irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $264KRAISING EXPLOSIVE-DETECTION CANINES IN PRISON:PBB RAISES EXPLOSIVE-DETECTION CANINES (EDCS) FOR WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN TWO PRISONS IN NEW YORK. AN AVERAGE OF 40 INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS TAKE PART IN OUR PROGRAM, RAISING 16 TO 20 DOGS AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THE TRAINING PROCESS TAKES APPROXIMATELY 10 MONTHS, AND BETWEEN 16 AND 20 OF THESE DOGS GRADUATE EACH YEAR. OUR EDCS HAVE GONE TO WORK TO DETECT EXPLOSIVES OR ACCELERANTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE, WESTCHESTER COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND ATF ARE JUST A FEW OF THE AGENCIES THAT USE PBB DOGS. THEY SCREEN COURTHOUSES AND OTHER GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, CHECK STADIUMS BEFORE BALL GAMES, AND HELP SOLVE ARSON CASES AND PROVIDE MANY OTHER SERVICES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
- #2 $588KEMPLOYMENT OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS:INCARCERATED PUPPY-RAISERS IN OUR PROGRAM BECOME EXPERT DOG TRAINERS AND GAIN INTERPERSONAL SKILLS AS WELL. THEY MUST WORK AS PART OF A TEAM TO SOLVE PROBLEMS, ATTEND RIGOROUS WEEKLY CLASSES, DO WRITTEN HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, AND MAINTAIN A DAILY JOURNAL OF THEIR PUPPIES'PROGRESS. THEIR LITERACY AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS ARE ENHANCED, AND THEY BENEFIT FROM THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE PROVIDED BY THE DOGS AS WELL. RATHER THAN BIDING THEIR TIME WHILE INCARCERATED, THE PBB PROGRAM ALLOWS THEM TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY THAT IS A SOURCE OF PRIDE AND SELF-CONFIDENCE. MANY ARE HIRED FOR DOG-RELATED JOBS AFTER PAROLE. PBB CURRENTLY EMPLOYS FIVE FORMERLY INCARCERATED PUPPY-RAISERS AS PART OF ITS FULL-TIME STAFF. ALL FIVE WORK AS INSTRUCTORS TEACHING CURRENTLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS BY THEIR EXAMPLE WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH HARD WORK AND DEDICATION AFTER INCARCERATION. ONE IS ALSO DIRECTOR OF THE SERVICE DOG PROGRAM FOR WOUNDED VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS, AND ONE IS THE DIRECTOR OF VOLUNTEERS. A FOURTH STAFF MEMBER IS DIRECTOR OF SOCIALIZATION FOR YOUNG PUPPIES. A FIFTH STAFF MEMBER IS THE DIRECTOR OF DOG SOCIALIZATION.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Dog Tags®: Service Dogs for Those Who’ve Served US®
Trains and places service dogs with combat veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who have physical injuries or PTSD, including traumatic brain injury
Explosive-Detection Canines (EDCs)
Trains dogs raised in prison to detect explosives for law enforcement agencies
Facility Dogs for Police Departments
Trains therapy dogs placed with police departments to support officers and community outreach
Service Dogs for First Responders
Provides service dogs to first responders with PTSD or physical injuries, offering full training and support at no cost to the recipient
activities · 2 groups
What they do
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Animal-Assisted Support Services 7 activities
- Breeding and raising service dogs in correctional facilitiesOperates a program to breed and raise service dogs in-house, placing puppies in correctional facilities at 8 weeks of age where they are raised by incarcerated individuals for approximately 24 months, with early and continuous socialization from birth. Exposes puppies to diverse environments and stimuli within prisons and through structured community exposure programs.
- Documenting and sharing program outcomesDistributed free photo booklets documenting the first group of puppies raised at Green Haven Correctional Facility, including their graduation and placement with veterans and active-duty police partners.
- Engaging incarcerated individuals in puppy raisingEngages approximately 150 incarcerated individuals annually as puppy raisers in its program, providing structured responsibility and fostering empathy through dog training and care.
- Historical and operational continuityHas been operating since 1997, facilitating interactions between incarcerated individuals and service dogs for public benefit, and has raised more than 2,000 puppies to date.
- Providing long-term post-placement support for veteran-service dog teamsConducts routine and extensive follow-up with veteran-service dog teams after placement, retains ownership of the dog for life to ensure performance, and provides ongoing support, advice, and feedback to veterans for years after placement.
