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PAWS UNITE PEOPLE INC
Rocky Point, NY · EIN 462371384 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE D20 · Animal-Related · Small ($100K-$1M) · pawsunitepeople.com
revenue
$198K
expenses
$198K
net assets
$1K
employees
—
program ratio
100%
mission · from form 990

Our mission is simple. We support animals and the people who love them when they need it the most through our animal welfare and humanitarian aid programs. We assist shelter, abused, and neglected animals in finding their purpose in life through rehabilitation and training. We help the people who care about them when they need us whenever we can. We believe in helping cats and dogs get a second chance in life. Through their interactions with people, they can bring hope to others. Our goal is always to help animals and the people who love them. There is always hope, all is not lost. One at a time, we strive to make a difference. The Beatles were right "Love is all you need." Our goal is to create programs designed to benefit both people and animals in their daily life interactions. We strive to help both animals and people when they need assistance. We believe both human and animal alike deserve help and a second chance. We support animals and humans in their time of need.

profile · synthesized from sources

Paws Unite People supports abused, neglected, and shelter animals through rehabilitation and training programs, helping them become therapy animals or find adoptive homes. The organization operates a rehabilitation center on Long Island and extends humanitarian aid to people connected with animals, including former animal rescue workers from Afghanistan and Maasai communities in Kenya. It also provides dog training support and adoption services, emphasizing mutual healing between animals and humans.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $151K
    P.U.P. 2nd Chance Program Luna's House Rehab Center: The goal of the 2nd Chance Program is to foster, rehabilitate, and train shelter cats and dogs. Candidates will be selected by our trainers through evaluation. They will be put through a rehabilitation and training program, and learn how to be the best pet they can be. We will help them find their purpose in life, whether it be as a therapy animal or a beloved family pet. We will work to find the animals permanent homes once they have completed the program. Luna's House is Paws Unite People's Rehabilitation Facility and is designed to benefit both people and animals in their daily life interactions. We believe both human and animal alike deserve assistance and a second chance. We have a Dog and Cat Rehabilitation Center open in East Patchogue, NY. Cats and Dogs are not kept in cages, they live in an open environment. We have special need adults come visit and work with the cats, we train our therapy animals there, and we use the space to rehabilitee abused, neglected, and shelter animals. The center address is: 1180 Montauk Highway East Patchogue, NY 11772
  2. #2 $3K
    P.U.P. Patriot: The P.U.P. Patriot program trains Veterans to assist shelter dogs in their training as they achieve therapy dog status. Those Veterans and their dogs will then visit VA Hospitals, Hospitals, Nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers bringing a little hope to those who need it most. Veterans suffering from PTSD will go through an additional program, so the dogs will be able to help them cope with their disorder.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Dog Training Help
Offers discounted dog training services for families in need; specializes in rehabilitation of dogs with behavioral issues from abuse, fear, aggression, or anxiety
Maasai Project
Partners with MAGSA-Outreach and Chief Joseph Ole Tipanko to build animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and water stations for Maasai communities in Kenya; improves animal care and community infrastructure
P.U.P. 2nd Chance Program - Luna's House Rehab Center
Fosters, rehabilitates, and trains shelter cats and dogs in an open, cage-free environment; prepares them for adoption or therapy roles; involves special needs adults in animal care
P.U.P. Abroad / Rescues Helping Rescuers
Provides humanitarian aid to former animal rescue workers and their families from Afghanistan who were stranded during the 2021 withdrawal; offers ongoing support during refugee processing
P.U.P. Patriot
Trains veterans to work with shelter dogs toward therapy dog certification; supports veterans with PTSD through animal-assisted therapy; dogs and veterans visit hospitals and care facilities
activities · 9 groups

