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J. John Stevenson joined North Shore Animal League America in 1978 as Special Counsel, becoming General Counsel in 1988. In 1993 he was named President & CEO.

Under his leadership, Animal League America has grown into the largest and — to our knowledge, oldest — no-kill rescue and adoption organization in the world, introducing such influential programs as Spay/USA, Global Pet Adoptathon, Tour For Life, off-site mobile adoption, Mill Dog Rescue, and most recently, the Mutt-i-grees Movement. At the heart of this movement is our successful Mutt-i-grees Curriculum, a unique social-emotional learning program developed by Yale University that draws on the natural bond between children and animals to teach humane values and the importance of shelter adoption.

John has also directed the development of our Long Island campus as it evolved into a comprehensive center for the rescue, care, and adoption of nearly 18,000 dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens annually. Our newest facility is Bianca’s Furry Friends Feline Adoption Center. Over the years, John’s extensive background in nonprofit law and his commitment to the welfare of animals have created an informed and compassionate foundation for the realization of Animal League America’s no-kill vision.

John lives in Connecticut, with his wife, Matia Finn-Stevenson, who developed our Mutt-i-grees Curriculum. Every day, John commutes from his home to our Long Island Adoption Center, accompanied by a few of the family’s eight adopted dogs.