Santé D'Or Foundation

What Santé D'Or Foundation does

Santé D'Or Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Federal ID Number 68-0547925) operating a no-kill animal rescue and adoption center in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2003 by Kelly Milam and Sandra Kimberling, the organization accepts animals from neighborhood streets and from owners experiencing financial hardship or crisis, providing veterinary care, healthy diet, and a stress-free open-roam environment before rehoming. Services include adoption matching, foster coordination, Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs for community cats, animal surrender intake, and community education. The organization saves over 400 animals annually through its rescue and adoption efforts and serves the Los Angeles County community.

The business model is donation-funded, supplemented by adoption fees ($175 for cats, $300 for dogs, covering spay/neuter, microchip, vaccinations, and basic medical prep), annual event fundraising led by the Cocktails for Critters gala at Yamashiro Hollywood with tiered sponsorships from $100 individual tickets to $20,000 Cheshire Cat packages, and a recurring animal-sponsorship program via PayPal and ShelterLuv. The go-to-market is community-led and volunteer-driven, with a small staff of four (full and part-time) backed by a network of volunteers who deliver animal care seven days a week, supported by marketing channels including the santedor.org website, Instagram, Constant Contact email newsletter, and event-driven community engagement.

The technology stack is non-proprietary: Squarespace hosts the website, ShelterLuv manages applications and donations, PetFinder and Adopt-a-Pet list adoptable animals, and standard payment processors (PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, credit card) handle transactions. There is no disclosed artificial intelligence, machine learning, or custom software. Revenue concentration is moderate, with reliance on a finite list of foundation donors (Amaturo Family Foundation, Eugene LaPietra Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and others), individual celebrity and private donors, and one primary annual gala. Operational leadership includes Director of Animal Services Leslie Perez, Assistant Director Morgan Derecho, and Volunteer Coordinator & Rescue Manager Heather Ganley, with a Board of Directors chaired by Mary Bou-Abssi (President) and including founders in emeritus roles.

Name

Santé D'Or Foundation

Legal name

Santé D'Or Foundation

Website

https://santedor.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Santé D'Or Foundation is a 501(c)(3) no-kill animal rescue and adoption center in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, founded in 2003, serving the Los Angeles County community with adoption, fostering, and TNR services run by a four-person staff and volunteer network, saving over 400 animals annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Rescue and Adoption Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF), Spay/Neuter & Population Control Programs (BPAGAIAE), Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)

Keywords

• Animal rescue services
• Pet adoption center
• Animal welfare nonprofit
• TNR programs
• Foster care programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organization operates solely on generous donations. Accepts donations via Venmo, PayPal, credit card, Zelle, check, and ShelterLuv platform. Offers specific funds: 'The Pearl Fund' for senior animals and chronic medical conditions, and 'Ernie's Aloha Fund' for operational expenses.
2. Adoption Fees: One-time adoption fees: Cats $175, Dogs $300. Fees include spay/neuter, microchip, deworming, vaccinations, and for dogs also collar and tag.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual 'Cocktails for Critters' event with tiered ticket and sponsorship packages ranging from $100 individual tickets to $20,000 Cheshire Cat sponsorship, offering tickets, drink tickets, valet parking, and recognition benefits.
4. Animal Sponsorship: Recurring monthly sponsorship program for specific animals through PayPal or ShelterLuv. Sponsors support individual animal care while receiving updates on their sponsored animal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Santé D'Or Foundation is a 501(c)(3) no-kill animal rescue and adoption center located in Atwater Village, Los Angeles. It rescues animals from neighborhood streets and owner surrenders, provides medical treatment, rehabilitation, foster placement, TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) services for community cats, and personalized adoption matching with home checks. The organization supplements rescue operations with a volunteer network, fundraising events, and animal sponsorship programs.

