Muttville

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.

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

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

• Senior dog rescue
• Animal welfare services
• Dog adoption services
• Nonprofit rescue organization
• Cage-free shelter

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Shop Sales: Muttville operates a merchandise shop (spreadshop) selling branded items to supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Champions for Pet Health CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Nine 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/muttville
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MuttvilleSeniorDog
• Facebookfacebook.com/Muttville.Senior.Dog.Rescue
• Instagraminstagram.com/muttvillesf
• Pinterestpinterest.com/muttville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/muttville-senior-dog-rescue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Muttville