Shelter to Soldier

What Shelter to Soldier does

Shelter to Soldier is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 by Graham Bloem and Kyrié Bloem, headquartered at the Wings of Freedom Campus in Oceanside, CA. The organization rescues dogs from local shelters and animal control facilities (San Diego Department of Animal Services, Rancho Coastal Humane Society, Labs & More Rescue, Calexico Border Paws) and trains them over a 12–18 month program as psychiatric service animals for post-9/11 combat veterans diagnosed with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and military sexual trauma. All services are provided at no cost to the veteran recipient; dogs remain on campus during training and graduate through a handler-training phase culminating in a Public Access Test.

The operating model is a portfolio of four core programs: the flagship Psychiatric Service Dog Program, an Emotional Support Animal Program (up to 10 one-hour private lessons plus AKC Canine Good Citizen testing), the Canine Ambassadors Therapy Dog Team (no-cost community visits to military families and installations), and a Morale Dog Program supporting first responders and active-duty personnel. The organization is accredited by Animal Behavior College, the National Association of Dog Instructors, the International Association of Canine Professionals, the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and American Red Cross canine first aid, and holds the GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency and Patriot's Initiative accreditation.

Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropy rather than fees for service. Streams include individual donations, a monthly recurring giving program (starting at $5/month), corporate Red Star Sponsorships at $12,000 per sponsored dog, grants (notably $33,250 from Petco Love in 2023), annual fundraising events (14th Annual Be the Light Gala, Salute to Paws 5K, golf tournament), and merchandise sales. Backbone operational support is provided pro bono by founding partners Specialty Dog Training (training labor) and Goodsell & Company (accounting, office space). Distribution is direct-to-veteran via online application and VA/military community referral, with primary service geography in Southern California.

Name

Shelter to Soldier

Legal name

Shelter to Soldier

Website

https://sheltertosoldier.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shelter to Soldier is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit that rescues dogs from shelters and trains them over 12–18 months as psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 veterans with PTSD, TBI, and military sexual trauma, funded by donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships and delivered at no cost to veteran recipients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Mental Health 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 industries

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL), Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF)

Keywords

• Psychiatric service dogs
• Veteran support services
• Dog rescue training
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Nonprofit service dogs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oceanside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Primary revenue source from individual donations, corporate sponsorships (Red Star Sponsorship at $12,000 per dog), and grants from foundations like Petco Love, David C. Copley Foundation, and others.
2. Fundraising Events: Annual events including Be the Light Gala, Salute to Paws 5K, and golf tournament generate significant revenue. The 2023 gala raised $287,177.
3. Monthly Giving Program: Monthly recurring donations starting at $5 per month providing sustainable funding.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded apparel, accessories, and merchandise through the organization's shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Shelter to Soldier rescues dogs from local shelters and trains them over a 12-18 month program as psychiatric service animals for post-9/11 veterans suffering from PTSD, TBI, and military sexual trauma. All service dogs and emotional support animals are placed with veterans at no cost, with handler training and AKC Canine Good Citizen certification included.

Product overview

Shelter to Soldier is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of dog-assisted support programs for veterans and active-duty military. The core offering is its Psychiatric Service Dog Program, which rescues shelter dogs and trains them over 12-18 months as psychiatric service animals for post-9/11 veterans. Complementing this are the Emotional Support Animal Program (delivering up to 10 private handler lessons and AKC Canine Good Citizen certification), the Canine Ambassadors Therapy Dog Team (providing no-cost community visits), and the Morale Dog Program (serving military and first responder communities). All programs are offered at no cost to veteran recipients. The Red Star Sponsorship program allows donors to underwrite the full cost of one dog's journey from shelter adoption through graduation, serving as the primary funding mechanism across all programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Canine Ambassadors Therapy Dog Team: A team of certified therapy dogs and volunteer handlers providing no-cost visits of love and comfort to local military personnel, veterans, and their families.
• Morale Dogs

Products and services

• Psychiatric Service Dog Program Shelter to Soldier's flagship program that rescues dogs from local shelters and trains them over 12-18 months on the Wings of Freedom Campus as psychiatric service animals for post-9/11 veterans suffering from PTSD, TBI, and other invisible wounds. Dogs are paired with veterans through a 6-9 month handler training program culminating in a Public Access Test graduation. All services are provided free of charge to eligible veterans.
• Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Program Places trained emotional support animals with active-duty military and veterans. Students complete up to 10 one-hour private lessons weekly until they and their dog pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. ESAs reside on campus until graduation. Provided free of charge to eligible participants.
• Canine Ambassadors Therapy Dog Team A team of certified therapy dogs and volunteer handlers that provide no-cost visits of love and comfort to local military personnel, veterans, and their families at community events, military installations, and VA facilities. The team consists of 5 active certified therapy dogs.
• Morale Dog Program Deploys certified therapy dogs to provide comfort and emotional support to active-duty military and first responder communities through visits and community engagement activities.
• Red Star Sponsorship A corporate and individual sponsorship program covering the full $12,000 cost of adopting a dog from a shelter, housing, training, and caring for the service dog trainee through the 12-18 month program, matching with a veteran, handler training, and graduation. Sponsors receive naming rights, training updates, and invitations to the graduation ceremony.

