Best Friends Animal Society
Donations deductibleRevenue
$173.8m
year to 30 September 2025
Expenses
$175.7m
year to 30 September 2025
Total assets
$194.7m
$57.3m liabilities
Net assets
$137.4m
assets less liabilities
Directors and trustees
12
7.0 years on average
Staff
1,119
14,000 volunteers
Chair observed
≥6 yrs
Alfred Battista
Left since last filing
0
no seats appear to have opened
Best Friends Animal Society's network
12 peoplei12 people on this map.The large node is the subject of this page. Solid lines are what the register itself records (12). Form 990 filings give names without a person identifier; SEC insider filings carry a CIK.The board
12 listediTime on the board is observed from the annual filings: the IRS files no appointment date, so the bar counts years from the first filing the person appears on - a lower bound, not a filed start date. Names are exactly as filed. The IRS publishes no person identifier, so this edition does not yet link a person across organisations.Time served and departures are observed across annual filings. Observed time served is a lower bound - a member may have joined before the first year on record. The organisation reported 12 voting members of its governing body on its latest Form 990 Part VI, which matches the board listed here.| Name | Role as filed | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred Battista Chair | Board Chair / Internal Consultant | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Abigail Jones | Board Vice-Chair | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Bernadette Mejia | Board Secretary / Director of Principal Gifts | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Cyrus Mejia | Co-Founder / Internal Consultant | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Denise Clark | Board Member | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Gregory Castle | Co-Founder / Internal Consultant | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Julianne Castle | Chief Executive Officer | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Lona Williams | Board Member | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Lynn Flanders | Board Treasurer | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Micarl Hill | Board Member | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| OKE Mueller | Board Member | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Phefelia NEZ | Board Member | 2024 | 2 yrs |
Officers and senior leadership
31 listediNamed in Part VII as officers, key employees or highest-compensated staff - not board members, shown for completeness.| Name | Title as filed | On the filings |
|---|---|---|
| Amy Starnes | Chief Innovation Officer | since 2021 |
| Angela Embree | CIO | since 2018 |
| Brent Toellner | Sr Dir of National Programs | 2019 |
| Charles Bradbury | General Manager of Hospitality | 2020 |
| Elise Traub | Sr. Director Office of External Affairs | since 2021 |
| Elissa Jones | Sr. Director, Communications and Creative | 2019 |
| Elysia Howard | Lead - Licensing & Corporate Partnerships | 2018 |
| Erika Arnold | Director - Process Excellence | since 2020 |
| Erika Westbay Arnold | Director, Process Excellence | 2024 |
| Erin Katribe | Director, National Veterinary Program | 2024 |
| Gregory Castle | CEO Emeritus | 2018 |
| Greta Palmer | Chief Brand & Communications Officer | since 2018 |
| Holly Sizemore | Chief Missions Officer | since 2018 |
| Jose Ocano | Sr. Director - Talent & Culture | since 2019 |
| Joseph Angelo | Chief People and Culture Officer | 2024 |
| Judah Battista | Chief Sanctuary Officer | since 2018 |
| Julianne Castle | Chief Executive Officer | since 2018 |
| Karen Gallardo | Sr. Director, Major and Planned Giving | since 2018 |
| Lisa Fielding | Director - Major Gifts | 2018 |
| Marc Peralta | Sr. Director - National No Kill Advancement | since 2018 |
| Mary McDonell | Sr. Director - Finance | 2021 |
| Nicole S Petschauer | Senior Veterinarian | 2018 |
| Paul Altherr | Executive Vice-President | 2018 |
| Rebecca Huss | General Counsel | since 2021 |
| Stephen Howell | COO/CFO | since 2019 |
| Susan Citro | Chief Experience Officer | since 2018 |
| Susan Cosby | Sr. Director - Lifesaving Centers | since 2021 |
| Tara Timpson | Staff Veterinarian | 2022 |
| Teresa Bodem | Director - Operations and Strategic Projects | 2018 |
| Teresa Bodem-Linebaugh | Dir of Opertaions and Strategic Projects | 2019 |
| Valerie Dorian | Chief Development Officer | since 2018 |
Pay and hours
year to 30 September 2025iFrom Part VII of the Form 990: compensation reported for each officer, director, trustee, key employee and highest-paid staff member, and the average hours a week they report. Most board members are unpaid; a blank means nothing was reported. Pay from related organisations is shown separately.| Name | Title as filed | Hours a week | Pay from the organisation | Related organisations | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julianne Castle | Board Member/Chief Executive Officer | 40 | $536k | $18k | |
