Required Documents for Accreditation/Verification – Wildlife
Please NOTE: We recognize that not all facilities have the listed items as separate documents, but that rather they are included in other manuals or folders, in hard or electronic copy. We also understand that some categories of documents may differ by country, and we will work with you if you need assistance in drafting a document. If you have questions about what is needed, please look to the templates and samples that we have made available or if you need more samples, please send an email to . We are here to support you and help you through the process to make it as easy as possible for you.
| Needed for Verification | Needed for Accreditation | ||||
| Facilities and Staffing | Samples/Templates | ||||
| Labeled map of layout of each facility location (can be hand drawn or Google/MapQuest/ Zillow) showing enclosures, buildings, etc. |  |
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| Organizational chart/list for facility staff (e.g. managers, caregivers, other personnel). | |
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| Training and supervision protocols for employees, volunteers and interns (do not need to submit separately if submitted as part of other manuals/SOPs) | |
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| Governing Authority | |||||
| Proof of non-profit, non-commercial, or equivalent status | |
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| Proof of land ownership or copy of leasing or other land use agreement (e.g. MOU) for each facility location | |
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| Lease Contingency plan for each location, if property is not owned by sanctuary or governing organization | |
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| Job descriptions for key personnel (sanctuary manager and/or executive director, animal care manager) | |
(download sample) | |||
| List of Board of Directors/Trustees | |
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| One set of Board Minutes | |
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| Current licenses and permits required by law | |
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| Bylaws (or equivalent document) and amendments | |
(download sample) | |||
| Succession plan | |
(download sample) | |||
| Strategic plan (3 year) | |
(download sample with financials) (download simple sample) (sample financial plan) |
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| Governance Policies: | |||||
| Grievance policy | |
(download sample) | |||
| Whistleblower policy | |
(download sample) | |||
| Code of Conduct/Ethics | |
(download sample) | |||
| Anti-discrimination policy | |
(download sample) | |||
| Conflict of interest policy | |
(download template) | |||
| Financial and Risk Management | |||||
| Most recent tax or other document filed to maintain non-profit status, if applicable (example: IRS Form 990 in the U.S.) | |
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| Current fiscal year annual operating budget showing revenue and expenses | |
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| Proof of separate organization or facility bank account (such as voided check or bank statement) | |
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| Proof of General/Public Liability Insurance Coverage (unless not available in country) | |
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| Proof of Management Liability/Directors and Officers Insurance Coverage (unless not available in country) | |
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| Proof of designated funds for emergencies (at least 3 months for Accreditation, at least one month for Verification) available to cover operating costs. | |
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| Most recent Statement of Revenue and Expenses (Statement of Activities) | |
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| Most recent Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet) | |
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| Long Term Financial Plan | |
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| Safety | |||||
| Disaster preparedness/emergency plan | |
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(download sample) (download sample) |
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| Escaped animal plan | |
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(download sample) (download sample) |
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| Firearm policies, unless N/A | |
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| Human first aid plan | |
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download sample | ||
| Written Standard Operating Procedures or manual regarding animal care (e.g. shifting animals from enclosures, cleaning, locking) | |
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download sample | ||
| Animal Care | |||||
| Preventative medicine program, including zoonotic disease policy | |
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| Feeding/diet policies or procedures | |
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| Enrichment program policy | |
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| Enrichment schedule | |
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| Chemical restraint policy/protocol | |
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| Euthanasia policy | |
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| For programs doing release/reintroduction | |||||
| Protocol for evaluating potential release candidates (e.g. SOP, checklist, decision tree) | |
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| Policy/protocol for post-release monitoring (including policy regarding handling of potential problems with released animals) | |
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| Any agreements with authorities regarding the release/reintroduction process, including release sites | |
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| Education/Public Access/ Advocacy | |||||
| Education and outreach policy unless N/A | |
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| Acquisition/Disposition | |||||
| Acquisition policy | |
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| Disposition policy | |
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| Human Resources | |||||
| Employee manual, if applicable | |
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| Volunteer/Intern manual, if applicable | |