Quantifiable outcome

• Veterans report reduced suicidal ideation and improved daily functioning with service dogs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Specialty Dog TrainingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Partner that contributed profits to start and support Shelter to Soldier. Trainers volunteer time to work with dogs in training. Founder Graham Bloem is CEO of Specialty Dog Training.
• Goodsell & CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Partner and accounting firm that donates pro-bono accounting services, expertise, office use, and makes direct contributions. Co-Founder Krys Holc serves as Treasurer.
• Labs & More RescuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRescue organization partner that provides dogs for the program including Indy, Walden, Wilson, and Grace.
• San Diego Department of Animal ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal shelter partner providing dogs for the program including Annie from Bonita Shelter and Tank from Central Campus.
• Rancho Coastal Humane SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShelter partner that transferred Charlie to get fresh exposure for adoption before STS adopted him.
• Calexico Border PawscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRescue partner that helped rescue Forrest from El Centro and recognized his potential for the program.
• Foundation for Women WarriorsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeteran organization partner co-hosting the annual Sisterhood of Service event for women veterans.
• PupLidminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProduct collaboration with Encinitas-based dog hat company. 20% of camo cap sales donated to STS when code STS20 is used.
• 91X RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSan Diego radio station that promoted Forrest and the STS mission on air.
• Magic 92.5minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSan Diego radio station that helped secure funding for Tyberius and supported veteran James Norvell.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities): Nonprofit that trains service dogs for veterans and civilians with disabilities, with a specific veteran service program. Comparable mission, comparable training timeline, and direct competition in the Northeast for veteran placements and corporate sponsorships.
• Hero Dogs: Maryland-based nonprofit that breeds, raises, and trains service dogs for veterans with PTSD and other disabilities. Operates a similar donation-funded model with a comparable training timeline, competing for East Coast applicants and foundation grants.
• K9s For Warriors: The largest nonprofit provider of service dogs to U.S. military veterans suffering from PTSD, TBI, and MST. Operates a rescue-to-service-dog model highly comparable to Shelter to Soldier, with a longer track record, larger scale, and broader geographic reach from its Jacksonville, FL headquarters.
• America's VetDogs: National nonprofit that trains and places service dogs with disabled veterans, active-duty personnel, and first responders. Operates a comparable mission of pairing trained dogs with veterans at no cost and is a direct competitor for both donor dollars and veteran applicants.
• Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs: Nonprofit that pairs rescue and donated dogs with veterans and first responders suffering from PTSD, TBI, and other disabilities. Closely comparable rescue-to-service model with a national applicant pool and active corporate sponsorship program.
• Patriot Service Dogs: Nonprofit that rescues shelter dogs and trains them as service dogs specifically for veterans with PTSD and TBI. Closely mirrors Shelter to Soldier's dual-mission (rescue + veteran service) approach and competes for similar corporate sponsors and foundation grants.

Broad incumbents

• Canine Companions for Independence: One of the largest and most established service dog nonprofits in the U.S., placing trained dogs with people with disabilities (including veterans). Operates breeding-based rather than rescue-based training, but is a major incumbent competing for similar grant pools and veteran applicants.

Others

• Petco Love (Petco Foundation): Major funder of Shelter to Soldier (over $33,250 in grants) and the broader animal welfare nonprofit ecosystem. Acts as an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor, but is a key strategic partner for corporate fundraising pipeline development.

Emerging players

• Pets for Vets: Nonprofit that rescues shelter dogs and trains them as companion and psychiatric service dogs for veterans. Overlaps with Shelter to Soldier's dual-mission and dual-segment marketing, though generally operates at smaller scale per chapter.
• DUO (Dogs United with Others) / Operation Delta Dog: Smaller New England nonprofit that rescues shelter dogs and trains them as service dogs for veterans with PTSD. Closely comparable rescue-to-veteran model, with partial overlap in donor segment but a more regional focus than Shelter to Soldier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=_uu-x17uYVY
• Facebookfacebook.com/Sheltertosoldier
• Instagraminstagram.com/sheltertosoldier
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shelter-to-soldier

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Shelter to Soldier