Muttville
Muttville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit senior dog rescue operating the country's first cage-free shelter from its San Francisco campus. Founded in 2007, it has rehomed 13,000+ senior dogs through donations, foundation grants, and a 600+ volunteer base.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Muttville does
Muttville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 in San Francisco that operates the country's first cage-free rescue and California's first senior dog rescue. The organization rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes senior dogs through a purpose-built campus at 750 Florida Street featuring three buildings—an Adoption Center and Community Center, a Home of New Beginnings with grooming and photography studios, and a Rescue Clinic with surgical and dental suites—plus an outdoor Playland, a Canine Kitchen, a Zen Space for acupuncture and physical therapy, and solar-powered facilities. Since founding, Muttville has saved more than 13,000 senior dogs, placing over 1,300 into permanent homes each year, with 600+ active volunteers supporting operations.
Muttville's service portfolio includes rescue and adoption, hospice care for terminally ill dogs, the Seniors for Seniors program matching older dogs with senior adopters, and the Cuddle Club connecting seniors with senior dogs. Specialized programs include a cat testing protocol—developed with a volunteer cat named Mustache and continued by his protégé Little Dude—to assess dog-cat compatibility for the 40% of prospective adopters who own cats. The organization operates a direct-to-consumer adoption motion through its physical shelter, foster network, and community adoption events, supported by organic social media across five platforms, a daily noon-to-4pm "Wagcam" live stream, a downloadable resource library, and substantial earned media (NPR, CBS, CNN, People, The Today Show, Forbes).
The organization is funded primarily through individual donations (one-time, monthly recurring "Mutt Guardian," and tribute), grants from foundations including PEDIGREE Foundation and Maddie's Fund, and merchandise sales via a branded online shop. Adoption fees are not publicly disclosed. Governance is provided by a 12-member Board of Directors led by President Rhonda Vitanye, with day-to-day operations under CEO Laurie Routhier, COO Anne Moellering, and Founder Sherri Franklin.
Muttville firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Muttville
- Legal name
- Muttville
- Website
- https://muttville.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Muttville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit senior dog rescue operating the country's first cage-free shelter from its San Francisco campus. Founded in 2007, it has rehomed 13,000+ senior dogs through donations, foundation grants, and a 600+ volunteer base.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Muttville industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Animal Rescue Services
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)
Keywords
Where Muttville is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Muttville business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations: Muttville operates primarily on donations from individuals, offering one-time, monthly recurring (Mutt Guardian), and tribute donation options. The organization runs matching donation campaigns periodically.
- Grants: Muttville receives grant funding from foundations including PEDIGREE Foundation, which awarded them a grant in 2025 to support specialized behavior programs for senior dogs.
- Shop Sales: Muttville operates a merchandise shop (spreadshop) selling branded items to supporters.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | One-Time Donations |
| Subscription | Monthly | Mutt Guardian Monthly Giving |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Muttville product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Muttville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes senior dogs through its cage-free shelter in San Francisco. The organization provides senior dog adoption services, hospice care for dogs with medical needs, the Seniors for Seniors program matching older dogs with senior adopters, foster programs, and the Cuddle Club for intergenerational companionship. It operates a Rescue Clinic with surgical suite, grooming salon, and behavioral programs to prepare dogs for adoption into forever homes.
Product overview
Muttville is a nonprofit senior dog rescue organization offering a portfolio of dog rescue services centered around its core cage-free shelter operation. The organization's primary offering is senior dog rescue and adoption, complemented by specialized programs including hospice care for dogs with medical needs, the Seniors for Seniors adoption matching program, and the Cuddle Club for intergenerational bonding. Additional offerings include the Wagcam live streaming service, a resource library with training and care PDFs, an online merchandise shop, and a volunteer management portal. Muttville operates California-based adoption centers and community spaces as part of its physical infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Senior Dog Rescue Services Muttville's flagship offering: rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption services for senior dogs through the country's first cage-free shelter. Includes foster programs, hospice care for dogs with medical needs, and the Seniors for Seniors program matching older dogs with senior adopters. Targets Bay Area pet owners seeking to adopt senior dogs.
- Seniors for Seniors Program Adoption matching program that pairs senior dogs with senior citizen adopters, facilitating intergenerational companionship and providing calm, suitable homes for older dogs.
- Hospice Care for Senior Dogs Specialized care program for senior dogs with medical conditions, providing veterinary attention, pain management, and quality-of-life support before adoption or end-of-life care.
