Charities United States Animal Welfare Critter Encounters
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Critter Encounters

Critter encounters is a wildlife rescue and sanctuary, maintaining and caring for native and exotic species. Critter encounters uses these animals as animal ambassadors in educational programs throughout …

Animal Welfare Ramona, CA EIN 872215099 · IRS Sign up to see website
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93
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
93/100 · methodology

About Critter Encounters

Critter Encounters is a wildlife sanctuary caring for native and exotic species and providing live animal educational programs to the communities within Southern California.In the last year, Critter Encounters Animal Ambassadors did hundreds of events, bringing joy and education to Retirement Facilities, Schools, Girl Scouts, as well as Community & Private events. These programs generated over $130,000 in program services revenue. In addition, Critter Encounters also raised over $8,000 in private individual and corporate donations.

Founded
Headquarters
Ramona, CA
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
D34
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 2021

Mission

Critter encounters is a wildlife rescue and sanctuary, maintaining and caring for native and exotic species. Critter encounters uses these animals as animal ambassadors in educational programs throughout the community.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Animal Welfare · NTEE D34
Cause tags

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar animal welfare in United States
Program spending This charity: 100%
Peer average: 96%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 2.60%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 93
Peer average: 92

Red flags

· All clear
IRS revocation history
Open investigations
Governance scandals
Related-party deals
Excessive exec comp

Where every $1 goes

$1.00
Program expenses$1.00 ($188,804)
100% to programs beats the peer average (96%) and beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Critter Encounters is a registered animal welfare nonprofit based in Ramona, CA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2021 and has been operating for 5 years. Its EIN is 872215099. It has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 93/100 (Strong transparency), indicating well-documented governance, financials, and contact details. The organization reports $230K in annual revenue. 15 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Critter Encounters has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 93/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 93 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 100% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for animal welfare charities in United States is 92/100.

Critter Encounters is located in Ramona, CA, United States. The organization was established in 2021 and has been active for 5 years.

Based on official tax filings, Critter Encounters has $230K in annual revenue. It allocates 100% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with the average of 96% for animal welfare charities in United States. Its revenue is below the peer average of $1M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Critter Encounters is classified as a Animal Welfare organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). It has $230K in annual revenue. The organization has 15 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Critter Encounters. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.

Critter Encounters has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 93/100 (Strong transparency) and no red flags have been detected, which suggests it is a well-documented organization. It is regulated by the IRS. 100% of expenses go to programs. The peer average is 96%. You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research purposes and does not endorse any organization. Always do your own due diligence.

Critter Encounters is a wildlife sanctuary caring for native and exotic species and providing live animal educational programs to the communities within Southern California.In the last year, Critter Encounters Animal Ambassadors did hundreds of events, bringing joy and education to Retirement Facilities, Schools, Girl Scouts, as well as Community & Private events. These programs generated over $130,000 in program services revenue. In addition, Critter Encounters also raised over $8,000 in private individual and corporate donations. Critter Encounters is classified as a animal welfare organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2021.

Among animal welfare charities registered in United States: Critter Encounters's GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 93/100 is in line with the peer average of 92/100. It allocates 100% of expenses to programs, in line with the peer average of 96%. Its annual revenue of $230K is below the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Critter Encounters are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Critter Encounters is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 872215099, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Verified against 5 official sources, last refreshed .

Annual revenue
$100K-$1M
100% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2025) why this matters
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Filing history

4 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2025, FY2024, FY2023, FY2022.
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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Leadership

AN
Andrea Burgan
CEO

Officers & trustees (3)

Source: Public filings

AN
Andrea B•••••
CEO
MA
Matt B•••••
CFO
WE
Wendy M• D•••••
Secretary
Full names, contact details & compensation

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Latest news

From global news sources

10 articles found

From global news sources

Sentiment

Neutral

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

WHAT TO DO | ‘The Pillowman,’ Wild Wonders critter show; Celebrate Trails Day - JaxToday
Apr 2026
jaxtoday.org
Paws in the Pasture Springtime Critter Egg-stravaganza - fox10tv.com
Apr 2026
www.fox10tv.com
Ramona Garden Club awards grants to Wildlife Research Institute and Critter Encounters - San Diego Union-Tribune
Feb 2026
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
Form filed
$0.2M revenue
FY2025
IRS_990
Critter Control franchise brings humane-focused wildlife removal to California - Pest Management Professional
Nov 2025
www.mypmp.net
Kentucky critter encounters: 8 stories of wildlife living among us - Lexington Herald Leader
Sep 2025
www.kentucky.com
3 Critter Encounters in Hocking Hills State Park - Ohio Magazine
Aug 2025
www.ohiomagazine.com
Woman Orders Fiancé 'Entertainment He Can Touch' for His Bachelor Party (Exclusive) - People.com
Apr 2025
people.com
Critter Encounters moves to new Ramona location with its 52 animals - San Diego Union-Tribune
Jan 2025
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2024
IRS_990
Wild Wonders: Critter Encounters At Lake Of The Ozarks That Made 2024 Memorable - LakeExpo.com
Dec 2024
www.lakeexpo.com
CRITTER ENCOUNTERS: RAMONA RESCUE IS HAVEN FOR INJURED AND DISABLED ANIMALS - East County Magazine
Jul 2024
www.eastcountymagazine.org
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2023
IRS_990
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2022
IRS_990

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Peer charities

Other animal welfare in United States, by integrity assessment

Charity Score Revenue Program %
Critter Encounters This page 93 $230,370 100%
Wedrose Acres 93 $114,491 99%
Spca of Tennessee 93 $189,417 83%
Arizona Poodle Rescue Inc 93 $658,982 100%
Better Days Inc 93 $181,989 99%
Fifty Shades of Furr Inc 93 $314,656 94%
Bullpen Way Station & Sanctuary Ltd 90 $151,835 93%
Clay County Animal Rescue & Education Center Inc 90 $136,295 100%
Idyllwild Animal Rescue Friends Inc 90 $221,236 100%

Sources and verification

Refreshed

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 15 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
May 27, 2026
Profile completeness
100%

What we don't know

Honest gaps - our score reflects transparency, not impact

Programs & projects
No named programs listed by the charity
Operating reach
Countries where programs run not specified

Methodology

GiveRadar combines public registry filings, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and news archives into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Quick facts about Critter Encounters

What is Critter Encounters?
Critter Encounters is a animal welfare publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Ramona, United States. Critter Encounters is a wildlife sanctuary caring for native and exotic species and providing live animal educational programs to the communities within Southern California.In the last year, Critter Encounters Animal Ambassadors did hundreds of events, bringing joy and education to Retirement Facilities, Schools, Girl Scouts, as well as Community & Private events. These programs generated over $130,000 in program services revenue. In addition, Critter Encounters also raised over $8,000 in private individual and corporate donations.
When was Critter Encounters founded?
Critter Encounters was founded in 2021.
Who leads Critter Encounters?
Andrea Burgan serves as CEO.
Where is Critter Encounters located?
Headquartered in Ramona, United States.
What is Critter Encounters's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately $100K-$1M. 100% of expenses go to program services.
Is Critter Encounters trustworthy?
Critter Encounters has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 93 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Critter Encounters's registration number?
IRS EIN: 872215099.
What is Critter Encounters's website?
http://www.critterencounters.org