Woods Humane Society

What Woods Humane Society does

Woods Humane Society is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit animal shelter founded in 1955 and headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California, serving the residents of San Luis Obispo County. The organization operates two physical campuses — a 27,000 sq ft headquarters at 875 Oklahoma Avenue in San Luis Obispo and a North County facility in Atascadero for cats, kittens, and spay/neuter services — and refuses tax-funded government support, relying instead on private donations, grants, bequests, fundraising events, and service fees. In FY2024-2025, Woods placed 3,162 dogs and cats into adoptive homes, performed 5,662 spay/neuter surgeries through the Woods-Cashin Surgery Center (nearly 40,000 cumulative since 2007), and maintained a 98% live release rate, accepting at least 300 animals annually from San Luis Obispo County Animal Services under a long-standing agreement.

Core services include pet adoptions (dogs and cats initiated via online questionnaires), public and partner low-cost spay/neuter, $20 microchipping by appointment, canine obedience training, youth programming (Critter Camp, humane education), community cat trap-neuter-return (Project Meow), a Pet Pantry food-assistance program launched in 2020, and a pet-loss grief support group ("Paws to Remember") launching February 2026 in partnership with Hospice SLO. The technical stack is operationally conventional: shelter and veterinary management processes underpin medical care, with the only AI capability being a third-party image-recognition integration via Petco Love Lost for lost-pet reunification. There is no proprietary platform or software product. Distribution is community-based, direct-to-consumer, drawing adopters and donors through the website, Facebook/Instagram/Twitter, an email newsletter, two physical adoption centers, and major annual events such as the Tails black-tie gala (June) and Wiggle Waggle Walk (October).

The organization is governed by a board including bankers, CPAs, and Cal Poly-affiliated members, with executive leadership comprising CEO Emily L'Heureux, Director of Operations Julia Bixby (former Santa Barbara County Animal Services Shelter Supervisor), Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Amanda Hefner, DVM, and Director of Development Jamie Relth. Revenue combines adoption fees, donor contributions and grants, fundraising event proceeds, and service fees for spay/neuter and microchipping; no revenue figure is publicly disclosed, but the scale of operations and Charity Navigator 4-star rating (plus GuideStar Seal of Transparency) indicate a financially accountable mid-sized regional shelter.

Name

Woods Humane Society

Legal name

Woods Humane Society

Website

https://woodshumanesociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Woods Humane Society is an independent non-profit animal shelter founded in 1955 serving San Luis Obispo County, California, operating two facilities that deliver pet adoptions, public spay/neuter surgeries through the Woods-Cashin Surgery Center, dog training, microchipping, and humane education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Low-Cost & Community Veterinary Clinics (HLAMAAAE), Spay/Neuter & Population Control Programs (BPAGAIAE), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK), Behavioral Medicine & Training-Integrated Veterinary Services (HLAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Animal shelter services
• Pet adoption services
• Spay neuter services
• Humane education programs
• Veterinary care services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Luis Obispo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Adoption Fees: Fees charged at the point of adoption. Adoption fees include initial vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, health screening, microchipping, collar, leash, complimentary bag of food, and retail discounts. Fee ranges vary by species, age, and animal type (e.g., dogs/cats, puppies/kittens).
2. Donations and Grants: Private individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and grant funding from foundations. The organization does not receive tax-funded or government support. Includes recurring donor programs (Woods Humane Alliance), tribute donations, and planned bequests from the Woods family and community members.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual events including the 'Tails' black-tie gala (June) and the 'Wiggle Waggle Walk' family dog walk and pet fair (October). Additional third-party and community fundraising events throughout the year.
4. Service Fees: Fees for services including spay/neuter surgeries (public and for partner organizations), microchipping ($20), and other veterinary services. Low-cost and subsidized pricing is available through financial assistance programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Woods Humane Society operates a full-service nonprofit animal shelter providing dog and cat adoptions, low-cost spay/neuter surgeries through its on-site Woods-Cashin Surgery Center, canine obedience training classes, humane education programs for youth, microchipping, lost-pet reunification support, and a Pet Pantry food assistance program. Services are delivered through two physical campuses in San Luis Obispo County and are funded primarily by donations, grants, adoption fees, and service fees.

