What Shelterluv does

Shelterluv, operated by Houndtowne, Inc., is a vertical SaaS platform purpose-built for animal welfare organizations in the United States. The company provides software that manages the complete rehoming lifecycle — from animal intake, medical tracking, and foster coordination through to adoption processing and post-adoption follow-up. The core product is a web-based, mobile-optimized platform with native SMS integration (via Twilio), map-based field services (built on Google Maps), and automatic exports to major pet adoption aggregators including Petfinder, Adopt-a-Pet, and Chewy.com. Domain-specific features include medical forms and templates designed by an active shelter veterinarian, real-time collaborative task lists that auto-update animal records, and foster parent capacity matching. A companion sub-brand, Adopterluv, operates a free microchip registry with SMS-based found pet alerts, extending the platform into the pet identification layer of the ecosystem.

The company generates revenue primarily through a $2.00 per-adoption transaction fee, with no recurring subscriptions, setup fees, or support fees. Adoption flow economics are designed to be self-funding for customers: the Mobile Checkout with Donation Boost feature converts 71%+ of adopters into donors averaging $20 each, and to date Shelterluv has processed over $60.1 million in donations through its platform. Go-to-market combines a product-led motion (14-day free trial, self-guided video tours, no credit card required) with a sales-assisted layer for larger shelter clients. Customer segments include brick-and-mortar shelters, foster-based rescues, community programs (TNR, sanctuaries, transport), and field/community services (animal control, disaster response). The company is headquartered in the Bay Area, operates as remote-first with 11-50 employees, was founded in 2013, and has raised $2M in a single 2016 seed round from Maddie's Fund and StartX.

Name

Shelterluv

Legal name

Houndtowne, Inc

Website

https://shelterluv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shelterluv is a vertical SaaS platform that helps US animal welfare organizations — shelters, rescues, and animal control agencies — manage intake, medical records, foster coordination, field services, and adoptions, charging $2 per adoption processed.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Software

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB), Lost & Found, Reunification & Microchipping Programs (BPAGAIAL), Spay/Neuter & Population Control Programs (BPAGAIAE)

Keywords

• Animal shelter software
• Shelter management platform
• Pet adoption software
• Microchip registry services
• Foster care management

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Per-Adoption Transaction Fee: Shelterluv charges $2.00 (USD) per adoption processed through the platform. There are no yearly charges, setup fees, add-on fees, or support fees. This transaction-based model aligns the company's success with customer outcomes.
2. Donation Boost Revenue Share: Mobile checkout includes built-in donation requests. 71% of adopters donate an average of $20 through mobile checkout. Organizations keep donations, making the software effectively free or revenue-generating for customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Shelterluv is a web-based SaaS platform that enables animal welfare organizations (shelters, rescues, and community programs) to manage the complete animal rehoming process from intake to adoption, including mobile checkout, foster coordination, medical record tracking, real-time task management, and built-in donation processing. The company operates a $2.00 per-adoption transaction-based pricing model with no yearly, setup, add-on, or support fees, and complements its core platform with the Adopterluv free microchip registry and SMS-based found-pet alert service.

Product overview

Shelterluv offers a unified shelter management software platform for animal welfare organizations, encompassing the complete rehoming process from intake to adoption. The core product, Shelterluv, provides mobile adoption checkout, real-time task management, foster coordination, and medical tracking. It is complemented by the Adopterluv Microchip Registry (a free microchip registry with SMS found-pet alerts) and specialized modules including Brick & Mortar Shelters (for physical facilities), Foster Based Rescues (for foster parent and application management), Field & Community Services (map-based field tracking for animal control, TNR, and disaster response), Community Programs (for sanctuaries and transport groups), and utility tools Donation Predictor and Savings Calculator. Pricing is adoption-based at $2.00 per adoption with no yearly, setup, or support fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Adopterluv: A microchip registry product operated by Shelterluv. Provides found pet alerts and microchip registration services for pet professionals and pet owners.

Products and services

• Shelterluv Unified shelter management software platform for animal welfare organizations, supporting the complete rehoming process from intakes to adoptions. Enables mobile adoption checkout, real-time task management, foster program coordination, medical record tracking, and donation processing.
• Adopterluv Microchip Registry Free microchip registry for pets, enabling reliable and instant microchip registration and found-pet alert notifications via SMS for pet professionals and pet owners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 71%+ of adopters donate through mobile checkout, averaging $20 per donation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PetfindercoreTechnology or IntegrationAutomatic export integration that publishes animals to Petfinder platform, one of the largest pet adoption websites. Reduces manual entry for shelter staff.
• Adopt-a-PetcoreTechnology or IntegrationAutomatic export integration to Adopt-a-Pet platform for expanded animal visibility and adoption reach.
• Chewy.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationAutomatic export integration to Chewy.com marketplace for pet adoption listings, expanding potential adopter reach.
• Google MapscoreTechnology or IntegrationMap-based field services functionality built on Google Maps platform for tracking field activities and assignments.
• Maddie's FundcoreOthersMajor animal welfare foundation that endorses Shelterluv. Quote on homepage: 'In Shelterluv, animal rescue organizations now have access to a world-class operations management system designed especially for them.' Prominent logo placement on homepage.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HomeAgain: HomeAgain is a leading US microchip registry and pet recovery service. It is a direct peer to Adopterluv, competing in the same microchip registration and found-pet alert market.
• PetPoint: PetPoint is a long-standing animal shelter management software platform used by thousands of shelters and rescues across North America. It is the most direct competitor to Shelterluv in the same product category, serving animal welfare organizations with comparable intake-to-adoption workflows.
• Shelter Manager (Chameleon Software): Shelter Manager is a UK-based shelter management system used by RSPCA, Battersea, Dogs Trust, and many other welfare organizations. It is a direct peer in vertical shelter software, with comparable animal management, adoption, and reporting features.
• RescueGroups.org: RescueGroups provides animal welfare software focused on foster-based rescues, with automated web listings to Petfinder/Adopt-a-Pet. It is a direct peer targeting the same rescue/foster segment and overlapping aggregator integrations.
• AKC Reunite: AKC Reunite is a major US microchip registry and lost-pet recovery service operated by the American Kennel Club. It is a direct peer to Shelterluv's Adopterluv microchip registry sub-brand, with overlapping pet-recovery and registration functionality.

Broad incumbents

• Petfinder (Purina/Nestlé Purina PetCare): Petfinder is the largest pet adoption marketplace in North America, operated by Nestlé Purina. It is a broad incumbent — Shelterluv is a Petfinder data partner/exporter — that could expand software functionality and compete with Shelterluv in adoption management.
• Adopt-a-Pet.com: Adopt-a-Pet is one of the largest North American pet adoption platforms, also a Shelterluv integration partner. As a broad incumbent in pet adoption discovery, it represents both a distribution channel and a potential platform competitor.
• Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud: Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud is the dominant horizontal CRM for nonprofit organizations, including many animal welfare orgs. It is a broad incumbent whose expanding vertical capabilities could encroach on Shelterluv's customer base.

Emerging players

• Volgistics: Volgistics is volunteer management software widely used by animal welfare and nonprofit organizations. It is an emerging/adjacent peer overlapping in volunteer coordination use cases that Shelterluv's field and foster modules also address.
• PetDesk: PetDesk provides client communication, appointment, and pet profile software to veterinary clinics and animal care businesses. It is an emerging/adjacent peer targeting pet-care organizations with software that overlaps Shelterluv's pet-owner identity ambitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Shelterluv
• Instagraminstagram.com/shelterluv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shelterluv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shelterluv