One year · Two countries · One mission
Impact Report
2025
Animals helped. Communities empowered.
Our Mission
To improve the welfare of street dogs and cats in Asia through emergency response, treatment, sterilization and community engagement, while empowering the people who deliver this work.
A message from our Managing Director
A Defining Year
Dear Animal People Alliance Supporters and Friends,
Eighteen thousand, two hundred and eight. That is how many times an APA team member knelt beside an animal in 2025: to dress a wound on a Kolkata street corner, vaccinate a village dog in the hills above Chiang Rai, or carry a patient into surgery. It is the largest number in this report, but not the most important one. The most important ones are these: two countries, one mission, and a team who prove every day that helping animals and empowering people are the same work.
In Kolkata, our 24/7 emergency model matured. Alongside the ambulance, our new rapid-response motorbike team, led by Doni (whose story you will read in these pages), began reaching animals in lanes no ambulance can enter, taking trauma care, vaccination and sterilization to animals most organizations never see.
In Chiang Rai, the sanctuary ran at capacity while our all-women Akha team carried treatment, sterilization drives and owner education deeper into the hill villages than ever before. Across the two programs we delivered 2,018 vaccinations and 605 sterilizations, and 44 animals began new lives in loving homes. And because every member of our Chiang Rai workforce is an Akha woman, and our Kolkata team comes from the communities it serves, every one of those numbers carries a second story: salaries paid, families supported and careers built. At APA, we believe local communities are the experts in their own development. That is why our platforms feature the leaders, practitioners, and partners driving this work on the ground, sharing their own stories and solutions firsthand.
Helping animals and empowering people are the same work.
We did it all on income that came entirely from individual supporters like you, with 80 cents of every dollar spent going directly to program delivery, ahead of the norm for animal-welfare charities and well above the average across US nonprofits, and we closed the year with reserves strong enough to keep the work running through whatever comes. And that accountability is on the public record: Animal People Alliance has held the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly GuideStar) every year since 2022: four consecutive years of public reporting.
Two notes belong beside those numbers. Administration ran higher than usual as we built out the systems a growing organization needs, including a new CRM and donation platform that cuts our transaction and ticketing fees from here on: capital spent once, saving every year after, and a share we expect to fall. And favorable exchange rates let us front-load early-2026 India program costs into 2025. It was also the first year we put part of our reserve to work in a diversified investment portfolio, so that money held for a rainy day now grows quietly in the background.
In 2026 we go further: two dedicated street teams in Kolkata, more outreach days and formal vet-tech training in Chiang Rai, and the first groundwork for our third program: a donkey sanctuary. Mexico is where our next chapter begins: a new country, a new animal, and the same conviction that has carried us from the start: that wherever an animal suffers and a community is ready to act, there is work worth doing. It is early days, but we are building it the way we have built everything: patiently, locally, and led by the people who call that place home.
None of this happens by accident. On the ground, Nafiza and Jeed lead our India and Thailand programs with extraordinary skill and heart. And behind the scenes, our western team has quietly grown too. Lisa Ng, who leads our advisory team, has brought experience that has been key to building out our donor experience and the systems that hold everything together. Neil Symons has gone from supporter to driving our fundraising forward. Both joined us in 2025, and I want to thank them for the significant mark they have already made. And through it all, Ben Glenn remains an important constant, a trustee whose steady commitment we never take for granted.
And then there are our co-founders, Belinda and Paul. They truly live and breathe the foundation they created, pouring their hearts into it daily from behind the scenes. What drives them has never been APA as an institution: it is the animal needing help and the person kneeling beside it, and an unshakeable belief that those two things are one and the same. Whatever the hour, whatever the time zone, they are always there, solving problems, steadying the team, and carrying us forward in countless ways that never make it into a report. Almost all of this goes unseen, which is exactly why it needs to be said here, and I’m unapologetic in calling this out. Without their unwavering dedication, this organization would simply not be what it is today. To them, and to the many others working behind the scenes: thank you.
And thank you, most of all, to you… for reading, for giving, and for standing with us. Every number in this report is yours as much as ours.
Mark HarveyManaging Director (Volunteer Role)
times an APA team member knelt beside an animal in 2025.
Where we work
Two programs, one model
Care delivered where the animal is, by people from the communities we serve.
24/7 RESPONSE
Kolkata • India
A street-level emergency model: mobile veterinary ambulance plus a rapid-response motorbike team taking trauma care, vaccination and sterilization to animals most NGOs never reach.
100% WOMEN TEAM
Chiang Rai • Thailand
High quality sanctuary care for special-needs animals, mobile outreach into Akha hill-tribe villages and high-volume sterilization, delivered by a workforce that is 100% Akha women.
Across both programs
2025 in Numbers
18,208Treatments & interventions
2,018Vaccinations
administered
605Sterilizations
Completed
44Animals
rehomed
| Metric | Running total to end of 2024 | 2025 actuals |
|---|---|---|
| Treatments / interventions | 85,000 | 18,208 |
| Vaccinations | 18,400 | 2,018 |
| Sterilizations | 10,300 | 605 |
| Animals rehomed | 633 | 44 |
Methodology2024 totals were filed with Candid on a broader counting basis; from 2025 we report at animal level.