| Stephen Howell | Chief Operating and Financial Officer | 40 | $459k | $43k | |
| Joseph Angelo | Chief People and Culture Officer | 40 | $300k | $16k | |
| Susan Citro | Chief Experience Officer | 40 | $296k | $28k | |
| Karen Gallardo | Sr Director, Major & Planned Giving | 40 | $284k | $20k | |
| Valerie Dorian | Chief Development Officer | 40 | $284k | $39k | |
| Rebecca Huss | General Counsel | 40 | $248k | $18k | |
| Holly Sizemore | Chief Mission Officer | 40 | $236k | $18k | |
| Judah Battista | Chief Sanctuary Officer | 40 | $234k | $31k | |
| Greta Palmer | Chief Marketing and Communications Officer | 40 | $232k | $18k | |
| Marc Peralta | Chief Program Officer | 40 | $226k | $31k | |
| Elise Traub | Chief External Affairs Officer & Chief of Staff | 40 | $224k | $16k | |
| Amy Starnes | Principal, Growth Initiatives | 40 | $220k | $28k | |
| Alfred Battista | Board Chair/Co-Founder/Internal Consultant | 40 | $204k | $24k | |
| Erika Westbay Arnold | Director, Process Excellence | 40 | $203k | $48k | |
| Susan Cosby | Sr Advisor, Strategy & Integration | 40 | $195k | $16k | |
| Bernadette Mejia | Board Member/Co-Founder/Director of Principal Gifts | 40 | $186k | $24k | |
| Gregory Castle | Board Member/Co-Founder/Internal Consultant | 40 | $178k | $21k | |
| Cyrus Mejia | Board Member/Co-Founder/Internal Consultant | 40 | $98k | $24k | |
| Abigail Jones | Board Vice-Chair | 1 | $0 | ||
| Denise Clark | Board Member | 1 | $0 | ||
| Lona Williams | Board Member | 1 | $0 | ||
| Lynn Flanders | Board Treasurer | 1 | $0 | ||
| Micarl Hill | Board Secretary | 1 | $0 | ||
| Oke Mueller | Board Member | 1 | $0 | ||
| Phefelia Nez | Board Member | 1 | $0 |
Colorado roster
23 listediOfficers, directors and trustees from the latest filing with the Colorado Secretary of State (document 20263026037). Titles are as filed; some entries are registered agents or custodians of records rather than board members. Source: data.colorado.gov, public domain.| Name | Title as filed |
|---|---|
| Denise Clark | Member |
| Abigail Jones | Vice Chair |
| Micarl Hill | Secretary |
| Lynn Flanders | Treasurer |
| Valerie Dorian | Chief Development Officer |
| Sue Citro | Chief Experience Officer |
| Marc Peralta | Chief Programs Officer |
| Judah Battista | Chief Sanctuary Officer |
| Francis Battista | Chairman |
| Anne Mejia | Member |
| Gabriel de Peyer | Member |
| Oke Mueller | Member |
| Lona Williams | Member |
| Phefelia Nez | Member |
| Elise Traub | Chief Ext. Affairs & Chief of Staff |
| Julie Castle | CEO / Member |
| Stephen Howell | |
| Julie Castle | CEO |
| Holly Sizemore | Chief Mission Officer |
| Stephen Howell | COO / CFO |
| Greta Palmer | Chief Mrktng & Comm. Officer |
| Mary McDonell | Senior Director, Business Operations |
| Cyrus Mejia | Member |
About
- Legal name
- Best Friends Animal Society
- EIN
- 237147797
- Address
- 5001 Angel Canyon Rd, Kanab, UT, 84741-5000
- State
- Utah
- Mission
- Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in America's shelters and making the entire country no-kill. Founded in 1984, Best Friends operates lifesaving facilities and programs nationwide in partnership with thousands of shelters and rescue groups. (as filed on the Form 990)
- Activity (NTEE)
- D200 Animal-related
- IRS classification
- 501(c)03 (tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) where shown)
- Classified purpose
- Animal-Related
- Size band
- 9 (IRS master file code)
- Formed
- 1984
- IRS ruling date
- 1 December 1971
- Status
- Code 01 (unconditional exemption)
- Form 990 filings on record
- 7, latest 2024
- IRS Publication 78
- PC (contributions deductible)
Most connected
Longest observed on the filings
≥8years on the filingsAlfred Battista
≥8years on the filingsBernadette Mejia
≥8years on the filingsCyrus Mejia
≥8years on the filingsGregory Castle
Latest return
year to 30 September 2025iFigures from the newest Form 990 or 990-EZ in the IRS e-file releases of 2025 and 2026, for the year ending 30 September 2025. US dollars, as filed.- Total assets
- $194.7m
- Total liabilities
- $57.3m
- Net assets or fund balances
- $137.4m
- Contributions and grants received
- $166m
- Program service revenue
- $954k
- Grants and similar paid out
- $15.5m
- Employees
- 1,119
- Volunteers
- 14,000
Filed finances
1 yeariTotals as filed on the IRS Form 990 (revenue and expenses), by tax year.| Tax year | Total revenue | Total expenses | Surplus or deficit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $148.3m | $173.4m | Deficit $25.1m |
As filed on the IRS Form 990. US dollars.