Product overview

Santé D'Or Foundation is a no-kill animal adoption center and rescue organization in Los Angeles, California. The organization does not offer a traditional technology product or software platform. Its services include animal rescue and rehabilitation, adoption matching, foster care coordination, TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) programs for community cats, volunteer management, and fundraising events such as Cocktails for Critters. Services are delivered through in-person visits at their Atwater Village facility, their Squarespace-based website for information and donation processing, and integration with third-party platforms like ShelterLuv for application management, PetFinder for animal listings, and various payment processors for donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Rescue and Adoption Service No-kill animal adoption service rescuing cats and dogs from Los Angeles neighborhood streets and owner surrenders, providing medical treatment, rehabilitation, and personalized adoption matching for Los Angeles County residents. Adoption fees are Cats $175 and Dogs $300.
• Foster Care Program Program connecting local foster caregivers with rescue animals needing temporary care and socialization, with supplies provided by the foundation. Foster applications processed through ShelterLuv.
• TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) Program Humane Trap-Neuter-Return services and education for community cat caretakers managing feral and free-roaming cats in Los Angeles neighborhoods.
• Recurring Animal Sponsorship Monthly subscription program that allows individual donors to sponsor specific rescue animals and receive updates on the animal's care and progress, processed via PayPal or ShelterLuv.
• Cocktails for Critters Annual Fundraising Gala Annual fundraising event held at Yamashiro Hollywood offering tiered individual ticket and sponsorship packages (Individual Ticket $100 through Cheshire Cat $20,000) with escalating recognition benefits.
• Life Drawing with Cats Community Event Community engagement event combining life drawing art sessions with animal interaction to raise awareness and support for the rescue mission.
• Animal Surrender Acceptance Service Intake service accepting animals surrendered by Los Angeles residents experiencing extreme financial hardship, crisis, or other inability to continue pet ownership, preventing euthanasia at overcrowded municipal shelters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 animals saved annually through rescue and adoption
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Animal Health Care CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterinary partner providing animal health care services. Advisory board member Lisa Hsuan, D.V.M. affiliated with this center.
• ShelterLuvcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform used for adoption and foster applications, donations, and shelter management operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Best Friends Animal Society: Largest no-kill animal welfare organization in the US, operating sanctuaries, adoption centers, and national programs. Broad incumbent with overlapping mission of reducing shelter euthanasia, providing a national scale benchmark against which community rescues operate.
• spcaLA: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Los Angeles, a long-established regional animal welfare organization offering adoption, spay/neuter, and humane education. Direct regional competitor and benchmark for LA animal welfare services.

Regional players

• Pasadena Humane Society: Greater Pasadena area animal shelter offering adoption, veterinary, and humane law enforcement services. Comparable in mission and service mix to Santé D'Or, serving an adjacent Los Angeles County geography with similar no-kill positioning.

Direct peers

• Wags and Walks: Los Angeles-based dog rescue offering adoption, fostering, and community-focused programming. Directly comparable nonprofit rescue model serving LA County with similar community-led and volunteer-driven operations.
• Much Love Animal Rescue: LA-based no-kill dog and cat rescue operating through a foster-based network. Closely comparable operating model—small staff, foster-heavy, community-supported adoption services within the same LA market.
• The Amanda Foundation: Long-standing Beverly Hills-based no-kill animal rescue offering adoption and low-cost spay/neuter. Comparable in mission, geographic market, and service mix including TNR-adjacent population control work.
• Kitten Rescue: Los Angeles cat-focused rescue and adoption organization with foster network and TNR services. Direct peer in cat rescue specialization and community-based foster model within the same metro area.
• Lange Foundation: Los Angeles no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization with comparable community-focused programming and similar scale. Provides an additional LA-based benchmark for rescue operations and donor engagement.

Emerging players

• Found Animals: LA-based animal welfare nonprofit focused on pet adoption, spay/neuter, and innovative programs including a pet-saving foundation. Comparable mission in reducing shelter euthanasia with grantmaking-adjacent capabilities relevant to Santé D'Or's growth trajectory.

Others

• PetFinder: Adoption marketplace platform on which Santé D'Or lists animals. Acts as an enabling distribution channel and infrastructure provider rather than a direct competitor, supporting discoverability for rescue organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/santedorrescue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sante-dor-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Santé D'Or Foundation