adopt, the adopter must sign and adhere to the adoption agreement paired with paying the adoption fee. All adopters are provided with guidance during the pet's transition from the foster home to the adoptive home, followed by guidance post-adoption to ensure adoptions are a success.
Foster Program
We offer a foster program for interested individuals to house homeless dogs and cats in need of temporary placement until adoption as we do not have a physical shelter to house animals. All prospective foster families are thoroughly screened upon the submission of their foster application including an interview, home check, and reference calls. When a foster is approved, they are to complete online educational courses to obtain certifications as well as sign and adhere to the foster volunteer agreement. Our team works with every foster family individually to understand preferences, experiences, and lifestyles to carefully match the foster family to the pet, ensuring a harmonious and enjoyable experience. Once a family joins our foster program, they are provided with: veterinarian coverage by High Tails, direct round-the-clock support, curated foster care handbooks, professional training and behavioral support, and partner vets local to their area.
Volunteer Program
We offer a volunteer program for prospective volunteers. We have a wide range of volunteer opportunities that cater to individual skills and interests. All potential volunteers are thoroughly screened upon the submission of their volunteer application including an interview and reference calls. When a volunteer is approved, they are to sign and adhere to the volunteer agreement. To be hands-on with animals, we require online educational courses to be completed to obtain certifications. Our volunteer program fosters a kind and inclusive community of motivated individuals ready to help save lives. It is also a great way to gain experience in the animal field and gain volunteer hours. Our general volunteer opportunities include: fostering, events, pet transport, and remote or general assistance.
Animal Welfare/Resources
Advancing animal welfare and public education on proper pet ownership is part of our mission. We aim to increase access to reliable resources and guidance for pet owners. We work to inspire and empower a community of responsible pet owners through owner assistance, outreach programs, and providing credible resources. We believe change is rooted in education, and education helps keep owners and their beloved pets together and to reduce the number of surrendered pets to shelters and animal controls where they may otherwise be euthanized.
We also assist pet owners with responsible rehoming in the event we do not intake their pet(s) into our foster program, and we are unable to network alternative placement elsewhere. By sharing and assisting with credible rehoming third-party platforms, we educate pet owners on how to advertise and rehome their pets in a safe manner such as vetting potential adopters, spaying or neutering pets prior to rehoming, and how to write informative pet bios.
Rescue Services
We offer rescue services to homeless dogs and cats of all breeds, ages, backgrounds, and medical histories primarily from animal controls and shelters within Lake County and Cook County of Illinois. We also intake dogs and cats from animal controls and shelters from nearby areas and neighboring states where transportation is provided and if we have available space, however, the animals local to where we are based have priority placement within our foster program. All animals rescued are thoroughly evaluated for any behavioral concerns, temperament, and personality by either our team and/or designated third parties, such as kennel staff. We do not pull an animal from a shelter or animal control without a proper behavioral evaluation, conducted by an experienced individual, and health disclosures.
Owner surrenders, stray animals, and community felines are handled on a case-by-case basis.
Networking Services
We stress the importance of making long-lasting partnerships by connecting with fellow 501(c)(3) organizations, shelters, rescuers, volunteers, businesses, and more. We do not view the animal rescue field as a competition, but as a place to uplift and support one another towards a common goal; saving the lives of homeless pets in need.
We also extend our networking services to animals in need of placement that we are unable to intake into our foster program. We assist other organizations, owners, and rescuers with finding safe placements for animals as we believe no animal should be left behind.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of animals spayed and neutered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Adoption Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of animal adoptions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Adoption Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We aim to save, care for, and adopt out as many dogs and cats as possible without surpassing our means through our adoption services and our foster and volunteer programs. By working with a broad network consisting of volunteers, rescuers, organizations, and businesses, High Tails is able to save pets deserving of a second chance every year. High Tails provides the care needed to meet the individual needs of all our animals and safe temporary housing until our animals can be placed into their permanent homes. We also aim to serve as a resource to our local communities by providing information on proper pet ownership and owner assistance.
Through our efforts, we emphasize the importance of necessary medical care such as spay or neuter surgery, training, hardship assistance, general welfare, and more. We believe animals should not be euthanized due to lack of a home, and we are actively working towards the day when that is true for all companion animals.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We foster and rehome dogs and cats who are essentially homeless. All animals in our care are tested for common diseases, assessed behaviorally, provided with necessary medical care, vaccinated, and altered before they are adopted into permanent homes. Our team consists of pet experts who are knowledgeable about common dog and cat behavior issues and are available to advise foster, volunteers, and adopters regarding safe handling techniques and pet care.
Good customer service is a cornerstone of our philosophy. We want every person who encounters the organization to feel like they have been welcomed and accepted into our family. We also aim to adopt all dogs and cats under our care into permanent homes in order to enable us to take in and save more lives in need of our help. We are committed to making the adoption process as seamless as possible, and ensuring all our animals find permanent homes, no matter how long or how much effort it takes.
We intake dogs and cats from local shelters and animal controls to minimize euthanasia rates, rehabilitate as necessary, and adopt to the best-matched family. We will educate and promote responsible pet ownership including the importance of spay and neutering, annual vaccinations, and the significance of training, if needed, to prevent surrendering of pets.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We are capable of meeting our goals through a multitude of efforts to support the organization and its mission, and by creating a dependable network to save lives and assist pet owners. Through organizational fundraising and external donations, grants, and sponsorships, we are able to continue our mission and grow the organization to save lives and expand positive impacts. Through strategic marketing, advertising, and recruitment, we are able to grow our online presence and connect with individuals to increase our foster and volunteer programs and adopt out our dogs and cats as quickly and efficiently as possible to make room to save more lives in need.
Additionally, to ensure we are providing adequate assistance to pet owners, our team continues to expand their education on safe and proper handling techniques and stress-free pet care. In an ever-changing world, we strive to stay updated on new fact-based information to ensure all our animals receive the best care possible and to set our volunteers, animals, and families up for success. Through partnerships with local animal hospitals, businesses, and organizations, we are also able to provide up-to-date information and outreach initiatives.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We had a successful start-up in August 2022 and have diligently continued our efforts to grow our programs and services to save as many lives as possible. We are going to continue growing our foster and volunteer programs and expand our networks and partnerships, all for the good of animals in need of our help. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that does not receive any government funding, we rely on the generosity of others consisting of donations, sponsorships, and grants to help us continue our mission.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Financial data
High Tails Animal Rescue, NFP
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: 2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
| Revenue | |
|---|---|
| Contributions, Grants, Gifts | $2,141 |
| Program Services | $0 |
| Membership Dues | $0 |
| Special Events | $0 |
| Other Revenue | $683 |
| Total Revenue | $7,791 |
| Expenses | |
|---|---|
| Program Services | $1,005 |
| Administration | $874 |
| Fundraising | $144 |
| Payments to Affiliates | $0 |
| Other Expenses | $754 |
| Total Expenses | $2,778 |
High Tails Animal Rescue, NFP
Balance sheetFiscal Year: 2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
| Assets | |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,013 |
| Liabilities | |
|---|---|
| Total Liabilities | $0 |
| Fund balance (EOY) | |
|---|---|
| Net Assets | $5,013 |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
President
Bobi Shaw
Learn more at www.HighTailsNFP.org/about
There are no officers, directors or key employees recorded for this organization
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
High Tails Animal Rescue, NFP
Board of directorsas of 11/18/2023
Board of directors data
Bobi Shaw
Bobi Shaw
Lauren Shaw
Angelika Bolotnikov
Victoria Butkus
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
No data
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/18/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
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