Kolkata counts interventionsEach clinical encounter, including repeat treatments on the same animal.
Chiang Rai counts animals helpedEach individual animal, however many times we treat it, so direct comparison understates depth of care.
Where we work · India
Kolkata
When an animal is injured or in distress anywhere in our catchment, our team is on the scene fast: trauma care on the spot, transport to partner clinics, follow-up to prevent repeat harm.
24/7 emergency response: ambulance plus rapid-response motorbike team.
Clinical care on-street and via partners: trauma, wounds, infection, mange, recovery.
Prevention: targeted rabies vaccination and sterilization alongside treatment.
Community engagement: reporting pathways, owner education, follow-up checks.
Why it matters. Municipal provision is limited and most NGOs focus on shelters. We take care to the animal, where it is, when it is needed.
Rescue story · Chiang Rai
Meet Clover
If you’ve been following us for a while you may recall the story of Clover. This sweet, precious girl was found at a local trash dump, barely hanging on to life: emaciated, covered in sores and severely traumatized from abuse and neglect, from both animals and people. Our Thailand team took her in and spent months healing her wounds; her mental trauma took far longer. Today she is thriving: comfortable around staff and other animals, and she loves to play and run. She formed a great bond with our tripod, Depp, and the two are inseparable.
2026 — What we're building
01 · CoverageExtended hours and a broader catchment for better coverage and faster response.
02 · CapacityA second ambulance to cut downtime when the primary unit is on a long call.
03 · TeamsTwo dedicated street teams with standard kit and protocols, scaling without losing consistency.
04 · MexicoFirst groundwork for our third program: a donkey sanctuary in Mexico.
05 · SustainabilityWorking with existing projects on self-sustainability models.
Where we work · Thailand
Chiang Rai
Long-term sanctuary care plus mobile outreach into remote hill-tribe villages, delivered by a workforce that is 100% women from the local Akha community.
Sanctuary care for special-needs animals (blind, deaf, amputees) and recovery cases.
Mobile outreach to Akha villages: treatment, vaccination and owner education where nothing else reaches.
High-volume sterilization drives to stabilize populations and reduce suffering at source.
Rehoming pathways, plus long-term care for animals who cannot be rehomed.
Pre-school education: safe interaction and animal care for the next generation of owners.
2026 · ReachMore clinic and outreach days.
2026 · CapabilityFormalized vet-tech training for senior staff.
2026 · OutcomesHigher adoption rates, home and abroad.
Our second bottom line
Empowerment through employment
In Chiang Rai, our delivery model and our development model are the same model.
100%Of Chiang Rai workforce is women
100%From the Akha tribal community
5–7 yrsTenure of our senior team
A salary is only the beginning. Stable income in a region with few formal jobs means school fees paid and households secured; progression turns a first job into a career: animal caregiver to team lead to assistant director. And because our staff come from the villages we serve, every hire deepens trust no outside team could build.
“We don’t just employ the team that delivers
our work — the team is the work.”Animal People Alliance
MEET THE TEAM
Doni & Ankana
Kolkata
Doni
Senior Assistant to the Field Director · Lead, rapid-response motorbike team
Doni is from the Jalpaiguri area of northern West Bengal and comes from a disadvantaged background that required her to grow up quickly and become fiercely independent from a young age.
She spent much of her early life determined to build a better future and held onto a strong desire to work with animals. That dream took flight at APA: over seven years, her dedication, compassion, and natural talent have made her Senior Assistant to our Field Director, Tushar.
Today, Doni also heads our rapid-response motorbike team, reaching animals in lanes no ambulance can enter, calming even the most frightened patients, and earning deep respect from colleagues and communities alike. Her journey from a difficult beginning to a position of leadership is a powerful example of how opportunity, determination, and meaningful work can change a life.
7 years — from difficult beginning to team leader
Chiang Rai
Ankana
Assistant Director of the Shelter
Ankana began five years ago as a shelter assistant, feeding, bathing and caring for animals. Dedication and a strong work ethic carried her into leadership: she is now Assistant Director and the trusted right hand of our Director, Jeed.
She earned her driver’s license, leads rescues independently, and drives outreach and grassroots fundraising. As an Akha community member, she is our bridge of trust into the villages we serve, and her income provides real stability for her family.
Outside the shelter, Ankana is a devoted mother to an amazing daughter. Her work has given her more than a job: it has given her the opportunity to build a stable life for her family while becoming a leader in her community. She is a powerful example of what happens when people are given the opportunity to grow, take responsibility, and use their skills to create lasting change for both animals and the people around them.
Shelter assistant → Assistant Director in 5 years
Looking ahead
Our 2026 Plan
Targets set per program, on each program’s own counting basis.