- Training and placing service dogs with veterans and first respondersConducts two annual team training sessions that pair veterans, first responders, and police officers with service and therapy dogs. Provides final, individualized training for service dogs matched with disabled veterans based on specific needs, and covers all costs—including lodging, meals, and transportation—for participants attending the 14-day training program in upstate NY.
- Training service dogs for public benefitTrains service, therapy, and explosive-detection canines that improve the lives of hundreds of individuals annually, with each dog receiving at least 10,000 hours of socialization before placement.
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Animal Rescue Volunteer Coordination 1 activity
- Providing community exposure for service puppiesRuns volunteer-based community exposure programs including weekend puppy sitting, “Puppies by the Hour” day trips, and weekly shuttles to Manhattan to ensure service puppies are socialized in diverse urban environments.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$4.92M
Contributions & grants$3.85M78%
Program service revenue$114K2%
Investment income$956K19%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$3.96M
Program expenses92%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$2.05M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$24.58M
Cash$533K
Investments$15.69M
Liabilities$1.57M
Net assets$23.01M
Liquid reserves49.2 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +10.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 6
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLORIA GILBERT STOGA | PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER | 60 | $413K |
| DOUGLAS J HAMILTON | DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT | 40 | $202K |
| CARL ROTHE | DIRECTOR OF EDC PROGRAMS & | 40 | $200K |
| NORA MORAN | DIRECTOR, DOG TAGS, & INST | 40 | $157K |
| DARRYL TYSON | DIRECTOR OF VOLUNTEERS & I | 40 | $155K |
| ANAIS ZAFRA | DATABASE MANAGER | 40 | $149K |
board members · 8
- ALAN LAWRENCE — CHAIR
- AMY R PASQUARIELLO — SECRETARY
- ERIC JOHNSON — DIRECTOR
- ERIN BRIGGS — INVESTMENT TREASURER
- GORDON VENEKLASEN — DIRECTOR
- JIM HODGES — DIRECTOR
- MAX JAFFE — INVESTMENT
- PETER KROSS — DIRECTOR
relationships · 12
Who they work with
- Animal Charities of America Network — Puppies Behind Bars is a participating member.
- Bedford Hills Correctional Facility Partner — Hosts Puppies Behind Bars program and allows puppies access to facility spaces.
- Charity Navigator Government — Independent evaluator that has awarded Puppies Behind Bars fourteen consecutive 4-star ratings.
- Combined Federal Campaign Network — Puppies Behind Bars is a participating member (CFC #11902).
- Douglas J. Hamilton Partner — Director of Development at Puppies Behind Bars, responsible for providing information on estate planning and managing donor relationships.
- Downstate Correctional Partner — Hosts Puppies Behind Bars team training for veterans and service dogs at its men’s maximum-security facility.
- Fishkill Correctional Facility Partner — One of the New York State correctional facilities where Puppies Behind Bars operates.
- Napanoch Correctional Facility Partner — One of the New York State correctional facilities where Puppies Behind Bars operates.
- Ossining Correctional Facility Partner — One of the New York State correctional facilities where Puppies Behind Bars operates.
- Otisville Correctional Facility Partner — One of the New York State correctional facilities where Puppies Behind Bars operates.
- Wallkill Correctional Facility Partner — One of the New York State correctional facilities where Puppies Behind Bars operates.
- police departments Partner — Receives facility dogs and explosive-detection canines trained by Puppies Behind Bars for use in law enforcement operations.
strategies · 3
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.
- Adaptive Career Pathing for Service Dogsmethodology: career-path flexibilityBy assessing dogs' behavioral responses during early training and redirecting them to suitable working roles, the organization increases graduation rates and program effectiveness, because flexibility in role assignment maximizes each dog’s innate strengths and training outcomes.
- Positive Reinforcement as Therapeutic Practicemethodology: positive_reinforcement_therapyBy teaching veterans to use positive reinforcement techniques with service dogs, the organization supports cognitive and emotional rehabilitation, because the consistent, reward-based interaction builds trust, reduces trauma responses, and reinforces healthy behavioral patterns in both human and dog.
- Reciprocal Rehabilitation Modelmethodology: reciprocal_rehabilitationBy engaging incarcerated individuals in the training of service dogs, the organization produces therapeutic benefits and skill-building for the trainers while simultaneously raising highly trained working dogs, because the structured responsibility and emotional connection foster mutual healing and personal growth.