Humane Society of New York

What Humane Society of New York does

The Humane Society of New York (HSNY) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1904 that operates two integrated service divisions from a single Manhattan headquarters at 306 East 59th Street: a full-service veterinary hospital and the Vladimir Horowitz and Wanda Toscanini Horowitz Adoption Center, a no-kill shelter for dogs and cats. The organization's distinguishing architectural feature is the integration of clinical veterinary care with shelter operations, allowing it to treat and rehabilitate homeless animals with complex medical and emotional needs that other shelters cannot accommodate, while serving the general public with high-quality, low-cost veterinary services including wellness visits, laser surgery, diagnostics, echocardiograms, and dentistry.

The organization's business model blends earned revenue from veterinary service fees and one-time adoption fees with charitable donations processed primarily through PayPal and a structured planned giving program covering bequests, IRA beneficiary designations, life insurance gifts, and pay-on-death account designations. HSNY states that 97% of funds raised are allocated directly to programs, and it holds a four-star Charity Navigator rating and the America's Best Charities Seal of Excellence. The organization operates with 11-50 employees under Executive Director Sandra DeFeo and non-salaried President Virginia Chipurnoi, alongside a Board of Directors and an active volunteer program coordinated by Anne-Marie Karash.

Beyond direct animal care, HSNY maintains an active legislative advocacy program at city, state, federal, and international levels, providing animal welfare advocates with action alerts, bill summaries, and a recommended-reading collection. The organization also confers the Humane Medal, recognizing individuals whose lifelong commitment to animal welfare and conservation has impact, with past recipients including Dame Daphne Sheldrick (Sheldrick Wildlife Trust), Nick Brandt (Big Life Foundation), and SeaLegacy. The organization's geographic scope is explicitly limited to New York City, with no global footprint claim and no signals of expansion beyond its existing single Manhattan location.

Name

Humane Society of New York

Legal name

Humane Society of New York

Website

https://humanesocietyny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Humane Society of New York is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1904 operating an integrated veterinary hospital and no-kill dog/cat adoption center in Manhattan, supported by animal welfare legislative advocacy and donation-based funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare and Veterinary Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (541940)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAEANAA

Companion Animal Veterinary Clinics & Hospitals

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Production & Aquaculture/Animal Health & Veterinary Services

SECONDARYBPAGAIAA

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Animal Welfare & Wildlife Rescue

SECONDARYBPAGAIAD

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Animal Welfare & Wildlife Rescue

SECONDARYHLAMAAAC

Spay/Neuter & High-Volume Sterilization Clinics

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Veterinary Clinical Services (Companion Animal)

Keywords

• Veterinary hospital services
• Animal adoption services
• No-kill shelter operations
• Animal welfare advocacy
• Low-cost veterinary care

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Veterinary Service Fees: Revenue from providing low-cost, high-quality veterinary healthcare services for dogs and cats, including wellness visits, surgery, dentistry, and diagnostics.
2. Adoption Fees: Fees collected from individuals adopting dogs and cats from the no-kill shelter adoption center.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individuals, including online donations via PayPal, planned giving programs (bequests, IRA beneficiaries, life insurance), and specific campaign appeals like the Spring Appeal.
4. Planned Giving Programs: Bequests through wills/trusts, IRA or retirement account beneficiary designations, life insurance policy beneficiary gifts, and 'pay on death' brokerage/bank account designations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Humane Society of New York operates a full-service veterinary hospital providing high-quality, low-cost healthcare for dogs and cats, including wellness visits, surgery, dentistry, and diagnostics. It also operates the Vladimir Horowitz and Wanda Toscanini Horowitz Adoption Center, a no-kill shelter where homeless animals receive medical and behavioral rehabilitation before adoption. A Humane Education program supports the organization's animal welfare legislative advocacy work.