What they do

  • Animal Welfare and Rescue Support 2 activities
    • International animal welfare partnerships in Egypt and Kuwait
      Provides case-by-case support to animal rescue partners in Egypt and Kuwait for the rehabilitation of abused cats and dogs.
    • Maasai community animal welfare and infrastructure development
      Collaborates with Maasai Chief Joseph Ole Tipanko through the MAGSA-Outreach program to improve animal welfare by constructing an animal shelter, veterinary clinic, and water stations in Maasai communities in Kenya; trains domesticated dogs to support community needs and addresses challenges related to stray animals and wildlife.
  • Animal-Assisted Support Services 2 activities
    • P.U.P. Patriot program for veterans and shelter dogs
      Trains veterans, including those with PTSD, to rehabilitate shelter dogs into therapy animals; the resulting teams visit VA hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers to provide therapeutic support.
    • Therapeutic engagement of special needs adults with cats
      Engages special needs adults in structured, therapeutic interactions with cats at the rehabilitation center to support emotional and cognitive well-being.
  • Animal Protection Advocacy & Campaigns 1 activity
    • Advocacy against the dog and cat meat trade
      Collaborates with the No Dog/Cat Meat campaign to combat cruelty and end the commercial dog and cat meat trade.
  • Rescue Dog Behavioral Training and Adoption Support 1 activity
    • Discounted dog training services for families in need
      Offers subsidized dog training sessions addressing basic obedience and complex behavioral issues to support pet retention and improve human-animal bonds for families with limited resources.
  • Animal Adoption Services 1 activity
    • Dog and cat rehabilitation and adoption program
      Operates a cage-free dog and cat rehabilitation center in East Setauket (and formerly East Patchogue), NY, providing shelter, medical care, behavioral training, and adoption services for abused, neglected, and shelter animals. Includes full veterinary care (spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping, parasite prevention, dental work, and age-appropriate treatments), dietary transition support, and lifelong post-adoption assistance to adopters.
  • Structured Animal Adoption Program 1 activity
    • Public visitation program with animals in care
      Offers scheduled opportunities for the public to interact with dogs and cats at the rehabilitation center to promote adoption and community engagement.
  • Refugee and Immigrant Resettlement Services 1 activity
    • Support for Afghan animal rescue workers and families
      Provides case-by-case survival and relocation support to former Kabul Small Animal Rescue staff and families who were unable to evacuate Afghanistan in August 2021, including individuals associated with Operation Magic Carpet stranded in Pakistan.
  • Pet Food and Supply Pantry Services 1 activity
    • Support for Long Island families to prevent pet relinquishment
      Provides assistance to Long Island families experiencing temporary hardships to help them retain their pets and avoid surrender to shelters.
  • Humane Education and Responsible Pet Ownership 1 activity
    • Training and capacity building for animal rescue volunteers
      Provides education and training to members and volunteers of animal rescue groups to strengthen their operational effectiveness and animal care practices.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$198K
Contributions & grants$198K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$198K
Program expenses100%
Admin / overhead0%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$59K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$1K
Cash$988
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$1K
Liquid reserves0.1 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -18.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 1
  • Meredith M Festa — Director of Programs/President
relationships · 11

Who they work with

  • Adopt-A-Pet Partner — Lists adoptable animals on the Adopt-A-Pet platform.
  • Chief Joseph Partner — Collaborating to build an animal shelter, veterinary clinic, and water stations for Maasai communities in Kenya.
  • Chief Joseph Ole Tipanko Partner — Collaborates with Paws Unite People on animal welfare and infrastructure projects in the Maasai village.
  • Kabul Small Animal Rescue Partner — Supporting former staff and families who were unable to evacuate Afghanistan during the 2021 withdrawal.
  • Long Island Partner — Geographic focus area for family and pet support services
  • MAGSA-Outreach Partner — Collaborating to improve animal care resources and training for domesticated dogs within the Maasai community.
  • Meredith Festa Partner — Receives mail on behalf of Paws Unite People at a personal address.
  • No Dog/Cat meat campaign Partner — Working together to end cruelty in the dog and cat meat industry.
  • Operation Magic Carpet Partner — Providing support to 58 individuals associated with the operation who were left without assistance in Pakistan.
  • The Festa's Partner — Provides mailing address and administrative support for Paws Unite People.
  • VA Hospitals Partner — Veterans and therapy dogs from the P.U.P. Patriot program visit VA Hospitals as part of therapeutic outreach.
strategies · 2

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.

  • Integrated Human-Animal Bond Model
    methodology: integrated_human-animal_support
    By leveraging the human-animal bond as a dual-purpose intervention, the organization advances both animal welfare and human well-being, because shared therapeutic experiences—such as co-training or caregiving—create reciprocal benefits that neither group could achieve in isolation.
  • Reciprocal Human-Animal Therapeutic Rehabilitation
    methodology: reciprocal_human-animal_therapeutic_rehabilitation
    By engaging vulnerable human populations (such as veterans and special needs adults) in the rehabilitation of abused or neglected animals, both parties experience mutual healing and developmental growth, because structured, purposeful interaction fosters emotional regulation, responsibility, and relational trust in both species.