Product overview

Woods Humane Society operates as a full-service animal shelter offering a comprehensive portfolio of animal welfare programs. The core offerings include pet adoptions (dogs and cats) through adoption questionnaires at two facility locations, canine obedience training classes, spay/neuter services through the Woods-Cashin Surgery Center, youth education programs (Critter Camp), and microchipping. Related programs include pet food assistance through the Pet Pantry Program, community cat management via trap-neuter-return, volunteer and foster programs, pet loss support groups (Paws to Remember), and lost pet reunification services integrated with Petco Love Lost image recognition technology. Additional resources include pet-friendly housing referrals, adopter guides for dogs and cats, emergency preparedness materials, and the Caring Companions planned giving program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pet Adoptions Dog and cat adoption services including online adoption questionnaires for dogs and cats, with animals housed at both the San Luis Obispo and Atascadero adoption centers. Adoption fees include vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, health screening, microchipping, collar, leash, and a complimentary bag of food.
• Spay/Neuter Services Low-cost spay and neuter surgeries performed at the Woods-Cashin Surgery Center, serving shelter animals, the public, county animal services, and rescue groups. Nearly 40,000 surgeries performed since 2007 and 5,662 surgeries performed in Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
• Canine Obedience Training Dog obedience training classes provided to the public, designed to keep pets in their homes and out of shelters. Classes are led through a dedicated behavior and training center.
• Youth Programs (Critter Camp) Humane education activities for children including the Critter Camp program and pet visitations at senior care facilities, designed to teach youth about responsible pet ownership and animal welfare.
• Microchipping Microchip implantation service offered daily for $20 by appointment at both shelter locations, helping reunite lost pets with their owners.
• Pet Pantry Program Monthly pet food and supply distribution program for community members in need, helping keep pets in homes and out of shelters through partner distribution networks including Lumina, Salvation Army, 40 Prado, Echo, and local churches.
• Community Cats Program (Project Meow) Community cat trapping, spay/neuter, and return program (Project Meow) designed to manage feral cat populations humanely and reduce community cat overpopulation.
• Mom Spay Program Low-cost spay services specifically for mother cats, designed to prevent further overpopulation by interrupting the breeding cycle.
• Lost Pet Reunification Service Lost pet reunification support integrated with Petco Love Lost image recognition technology, allowing community members to search a national lost and found pet database to find matches for missing animals.
• Paws to Remember Pet Loss Support Group Monthly pet loss grief support group co-hosted with Hospice SLO, providing community members with bereavement support after losing a companion animal.
• Caring Companions Planned Giving Program Planned giving program allowing supporters to include Woods Humane Society in their estate planning for continued pet care support through bequests and legacy gifts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 40,000 spay/neuter surgeries performed in the Woods-Cashin Surgery Center since 2007, helping reduce pet overpopulation in the county.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Petco Love LostcoreTechnology or IntegrationWoods Humane Society partners with Petco Love Lost to reunite lost pets with owners using image recognition technology that searches a national lost and found database. The partnership provides an online search tool where users can upload pet photos to find matches across shelters nationwide.
• San Luis Obispo County Animal ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWoods Humane Society works in close cooperation with San Luis Obispo County Animal Services. In 2005, Woods entered an agreement to accept no less than 300 adoptable companion animals from Animal Services annually to help reduce the county shelter's euthanasia rate. Woods also takes in over 300 cats and dogs from County Animal Services each year.
• Hills Pet Nutrition / Hills Science DietminorOthersHills Pet Nutrition is listed as a partner organization and logo on the Woods Humane Society website. Hills provides pet food support that enables the Pet Pantry program to distribute food to community members in need.
• Lemos Pet SupplyminorOthersLemos Pet Supply is listed as a supporter of the Pet Pantry program, contributing pet food and supplies to help the community feed pets in need.
• HomeShareSLOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHomeShareSLO is a local nonprofit facilitating home-sharing matches, often with pet-friendly housing options. Woods Humane Society partners with HomeShareSLO to help keep pets in homes and out of shelters by connecting pet owners facing housing challenges with pet-friendly rental options.
• Pet Pantry Distribution Partners (Lumina, Salvation Army, 40 Prado, Echo, Paso Cares, local churches)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWoods Pet Pantry shares pet food and supplies with community distribution partners including Lumina, Salvation Army, 40 Prado Homeless Services Center, Echo (El Camino Homeless Organization), local church food pantries, and Paso Cares to reach pet owners facing food insecurity.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Petco Love: Animal welfare nonprofit and existing technology partner of Woods (Petco Love Lost image recognition). Functions as an ecosystem funder and capability provider rather than a competing shelter.
• Maddie's Fund: Major national family foundation focused on achieving no-kill outcomes through grants to shelters and rescue organizations. Comparable mission alignment as a funder and thought leader in the no-kill movement, not a direct operator.

Broad incumbents

• Best Friends Animal Society: Leading national no-kill animal welfare organization operating sanctuaries and supporting shelters nationwide. Comparable in no-kill philosophy and adoption/training programming, with significantly larger national reach.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): National animal welfare advocacy and shelter support organization. Operates broadly across animal protection rather than as a single-shelter operator, but is comparable as an overarching brand and policy umbrella in the same mission space.
• ASPCA: National animal welfare organization providing sheltering, veterinary, and advocacy services. Comparable to Woods in mission and breadth of programming, though operating at national scale rather than county-level.

Regional players

• El Dorado County Animal Shelter: County animal shelter in Northern California where Woods' Adoptions Program Supervisor previously worked. Operates sheltering and adoption services in a different geography, comparable as a municipal/animal control shelter.

Direct peers

• San Diego Humane Society: Large-scale regional humane society operating multiple campuses offering adoptions, spay/neuter, training, and humane education. Directly comparable to Woods in mission, service mix, and operating model, though at significantly larger scale.
• SPCA Monterey County: Regional animal welfare organization on California's Central Coast offering adoptions, spay/neuter, and humane education. Closely comparable to Woods in geographic proximity, scope of services, and county-level focus.
• Pasadena Humane Society: Independent nonprofit humane society in California providing adoptions, veterinary services, behavior training, and community programs. Comparable to Woods in structure, full-service delivery, and reliance on donations.
• Santa Barbara County Animal Services: County-level animal shelter and animal control provider whose Director of Operations alumni (Julia Bixby) joined Woods' leadership. Operates similar adoption and spay/neuter services in a neighboring Central Coast region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/woodshumane
• Facebookfacebook.com/WoodsHumaneSociety
• Instagraminstagram.com/woodshumanesociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Woods Humane Society