No-Kill / Live-Release Rate Claims Disclosure Standard
A substantiation and disclosure standard governing every public use of no-kill, save-rate, and live-release-rate claims, defining the exact methodology, data source, and footnote language required before any such claim is published.
Draft: pending review
This starter document is signed off by Nonprofit counsel + CFRE + sheltering-operations/veterinary data lead before it ships. The guardrails below define that review.
What’s inside
- Standardized definition and formula for live-release/live-outcome rate, tied to a recognized shelter-data matrix and reporting period
- Explicit counting rules for transfers-in/out, owner-requested euthanasia, died/lost-in-care, and untreatable animals
- Disclosure footnote templates and a threshold-claim rule (how the 90% benchmark may/may not be described)
- Prohibited and pre-approved phrasings, plus a correction/retraction protocol
Legal & ethical guardrails
The sector-specific compliance points this document must honor.
- Substantiate live-release claims against a named recognized methodology (Shelter Animals Count Basic Data Matrix or the Asilomar Live Release Rate) and disclose WHICH; pin the owner-requested-euthanasia denominator treatment (include vs. exclude) rather than leaving it open; and verify transfer-OUT downstream outcomes so hard-to-place transfers can't inflate the rate ('transfer laundering'). Retain source data; '90%' is an industry convention, not a legal line
- Truthful solicitation: do not imply organization-wide no-kill status based on a single facility, program, or favorable window; disclose scope and timeframe
- Grant and donor reporting must use the same methodology as public marketing to avoid inconsistent outcome claims
- Coordinate claims with sheltering-operations leadership so reported rates reflect actual intake/outcome data, not targets
Held for professional review.
The native DOCX and full working text ship only after sign-off by Nonprofit counsel + CFRE + sheltering-operations/veterinary data lead on this exact version. The summary and review requirements remain visible in the meantime.
Not legal advice. Not legal, tax, or accounting advice. The Fundraising Co. provides educational fundraising materials and is not a law firm; nothing here creates an attorney–client relationship or substitutes for advice from professionals licensed in your jurisdiction. Laws and IRS rules vary by state and change over time. Review every document with qualified counsel before use.