Product overview

The Humane Society of New York is a nonprofit organization founded in 1904 that operates two core service divisions: a full-service veterinary hospital offering high-quality, low-cost healthcare for dogs and cats, and the Vladimir Horowitz and Wanda Toscanini Horowitz Adoption Center, a no-kill shelter that provides medical care and rehabilitation for homeless animals with complex needs. The organization also operates a Humane Education program that advocates for animal welfare legislation and provides action alerts on pending bills. Additional offerings include the Humane Medal awards and a Recommended Reading collection. The veterinary clinic and adoption center are uniquely integrated, allowing the shelter to treat animals with medical and emotional needs that might be unavailable elsewhere, while the clinic serves the public with routine and specialized care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Veterinary Hospital / Clinic Services Full-service veterinary hospital offering high-quality, low-cost healthcare for dogs and cats. Services include wellness visits, vaccines, X-rays, ultrasound, microchipping, echocardiograms, spay/neuter surgery, laser surgery, biopsies, growth removal, hernia repair, and dentistry. Open seven days a week by appointment.
• Vladimir Horowitz and Wanda Toscanini Horowitz Adoption Center
• Humane Education Program
• Humane Medal Award

Quantifiable outcome

• Animals never subject to time limits at the no-kill shelter
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Big Life FoundationminorOthersFounded by Nick Brandt, a Humane Medal recipient. Organization dedicated to preserving Africa's wildlife and wild lands through partnership with local communities in East Africa.
• Sheldrick Wildlife TrustminorOthersFounded in 1977, works across Kenya on anti-poaching, conservation, and rescuing elephant and rhino orphans. Dame Daphne Sheldrick is a prestigious recipient of HSNY's Humane Medal.
• SeaLegacyminorOthers2023 recipient of HSNY's Humane Medal. Organization bringing attention to oceans and marine life through visual storytelling and changemaker networks.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: The ASPCA is a large NYC-based animal welfare nonprofit operating veterinary services, adoption, and legislative advocacy — directly comparable to HSNY's mission, though at a significantly larger national scale.
• Animal Medical Center: AMC is a large NYC specialty veterinary hospital offering advanced care for companion animals. Comparable to HSNY's clinical capabilities, but operates on a larger scale and as a specialty referral hospital rather than a low-cost general practice.
• North Shore Animal League America: North Shore Animal League America is one of the largest no-kill shelters in the US, with an on-site veterinary hospital providing adoptions and affordable care — comparable to HSNY's integrated model at a much larger scale.
• Best Friends Animal Society: Best Friends is a national no-kill shelter operator with adoption, spay/neuter, and legislative advocacy programs; comparable in mission and program mix to HSNY's adoption and humane education offerings.
• VCA Animal Hospitals: VCA is one of the largest networks of companion animal veterinary hospitals in the US, offering general and specialty care; comparable to HSNY's clinic operations at significant scale, though as a corporate veterinary operator.

Direct peers

• Bideawee: Bideawee is a NYC nonprofit operating an adoption center and veterinary clinic with a no-kill philosophy, closely mirroring HSNY's integrated shelter-and-hospital model and target donor/pet-owner base.
• Animal Haven: Animal Haven is a NYC nonprofit no-kill shelter offering adoption services and community veterinary care; directly comparable to HSNY's shelter operations and donor-funded service model.
• Bond Vet: Bond Vet is a venture-backed NYC veterinary clinic chain offering primary and urgent care for companion animals; comparable to HSNY's clinic service offering in the same NYC market, but operating as a for-profit.

Regional players

• Muddy Paws Rescue: Muddy Paws Rescue is a NYC-focused dog rescue and adoption organization; comparable to HSNY's adoption program but more limited in scope and without a public veterinary hospital.
• Social Tees Animal Rescue: Social Tees is a NYC-based no-kill animal rescue offering adoption and community veterinary services; comparable to HSNY's adoption and shelter operations in the same NYC market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HumaneSocietyNY
• Facebookfacebook.com/HumaneSocietyNY

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Humane Society of New York