ShelterBuddy

What ShelterBuddy does

ShelterBuddy, operated by Pet Loyalty Inc (Delaware C-corp), is a cloud- and mobile-based animal shelter management software platform serving animal shelters, rescues, municipalities, and regional animal control organizations. The platform centralizes the full animal lifecycle record — intake, medical and behavioral treatment, licensing, boarding, training, outcomes, adoption matching, and lost & found — and extends to volunteer, staff, donor, and fundraising management. Core technology is a hosted SaaS product with a downloadable mobile application for field and on-floor use, a REST-style API (available in Pro and Gold tiers, with enhanced capabilities and kennel/shelter mapping in Gold), and pre-built integrations to major adoption marketplaces (Petfinder, Adoptapet, Pet Rescue) and welfare data networks (Shelter Animals Count).

The business is a tiered subscription SaaS, sold on 12-month auto-renewing terms (Express for small shelters/rescues at reduced cost, Pro for municipalities and large shelters, Gold for enterprise with multi-location support, advanced reporting, and concierge service). A 5% transaction processing fee (with a $5 minimum) on credit card adoptions and donations processed through Mobile Checkout creates a secondary, usage-based revenue stream. Go-to-market combines an enterprise field-sales motion — evidenced by prominent 'Get a Demo' CTAs — for Pro and Gold with self-service accessibility for the Express tier. Distribution is augmented by integration partnerships with adoption and rescue logistics platforms.

ShelterBuddy was originally developed by RSPCA Queensland and currently reports 200+ shelter customers, 1,415+ staff users, 5,000+ volunteers managed, and over 1 million animals processed annually. In 2024 the company disclosed a $100 million raise from Venture Capital Hub, materially outsized relative to its 51–100 employee base and signaling a planned scale-up. Leadership comprises CEO Harry Schechter and General Manager Sheila Collecott, with headquarters listed in Boston (1 Washington Mall).

Name

ShelterBuddy

Legal name

Pet Loyalty Inc

Website

https://shelterbuddy.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ShelterBuddy, operated by Pet Loyalty Inc, provides cloud-based animal shelter management software to animal shelters, rescues, municipalities, and enterprise shelters via tiered Express, Pro, and Gold subscriptions, with mobile apps, API access, and integrations to Petfinder and Adoptapet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Shelter Management Software

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF)

Keywords

• Animal shelter software
• Shelter management system
• Pet adoption software
• Animal welfare software
• Shelter database system

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Services: Subscription-based revenue model with 12-month subscription terms that automatically renew for successive 1-year periods unless 90-day notice of non-renewal is provided. Three tiered plans: Express (basic), Pro (municipalities/large shelters), and Gold (advanced reporting/technical access).
2. Transaction Processing Fees: 5% processing fee with a minimum of $5 for credit card payments processed through Mobile Checkout. Fee is added as separate line item at checkout paid by adopter by default. For donations, processing fee is deducted from the donation amount.
3. Optional Services: Additional optional services at extra charge including program management, analytics, custom reporting, and enhanced support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ShelterBuddy provides a cloud and app-based animal shelter management software platform that enables animal welfare organizations to centralize animal records, track intakes and outcomes, manage medical treatments, licensing, donations, adoptions, volunteers, and staff. The platform is sold via three subscription tiers — Express (for small shelters and rescues), Pro (for municipalities and large shelters), and Gold (advanced reporting, API access, and multi-location support) — with annual subscriptions and optional transaction processing fees on credit card payments.

Product overview

ShelterBuddy offers a cloud and app-based animal shelter management software platform with three tiered product levels: Express (entry-level for small shelters), Pro (full-featured for municipalities and large shelters), and Gold (premium for enterprise with advanced reporting and API access). The platform also includes a mobile application for field access. The system provides comprehensive animal management capabilities including intake tracking, outcomes, licensing, donations, medical records, behavioral assessments, volunteer management, and third-party adoption site uploads.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ShelterBuddy Express: Entry-level shelter management software for small shelters and rescue groups at reduced cost
• ShelterBuddy Pro
• ShelterBuddy Gold

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Shelter Animals CountcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner for animal shelter data and statistics. Part of ShelterBuddy's ecosystem of adoption and shelter management integrations.
• Pet RescuecoreTechnology or IntegrationPet adoption platform integration allowing seamless data sharing and animal listing synchronization with ShelterBuddy's shelter management system.
• PetfindercoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor pet adoption platform with API integration allowing automatic uploading of animal listings from ShelterBuddy to Petfinder's adoption marketplace.
• AdopapetcoreTechnology or IntegrationAdoption platform integration enabling shelters to list animals and connect with potential adopters through the Adopapet network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PetPoint: PetPoint, by Pethealth Software Inc., is a widely adopted animal shelter management SaaS used across North America to manage animal records, adoptions, and outcomes. It is ShelterBuddy's most direct head-to-head competitor in the shelter management category.
• RescueGroups: RescueGroups.org provides shelter and rescue management software, including animal listings, adoptions, and donor tools. It overlaps directly with ShelterBuddy's Express/Pro tiers and competes for the same small-shelter and rescue segment.
• Chameleon Software: Chameleon is a UK-based shelter and kennels management software used by animal welfare organizations to manage animal records, adoptions, and operations. It is a comparable vertical SaaS product in a closely adjacent geography.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Adopt-a-Pet operates one of the largest pet adoption marketplaces and offers shelter/rescue-facing tools (including Adopets) for listing animals and managing adoptions. ShelterBuddy integrates with Adopt-a-Pet and competes for the same shelter software wallet.

Broad incumbents

• Petfinder: Petfinder is the dominant North American pet adoption marketplace and a core integration partner of ShelterBuddy. While not a direct SaaS competitor at the same depth, its broader scale and data assets make it a strategic incumbent in the animal adoption ecosystem.
• ezyVet: ezyVet is a leading cloud veterinary practice management platform used across general and specialty vet clinics. It is a broader-incumbent comparable because it owns medical record workflows that overlap with ShelterBuddy's vet treatment features and could extend down-market into shelter customers.
• AVImark (IDEXX): AVImark, owned by IDEXX, is one of the most widely deployed veterinary practice management systems in North America. As a broad incumbent with deep penetration in animal health records, it represents an adjacent competitive threat if it expands into shelter management workflows.

Emerging players

• PetDesk: PetDesk provides pet-care-focused client engagement, reminders, and practice communication tools to veterinary clinics and pet businesses. It is comparable as an emerging SaaS player intersecting with ShelterBuddy's broader pet welfare software landscape.

Others

• Vetcove: Vetcove is a B2B procurement platform for veterinary clinics and animal care organizations. It is ecosystem-adjacent to ShelterBuddy because it sits in the same animal welfare purchasing and operations workflow, though it does not directly compete in shelter management software.
• Shelter Animals Count: Shelter Animals Count is the national database of sheltered animal statistics and a strategic integration partner of ShelterBuddy. It is an ecosystem participant — comparable as a data and benchmarking backbone for the animal welfare industry ShelterBuddy serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 ShelterBuddy