Kentucky Humane Society

What Kentucky Humane Society does

Kentucky Humane Society (KHS), founded in 1884 and headquartered in Louisville, is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 61-0463938) operating as Kentucky's largest pet adoption agency and spay/neuter provider. The organization runs a no-kill shelter model serving pet adopters, pet owners in financial hardship, and surrendered or stray animals through multiple Louisville-area facilities — the Sam Swope Pet Treatment & Lifesaving Center (main campus), East Campus, S.N.I.P. Clinic, Fern Creek Pet Resort, Purrfect Day Café, and Willow Hope Farm — plus the CARE-a-van mobile veterinary clinic reaching all 120 Kentucky counties. President & CEO Alisa Gray leads a staff of 51-100, and the organization helps nearly 6,000 dogs, cats, and horses annually with 3,000+ pets placed in volunteer foster homes.

The portfolio spans adoption, spay/neuter surgery (175,000+ performed since 2007), mobile veterinary care, dog training, boarding, grooming, daycare, working cat placement, equine rescue, café-based cat adoption, pet retention counseling, pet food assistance, and lost-pet reunification. The technology stack is composed of third-party SaaS rather than proprietary platforms: ClinicHQ for appointment scheduling, KennelBooker for resort reservations, Airtable for adoption/surrender intake forms, VolunteerHub for volunteer management, OneCause for fundraising events, Shopify for the KHS Pawtique merchandise store, and Petco Love Lost's facial recognition tool for reunification. No proprietary AI/ML, patents, or proprietary technology platforms are disclosed.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid donation-plus-fee model. Donation streams include individual giving, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants (ASPCA, Rachael Ray Foundation, Bissell Pet Foundation, Petco Love, Banfield Foundation, Dogs Trust USA, William M. Wood Foundation), and signature events (Waggin' Tail Festival, Tuxes & Tails Gala, Pars for Pets golf scramble) that collectively raised over $1 million in 2025. Transaction-based streams include adoption fees, $40 surrender admissions, $30-$120 spay/neuter surgeries with Pit Bull subsidies, mobile vet services, $20-$35/day boarding, $75-$250 dog training, and merchandise. The organization is currently executing the $37M ALL IN Capital Campaign to build a new Animal & Community Campus off Preston Highway, with East Campus slated for divestiture in July 2026 to fund the transition.

Name

Kentucky Humane Society

Legal name

Kentucky Humane Society

Website

https://kyhumane.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kentucky Humane Society is a Louisville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded 1884, operating as Kentucky's largest pet adoption agency and spay/neuter provider through multiple shelters, a mobile vet clinic, and the $37M ALL IN Animal & Community Campus build-out.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

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), Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)

Keywords

• Animal welfare services
• Pet adoption services
• Spay and neuter services
• Mobile veterinary care
• Nonprofit shelter operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and annual fundraising events (Waggin' Tail, Tuxes & Tails, Pars for Pets). Raised over $1 million through events and partnerships in 2025.
2. Adoption Fees: Fees for adopting shelter animals including dogs, cats, and horses. Adoption fees vary by animal.
3. Surrender Fees: Small admissions fee for surrendered pets ($40 for dogs/cats) to help cover food, boarding and medical costs.
4. CARE-a-van Veterinary Services: Low-cost mobile veterinary services including vaccines, spay/neuter surgeries, microchipping, nail trims, and wellness exams.
5. S.N.I.P. Clinic Services: High-quality, low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for cats and dogs. Since 2007, provided over 175,000 surgeries.
6. Pet Resort Services: Boarding ($35/day dogs, $20/day cats), grooming, and doggie day care at Fern Creek Pet Resort. Proceeds benefit shelter animals.
7. Dog Training Classes: Group classes and private training sessions for puppies and adult dogs. Various price points from $75 to $250.
8. Puppy Visits: $200 donation for puppy visits to workplaces or loved ones. 100% tax deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kentucky Humane Society is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that provides pet adoption services for dogs, cats, and horses, low-cost spay/neuter surgeries through the S.N.I.P. Clinic, mobile veterinary care via the CARE-a-van, pet boarding/grooming/daycare at Fern Creek Pet Resort, dog training, pet retention counseling, a pet food bank, foster care, and a volunteer program. It operates across multiple Louisville-area facilities and a mobile unit that reaches all 120 Kentucky counties. The organization is funded through donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, fundraising events, and service fees, with nearly 6,000 animals helped annually.