Grants paid
25+ listediFrom Schedule I of the Form 990: grants and assistance to organisations in the United States, largest first (up to 25). Schedule I is filed only by organisations that gave more than $5,000 to any one recipient.| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Pets Alive | Program service support | $1.1m |
| Jacksonville Humane Society | Program service support | $855k |
| Operation Kindness | Program service support | $726k |
| Mspca | Program service support | $520k |
| San Diego Humane Society | Program service support | $410k |
| Humane Society of North Texas | Program service support | $408k |
| The Underground Dog | Program service support | $359k |
| Richmond Animal League Inc | Program service support | $280k |
| Humane Society of Northeast Georgia | Program service support | $263k |
| Humane Society for Greater Savannah | Program service support | $241k |
| Homeward Trails Animal Rescue Inc | Program service support | $231k |
| Thomasville Thomas Cty Humane Society | Program service support | $226k |
| Paws for Life K9 Rescue | Program service support | $203k |
| Lafayette Animal Aid | Program service support | $199k |
| Animal Rescue League of Iowa | Program service support | $177k |
| Angel City Pit Bulls | Program service support | $168k |
| Little Traverse Bay Humane Society | Program service support | $139k |
| One Tail at a Time | Program service support | $137k |
| Rory to the Rescue | Program service support | $127k |
| One Tail at a Time PDX | Program service support | $126k |
| Belleville Area Humane Society | Program service support | $117k |
| Animal Care Centers of NYC | Program service support | $111k |
| Rankin County Sheriff Dept | Program service support | $104k |
| RezDawg Rescue | Program service support | $96k |
| Stray Cat Alliance | Program service support | $88k |
State registration
3 entitiesiBusiness-entity registers published by US states. These records are matched to this organisation by name and state, not by EIN, and are labelled as likely matches. Street addresses are not shown.Best Friends Animal Society likely matchiMatched by exact name and state (and ZIP where shown). State registers do not publish EINs, so this is not a confirmed match. Source: Colorado Secretary of State (CDOS), business entities (data.colorado.gov 4ykn-tg5h). Licence: public domain. Data last fetched 18 October 2026.
- State
- Colorado
- Entity type
- nonprofit corporation
- Status
- Good Standing
- Formed
- 15 March 2010
- Registered agent
- Incorp Services, Inc. (city and state not held)
This register does not publish officers or directors.
Best Friends Animal Society likely matchiMatched by exact name and state (and ZIP where shown). State registers do not publish EINs, so this is not a confirmed match. Source: Oregon Secretary of State, active business entities (data.oregon.gov tckn-sxa6). Licence not stated. Data last fetched 18 October 2026.
- State
- Oregon
- Entity type
- nonprofit corporation
- Status
- Active
- Formed
- 19 November 2025
- Registered agent
- Incorp Services, Inc. (city and state not held)
Best Friends Animal Society Inc likely matchiMatched by exact name and state (and ZIP where shown). State registers do not publish EINs, so this is not a confirmed match. Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, entity data (data.texas.gov 9cir-efmm). Licence not stated. Data last fetched 18 October 2026.
- State
- Texas
- Status
- Active
- Formed
- 27 August 2018
- Registered agent
- Not stated
This register does not publish officers or directors.