- Cuddle Club Monthly social gathering program connecting senior community members with senior dogs at Muttville for companionship, intergenerational bonding, and socialization for dogs awaiting adoption.
- Muttville Shop Online merchandise shop selling Muttville-branded apparel and products to supporters, generating revenue to fund senior dog rescue operations.
- Wagcam Live Stream Live streaming service broadcasting from Muttville's shelter daily from noon to 4pm, allowing remote supporters to view adoptable senior dogs in real-time and build emotional connection to drive donations and adoption interest.
Quantifiable outcome
- Adoption rates for senior dogs increased dramatically after implementing cat testing program
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Muttville
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Muttville technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Muttville partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Champions for Pet Health CoalitionminorNine animal well-being organizations across five Bay Area counties partnered to provide free spay/neuter surgeries and vaccines through the Champions for Pet Health event on December 6-7, 2025, with support from four national foundations.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Muttville competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Best Friends Animal Society: National leader in no-kill animal rescue and adoption with broad shelter operations. Directly comparable as a large-scale nonprofit animal welfare organization with adoption, foster, and sanctuary programs, though Best Friends operates at much greater geographic scale.
- San Francisco SPCA: Bay Area animal welfare nonprofit providing adoption, veterinary, and shelter services. Most direct geographic peer, sharing the San Francisco market, donor base, and adopter pool; overlaps with Muttville on senior pet adoption.
- Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF): Bay Area nonprofit animal rescue and adoption organization. Direct peer in terms of geography, mission (dog/cat rescue and adoption), and donor-driven nonprofit model.
- Old Dog Haven: Washington State-based nonprofit dedicated specifically to senior dog rescue and hospice/foster placements. Highly comparable to Muttville's senior-dog-only mission, though smaller in scale and regional in focus.
- The Grey Muzzle Organization: National nonprofit that funds and supports senior dog rescue through grants to other shelters. Closest mission-aligned peer, focused exclusively on senior dogs; differs from Muttville in that Grey Muzzle primarily funds other rescues rather than operating its own shelter.
Broad incumbents
- ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): One of the largest and oldest animal welfare nonprofits in the US, with national fundraising reach, advocacy, and shelter/rescue programs. Comparable as a donation-funded animal welfare nonprofit, though the ASPCA's scope spans cruelty prevention, legislation, and broader populations of animals.
- Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): National animal welfare organization focused on advocacy, rescue, and shelter support. Comparable as a large, donation-funded nonprofit in the animal welfare space, but with a broader advocacy and policy mission rather than direct shelter operations.
- Adopt-a-Pet.com (PetSmart Charities): North America's largest non-profit pet adoption website, now operated by PetSmart Charities. Comparable as an adoption-funnel nonprofit serving the same adopter population, though it operates as a marketplace rather than a direct shelter.
Emerging players
- Pets for the Elderly Foundation: Nonprofit that facilitates adoptions of senior pets by elderly adopters through financial support to shelters. Mission overlap with Muttville's Seniors for Seniors program, though it operates as a funding intermediary rather than a direct rescue.
Others
- Maddie's Fund: National family foundation funding animal welfare innovation and no-kill shelter initiatives. Listed because Maddie's Fund is a documented Muttville investor/grant funder and a major capital source across the animal welfare sector.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Muttville social profiles
Digital presenceMuttville financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Muttville leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Muttville funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Muttville M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Muttville
What does Muttville do?
Muttville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes senior dogs through its cage-free shelter in San Francisco. The organization provides senior dog adoption services, hospice care for dogs with medical needs, the Seniors for Seniors program matching older dogs with senior adopters, foster programs, and the Cuddle Club for intergenerational companionship. It operates a Rescue Clinic with surgical suite, grooming salon, and behavioral programs to prepare dogs for adoption into forever homes.
Is Muttville a public or private company?
Muttville is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Muttville founded?
Muttville was founded in 2007. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Muttville based?
Muttville is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Muttville make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are grants and shop Sales.
Who are Muttville's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Best Friends Animal Society, San Francisco SPCA, Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF), Old Dog Haven and The Grey Muzzle Organization. Broad incumbents are ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Adopt-a-Pet.com (PetSmart Charities). Pets for the Elderly Foundation is listed as an emerging player. Maddie's Fund is listed as an others.
Does Muttville have an API?
No public API is recorded for Muttville.
What industry is Muttville in?
Muttville's product category is Animal Rescue Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAIAA, Animal Shelters & Adoption Services, with a secondary code of AFAEALAB, Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations. Its NAICS code is 812910 and its SIC code is 8300.