EIN 13-3969389

Puppies Behind Bars (PBB)

IRS 501(c) type
501(c)(3)
Num. employees
16
Year formed
1997
Most recent tax filings
2022-12-01
Description
Puppies Behind Bars (PBB) trains prison inmates to raise service dogs for wounded war veterans and explosive detection canines for law enforcement. Puppies enter prison at the age of eight weeks and live with their inmate puppy-raisers for approximately 24 months. As the puppies mature into well-loved, well-behaved dogs, their raisers learn what it means to contribute to society rather than take from it. PBB programs bring the love and healing of dogs to hundreds of individuals every year. The dogs bring hope and pride to their raisers, and independence and security to those they serve.
Total revenues
$5,780,426
2022
Total expenses
$3,417,688
2022
Total assets
$19,808,842
2022
Num. employees
16
2022

Program areas at PBB

Raising service dogs in prison and pairing them with wounded veterans, first responders and facility dogs for police departments:pbb trains incarcerated individuals to raise service dogs for wounded war veterans and first responders, and facility dogs for police departments in four correctional facilities in new york state. The dogs learn more than 90 commands to help their partners with daily tasks and to mitigate the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. Pbb then pairs the dogs, free of charge, with wounded veterans and first responders. The recipients receive intensive training on how to use their dogs, and pbb then provides extensive follow-up services. To date, more than 160 dogs have been placed with veterans and first responders through the program. Not only do the recipients themselves benefit, but their entire families and their communities benefit as the recipients find relief from anxiety and panic attacks, learn to reenter society, and can often return to work and/or school. Some dogs serve police departments as a whole, enhancing officer wellness and aiding in community outreach. At any given time approximately 75 incarcerated individuals are training approximately 40 dogs for this purpose. The Puppies enter prison at the age of 8 weeks and remain with their incarcerated puppy-raisers for the next two years. Full-time professional instructors teach the puppy-raisers for a full day each week and monitor the progress of the Puppies' training. More than 300 volunteers work to socialize the Puppies to experiences outside of prison.
Education and employment 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 literary 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 four formerly incarcerated puppy-raisers as part of its full-time staff. Three 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 our service dog program for wounded veterans and first responders, and one is our director of volunteers. A fourth staff member is director of socialization for our young Puppies.
Raising explosive-detection canines in prison: pbb raises explosive-detection canines (edcs) for work with law enforcement in one prison in new jersey and two in new york. An average of 40 incarcerated individuals take part in our program, raising 15 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 our 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.

Who funds Puppies Behind Bars (PBB)

Grants from foundations and other nonprofits
GrantmakerDescriptionAmount
Scaife Family FoundationOperating Support$250,000
Miramar Charitable Foundation Miramar Fiduciary Corporation TrusteeBackup Buddies Program$144,500
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor Grant Recipient's Exempt Purposes$95,560
...and 114 more grants received totalling $1,602,875

Personnel at PBB

NameTitleCompensation
Eric BarsnessExecutive Vice President$227,500
Gloria Gilbert StogaBoard Member$377,500
Susan LobelDirector of Communications
Douglas HamiltonDirector of Development$106,249
Tito TysonDirector of Volunteers and Instructor
...and 16 more key personnel

Financials for PBB

RevenuesFYE 12/2022
Total grants, contributions, etc.$3,943,744
Program services$102,464
Investment income and dividends$266,075
Tax-exempt bond proceeds$0
Royalty revenue$0
Net rental income$0
Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets$1,465,521
Net income from fundraising events$0
Net income from gaming activities$0
Net income from sales of inventory$0
Miscellaneous revenues$2,622
Total revenues$5,780,426

Form 990s for PBB

Fiscal year endingDate received by IRSFormPDF link
2022-122023-06-05990View PDF
2021-122022-05-06990View PDF
2020-122021-05-26990View PDF
2019-122020-08-25990View PDF
2018-122019-08-17990View PDF
...and 11 more Form 990s
Data update history
February 4, 2024
Received grants
Identified 35 new grant, including a grant for $250,000 from Scaife Family Foundation
October 23, 2023
Received grants
Identified 12 new grant, including a grant for $58,955 from Give Lively Foundation
August 2, 2023
Posted financials
Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2022
August 2, 2023
Updated personnel
Identified 5 new personnel
July 24, 2023
Updated personnel
Identified 7 new personnel
Nonprofit Types
Social advocacy organizationsAnimal organizationsCharities
Issues
AnimalsHuman services
Characteristics
National levelCommunity engagement / volunteeringTax deductible donations
General information
Address
263 W 38th St 4th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Metro area
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
County
New York County, NY
Website URL
puppiesbehindbars.com/ 
Phone
(212) 680-9562
IRS details
EIN
13-3969389
Fiscal year end
December
Taxreturn type
Form 990
Year formed
1997
Eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions (Pub 78)
Yes
Categorization
NTEE code, primary
D60: Other Services-Specialty Animals
NAICS code, primary
813312: Environment, Conservation, and Wildlife Organizations
Parent/child status
Independent
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