Product overview

The Kentucky Humane Society operates as a multi-service animal welfare organization offering a unified platform of interconnected programs centered on animal adoption, spay/neuter services, and community support. The core offerings include adoption services for dogs, cats, and horses across multiple facilities; S.N.I.P. Clinic (high-volume, affordable spay/neuter since 2007); and CARE-a-van (mobile veterinary clinic reaching underserved communities). Supporting services include dog training classes, Fern Creek Pet Resort boarding/grooming/daycare, Working Cats placement, Equine program, Purrfect Day Café cat adoption cafe, Pet Retention Services, Pet Food Bank, Lost & Found, and Foster Care. Additional programs encompass volunteer management, corporate partnerships, signature events (Waggin' Tail Festival, Tuxes & Tails Gala, Pars for Pets), Puppy Visits, Pawtique merchandise store, and the ALL IN Capital Campaign for a new $37M Animal & Community Campus. The portfolio functions as an integrated ecosystem addressing the full animal welfare lifecycle from prevention to adoption.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Purrfect Day Café: Cat adoption cafe where customers can enjoy coffee while interacting with adoptable cats
• CARE-a-van
• S.N.I.P. Clinic
• Pet Food Bank
• Willow Hope Farm
• Sam Swope Pet TLC

Products and services

• Pet Adoption Services Facilitates adoptions of dogs, cats, and horses through multiple Louisville-area facilities. Walk-ins welcome, online adoption interest form, meet-and-greet process, and adoption fee payment.
• S.N.I.P. Clinic Spay/Neuter Services High-quality, low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for cats and dogs at a fixed Louisville clinic. Designated ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance Model Clinic. Subsidized $30 pricing available for Pit Bull Terriers.
• CARE-a-van Mobile Veterinary Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 175,000+ spay/neuter surgeries performed since 2007
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

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

• TurfMutt FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 20257th annual Mulligan's Mutt Madness event held in partnership at Equip Exposition 2025. Found homes for 13 shelter dogs and included $10,000 donation to KHS.
• VCA HospitalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner and veterinary hospital network. Emerald sponsor of Waggin' Tail Festival 2026.
• Purrfect Day CafemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCat adoption cafe partner - found homes for 10,000+ KHS cats since 2018. One of KHS's largest annual donors. Gold sponsor of Waggin' Tail Festival 2026.
• The Center for Women & FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2001, partners to provide safe, anonymous fostering of dogs and cats for survivors of domestic violence or sexual abuse.
• Give Them TenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner supporting animal welfare initiatives.
• MetLife Pet InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides 30 days free pet insurance for adopters through partnership. Logo partner.
• Hill's Pet NutritionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShelter partner helping 14 million pets find homes. Logo displayed on adoption pages.
• Feeders SupplyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner and Silver sponsor of Waggin' Tail Festival 2026.
• Mister "P" Express Inc.majorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Tuxes & Tails Gala 2026.
• Lifetime Wealth StrategiesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Tuxes & Tails Gala 2026.
• Brown-FormanmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSignature & Cocktail Sponsor for Tuxes & Tails Gala 2026.
• Oxmoor Auto GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of Waggin' Tail Festival 2026. Also Hole in One Sponsor for Pars for Pets 2026.
• Kentucky Lottery CorporationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of Waggin' Tail Festival 2026.
• HumaneWorldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner supporting animal welfare.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Arizona Humane Society: Regional no-kill shelter with mobile veterinary programs and a similar portfolio (adoptions, clinic, retention services). Comparable scale to KHS but serving a different metropolitan market.
• San Diego Humane Society: Large regional no-kill shelter operating multiple campuses, spay/neuter, veterinary services, and community programs. Same multi-site, multi-service operating model as KHS, but at meaningfully larger scale in a different geography.
• Louisville Metro Animal Services: Government-operated animal control and shelter in the same Louisville metro as KHS. Directly competes for strays, surrenders, and adoptions, and is a partner/funder of S.N.I.P. Clinic — making it the closest geographic functional peer.

Direct peers

• PAWS Chicago: Large no-kill urban shelter offering adoptions, low-cost veterinary services, and community programs. Highly comparable integrated service model and revenue mix (donations + service fees + events).
• Lexington Humane Society: Regional companion-animal shelter in Kentucky offering adoptions, spay/neuter, and pet retention services. Operates in the same state donor pool and competes for the same adopter and corporate sponsor market as KHS.

Broad incumbents

• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization operating sanctuaries, adoption programs, and spay/neuter initiatives. Highly comparable operating model (no-kill, multi-program, donation-funded) and a major influencer in the same funding pool.
• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA): National animal welfare organization that operates the Spay/Neuter Alliance — KHS is a designated Model Clinic. ASPCA is both a direct operational peer (adoptions, spay/neuter) and a funder of KHS, with a substantially broader geographic scope.
• Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States): Largest U.S. animal protection organization with advocacy, shelter support, and spay/neuter programs nationally. Directly comparable mission and a shared funder/partnership network with KHS.

Others

• Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation): National animal welfare funding arm of Petco that funds KHS adoption initiatives and operates the Petco Love Lost reunification platform used by KHS. Strategic partner with overlapping program footprint.
• PetSmart Charities: Major national funder of pet adoptions, spay/neuter, and pet retention programs — a peer funder in the same corporate-foundation ecosystem as ASPCA, Bissell, and Petco Love.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/kyhumane
• Facebookfacebook.com/kyhumane
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kentucky-humane-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/kyhumane
• TikToktiktok.com/@kyhumane?lang=en

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 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 Kentucky Humane Society