Kolkata, India · counts interventions
| Metric | 2026 target |
|---|---|
| Treatments / interventions | 10,200 |
| Vaccinations | 1,000 |
| Sterilizations | 600 |
| Animals rehomed | 10 |
Assumptions: second ambulance by Q2 · two street teams by Q1 · extended hours.
Chiang Rai, Thailand · counts animals helped
| Metric | 2026 target |
|---|---|
| Animals helped | 1,170 |
| Vaccinations | 540 |
| Sterilizations | 550 |
| Animals rehomed | 60 |
Assumptions: full shelter capacity · added outreach days · vet-tech progression. Rehoming includes the Chance Foundation channel.
Mexico · New, coming soon
Our third program
Laying the groundwork for co-founder Belinda Carlisle’s vision: a donkey sanctuary in Mexico combining rescue (medical care, feeding and rehabilitation) with caregiver training and employment for marginalized community members, plus education and outreach in surrounding communities. Partnerships and funding are now being established; targets will follow once the model is set.
Every target on this page has a fundable line item behind it: a vehicle, a salary, a clinic day.
Accountability
Financial Overview
FY2025 · Final Figures
$0.80
of every $1 went directly to program delivery in FY2025
79.9%
of total spending, delivered as care on the ground
Candid (formerly GuideStar) Platinum Seal · every year since 2022
1 · Income
| Source | FY2025 |
|---|---|
| Individual giving | $137,306 |
| Investment income | $5,368 |
| Total income | $142,674 |
100% funding independence. All FY2025 income came from individual donors: no institutional grants or in-kind support.
2 · Where the money went
$170,877
Read with the note below: both program and overhead figures run higher than a typical year, by design.
3 · Reserves & sustainability
$155,336
12+ months of operating cost. Enough to keep programs running for at least a year, even through a funding gap. Held across operating cash and, for the first time in 2025, a diversified investment portfolio.
Why it matters. Reserves above the 3–6 month range funders typically look for.
Where dollars land. Kolkata, India, delivered with partner APAK. Chiang Rai, Thailand, with The Chance Foundation.
Why 2025 costs ran higher
Program — a note on timing: favorable INR/USD rates let us front-load Q1 2026 India program costs into 2025 spend, so 2025 expenditure includes part of next year’s delivery.
Overheads — building for scale: our new CRM and donation platform cut transaction and ticketing fees from here on, plus a one-time $6,503 website and storytelling investment. Capital spent once, saving every year after; we expect this share to fall in 2026.
How we compare
Charity Navigator sector benchmarks: 70%+ earns its highest program-expense score.
Accountability
Reserve at Year-End
At the close of FY2025, APA held $154,214 in reserve, enough to sustain program delivery for at least 12 months without new donations.
How it's held
| Holding | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | $93,883 | 60.9% |
| Equities | $33,891 | 22.0% |
| Fixed income & preferreds | $22,901 | 14.9% |
| Alternatives | $3,540 | 2.3% |
| Total held | $154,214 | 100% |
Holdings as of December 31, 2025, per Morgan Stanley custodial statement.
Reserves vs growth
Held as cash and cash-equivalents, available at short notice to fund operations.
Invested for long-term growth across equities, fixed income and alternatives; 2025 was our first year of investing.
Why we hold a reserve. At least 12 months of operating runway: enough to keep programs running through a funding gap without disrupting care on the ground. Prudently invested, not withheld from the field.
Total reserves of $155,336 include $1,122 operating cash held outside the custodial account.
Get involved
Your gift does twice the good
Every donation treats an animal and funds training and employment in its community.
01Give monthlyRecurring gifts let us plan beyond next month: staffing, fuel and medicine secured ahead of need.
02Share this reportMost people have never heard of us. Pass these pages to one friend, or share @animalpeoplealliance.Our site →
03Visit & volunteerJoin an immersion trip to Kolkata or Chiang Rai and work alongside the team, or volunteer from home.
Immersion trips →
04Partner with usFund a vehicle, a clinic day or a salary. Partners make the step-changes in our 2026 plan possible.
Contact us →
Afterword
Before you go
If you have read this far, you know what we do. We take veterinary care to street animals where they are, from a Kolkata sidewalk to an Akha village, and we build careers for the local men and women who deliver it.
So here is our ask. If this report moved you, become a monthly donor: it keeps the ambulance fueled, the shelter staffed and the outreach calendar full. Email me at mark@animalpeoplealliance.net to understand the different monthly giving levels. And if a gift isn’t possible right now, share these pages with one person who loves animals as much as you do.
On behalf of every animal treated and every teammate employed in 2025, thank you for standing with us.
Mark HarveyManaging Director,
Animal People Alliance
Prefer to read it offline?Download the full 2025 Impact Report as a PDF.
Animal People Alliance
“We're all just walking each other home.”Ram Dass
animalpeoplealliance.net
Instagram · Facebook · Threads · LinkedIn — @animalpeoplealliance
info@animalpeoplealliance.net
8 The Green, Suite, Dover, DE 19901-3618
Animal People Alliance Inc. · EIN (Tax ID) 84-2514290
Join Us in
Making a Difference
Together, we can create a brighter future for animals and empower communities in need.