What they reported doing
- #1 primary $18.19MPET RESCUE AND ADOPTION: NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE AMERICA OPERATES THE LARGEST "NO KILL" ANIMAL ADOPTION CENTER IN THE WORLD. WE ARE A WORLD LEADER IN SETTING BEST PRACTICES FOR ADOPTION. WE ADOPT DOGS, CATS, PUPPIES AND KITTENS FROM OUR PORT WASHINTON, NY HEADQUARTERS AND FACILITATE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ADOPTIONS EACH YEAR WORKING WITH OUR NETWORK OF OVER 2,000 SHELTER PARTNERS. THE LEAGUE CONDUCTS AN INTERNATIONAL PET ADOPTATHON WHERE SHELTERS ACROSS THE WORLD JOIN US IN STAYING OPEN FOR 36 CONSECUTIVE HOURS TO ADOPT AS MANY ANIMALS AS POSSIBLE AND A TOUR FOR LIFE WHERE MOBILE UNITS RESCUE AND ADOPT ANIMALS FROM SHELTERS. THE LEAGUE HAS ADOPTED OUT OVER 1.2 MILLION ANIMALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1944. THE MUTT-I-GREES INITIATIVE WAS IMPLEMENTED NATIONALLY BY THE LEAGUE AS A KEY ELEMENT IN INCREASING SHELTER PET ADOPTIONS IN AN EFFORT TO ELEVATE MIXED BREED DOGS TO A HIGHER STATUS IN THE EYES OF POTENTIAL ADOPTERS. OUR ADOPTERS ARE ASKED TO ADD THEIR NEWLY ADOPTED PET AS WELL AS ANY OTHER SHELTER RESCUE PETS THAT THEY HAVE OWN TO OUR MUTT-I-GREES REGISTRY. THIS INCLUDED THEM AS PART OF THE MUTT-I-GREES COMMUNITY, WHICH ELEVATES THE VALUE OF ALL MUTT-I-GREES (SHELTER AND RESCUED ANIMALS) TO REDUCE ANIMAL CRUELTY.
- #2 $5.91MHUMANE EDUCATION: THE LEAGUE CONDUCTS HUMANE EDUCATION THROUGH A MULTIFACETED APPROACH. EDUCATION MATERIAL IS PROVIDED VIA DIRECT MAIL, WEBSITE, AND THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIA INCLUDING NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, RADIO AND TV. THE MUTT-I-GREES CURRICULUM IS AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM THAT BUILDS ON CHILDREN'S AFFINITY FOR ANIMALS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS AND DESIRABILITY OF MUTT-I-GREES, OR SHELTER PETS. THE GOAL OF THE MUTT-I-GREES CURRICULUM IS TO ENABLE CHILDREN TO GROW UP TO BE CALM, CONFIDENT AND CARING. THE CURRICULUM TEACHES SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS AND IS UNIQUE IN ITS BRIDGING OF HUMANE EDUCATION AND SEL IS A PROCESS BY WHICH CHILDREN LEARN TO MANAGE THEIR EMOTIONS, GET ALONG WITH OTHERS, HAVE EMPATHY AND COMPASSION, AND DISCOVER ESSENTIAL TEAMWORK SKILLS, THESE SKILLS ARE IMPORTANT IN LIFE, BUT ALSO IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. STUDIES SHOW THAT CHILDREN DO BETTER IN SCHOOL WHEN THEY ARE SOCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY COMPETENT. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE CURRICULUM IS VIEWED AS A SOCIAL AND INTELLECTUAL PATH TO A NO-KILL NATION, A PATH THAT WILL LEAD TO THE ADOPTION OF A DOG OR CAT FROM A SHELTER AS THE ONLY RESPONSIBLE CHOICE FOR YOUNG ADULTS TO MAKE.
What they call their work
What they do
-
Animal Protection Advocacy & Campaigns 1 activity
- Advancing shelter pet adoption through the Mutt-i-Grees InitiativeRuns the national Mutt-i-Grees Initiative to elevate the status of mixed-breed dogs and increase shelter pet adoptions, including maintaining a registry that fosters a community around rescued and shelter animals.
-
-
Animal Rescue Volunteer Coordination 1 activity
- Conducting large-scale adoption events and mobile rescue operationsOrganizes the International Pet Adoptathon, during which shelters worldwide remain open for 36 consecutive hours to maximize adoptions, and runs a Tour for Life with mobile units that rescue and adopt out animals from shelters across the country.
-
-
Humane Education and Responsible Pet Ownership 1 activity
- Delivering humane education and promoting shelter pet adoption through the Mutt-i-Grees CurriculumImplements the Mutt-i-Grees Curriculum nationally to promote social-emotional learning in children while encouraging shelter pet adoption; includes programs like the Summer Reading Program where students read to adoptable animals. Delivers curriculum content through direct mail, website, print media, radio, and TV.
-
-
Structured Animal Adoption Program 1 activity
- Operating a no-kill animal adoption center and facilitating pet adoptionsOperates the largest no-kill animal adoption center in the world at its Port Washington, NY headquarters, providing long-term compassionate care and facilitating tens of thousands of pet adoptions annually. The organization has adopted out over 1.2 million dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens since 1944 through its direct operations and a network of over 2,000 shelter partners.
-
-
Rescue and Adoption of Cats 1 activity
- Providing regional cat adoption services in upstate New YorkOperates the Adirondack Region Cat Adoption Center in upstate New York, offering compassionate care and adoption services specifically for cats.
-
-
Pre-Adoption Veterinary Care for Shelter Animals 1 activity
- Providing veterinary and medical care for shelter animalsProvides 24-hour veterinary care for sheltered pets through an on-site medical center, including rescue and treatment for severe health conditions such as feline stomatitis. Also offers low-cost veterinary services and operates Spay USA, a nationwide referral network for affordable spay/neuter procedures.
-
Who runs it
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| J JOHN STEVENSON | PRESIDENT/CE | 40 | $522K |
| MARK VERDINO | SNR VP & CHI | 40 | $252K |
| JILL BURKHARDT | SNR VP OF DE | 40 | $251K |
| JOANNE YOHANNAN | SNR VP OF OP | 40 | $251K |
| DIANA RUSSO ALBINO | SNR VP OF HR | 40 | $241K |
| VALERIE FIELDS | SVP/CFO-OUTG | 40 | $229K |
| GAMAL YOUSRY | SNR STAFF VE | 40 | $216K |
| MARINA TEJADA | SUPERVISING | 40 | $172K |
| DIANA ZAFERIOU | VP OF STRATE | 40 | $167K |
| DIANE JOHNSON | VP OF SHELTE | 40 | $166K |
| GERARD LAHENEY | SUPERVISING | 40 | $161K |
| VALERIE T CANNY | SVP/CFO-INCO | 40 | $49K |
- BETH STERN — DIRECTOR
- DONALD LAROCCA JR — TREASURER/DI
- JOHN CUSIMANO — DIRECTOR
- NORMA MEEK DECEASED 112024 — DIRECTOR
- RACHAEL RAY — DIRECTOR
- YASUKO YAMAGUCHI — SECRETARY/DI
Who they work with
- Beth Stern Partner — National Spokesperson, Board Member, and Foster Parent for North Shore Animal League America.
- Border Animal Mission Partner — Shelter partner in Texas receiving emergency support during flooding crisis.
- Friends of Jefferson Animals Partner — Rescue partner that transferred puppies, including Binky, to North Shore Animal League America.
- SPAY USA Partner — Spay USA is a program of North Shore Animal League America, functioning as a nationwide referral network for affordable spay/neuter services.
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Mutt-i-Grees Curriculum: Humane Education for Empathy and Adoption Normsmethodology: humane_educationBy integrating humane education with social-emotional learning in children—through programs like reading to animals and classroom curricula—the organization fosters compassion and lifelong responsibility toward animals, because early emotional engagement creates future adopters and shifts cultural perceptions of shelter pets.
- No-Kill Philosophy as Standard of Caremethodology: no-killBy adhering to a no-kill philosophy, the organization ensures that all healthy and treatable companion animals are saved from euthanasia due to time or space constraints, because preserving life builds public trust and enables longer-term adoption pathways.