Pawsible

What Pawsible does

Pawsible Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in March 2019 and headquartered in College Park, Maryland. It is the only U.S. nonprofit dedicated specifically to supporting volunteer puppy raisers who raise future assistance dogs. Its mission is to make puppy raising more accessible and equitable by providing financial assistance, academic scholarships, community resources, and physical supply support to volunteer raisers across the country. Pawsible currently operates 13 volunteer groups across 11 states and supports raisers affiliated with five assistance dog organizations, including America's VetDogs, Canine Companions for Independence, Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, United States Veterans Service Dogs, and Southeastern Guide Dogs. The organization is run entirely by volunteers, with a leadership team of approximately 17 named officers and chapter leaders, and is led by CEO and Co-Founder Vanessa Barker.

Pawsible's core programs include the Puppy Raising Support Program, a Financial Assistance Program (which has awarded over $12,000 to raisers since inception), the Pawsible Academic Puppy Raiser Scholarship (launched in October 2021 with a $25,000 anonymous grant, providing ten $2,500 scholarships to student raisers in 2022), and a Puppy Pantry program for physical supply donations. It also operates an online brand merchandise store ("Re-tail") with designs created by puppy raisers, with profits supporting the mission. Supporting resources include a Group Locator Map, a Puppy Raising Resource Library, organization profiles, and moderated online communities.

Pawsible's revenue model is donation-driven, with inflows from individual donations (processed through Give Lively, PayPal, Venmo, Facebook Pay, and mail), grants (most notably the $25,000 anonymous scholarship grant in 2021), merchandise sales via a Wix storefront with Printful drop shipping, and physical/in-kind donations through Amazon and Chewy wish lists. The organization is registered as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (Tax ID 84-4757391), is volunteer-led (no paid staff), and reaches its audience through organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), a blog, email, and chapter-based community events including virtual graduations.

Name

Pawsible

Legal name

Pawsible Inc.

Website

https://pawsibleinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pawsible is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2019, that provides financial assistance, scholarships, and community resources to volunteer puppy raisers raising future assistance dogs across 13 groups in 11 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (459910)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF)

Keywords

• Service dog training
• Volunteer puppy raising
• Nonprofit animal assistance
• Canine support services
• Assistance dog programs

Headquarters

HQ city

College Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Pawsible accepts monetary donations through Give Lively platform, PayPal, Venmo, Facebook, and mail-in checks. They also host peer-to-peer fundraisers and supply drives.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online retail store selling apparel, accessories, and dog essentials with designs created by puppy raisers. Uses drop shipping through Printful. Profits go to supporting puppy raisers.
3. Grants: Received $25,000 grant from anonymous donors to fund the Pawsible Scholarship Fund for 2022.
4. Physical Donations: Accepts physical donations of flea & tick, food, and new or gently used supplies and toys.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pawsible is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports volunteer puppy raisers who raise future service and assistance dogs. The organization provides financial assistance, scholarships, and community support to individuals committed to fostering and training puppies destined for service dog work.

Product overview

Pawsible is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive ecosystem of support for volunteer puppy raisers. The core offerings include the Puppy Raising Support Program providing resources and community, a Financial Assistance Program for raisers facing hardship, and the Pawsible Academic Puppy Raiser Scholarship for student volunteers. Pawsible also operates an Online Store selling branded merchandise (apparel, accessories) with designs created by puppy raisers, with all profits supporting the mission. Additional tools include a Group Locator Map, an extensive Puppy Raising Resource Library, an Online Community platform, and Puppy Raiser Organization Profiles connecting volunteers with assistance dog organizations. The organization processes donations through Give Lively, Stripe, PayPal, Venmo, and Facebook Pay, and operates its e-commerce store on Wix with drop shipping via Printful.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Volunteer Puppy Raiser Financial Assistance Financial support program for individuals raising future service dogs, covering costs such as food, veterinary care, and training supplies.
• Scholarships for Puppy Raisers Scholarship funding provided to volunteer puppy raisers to offset expenses associated with raising and training future assistance dogs.
• Community Support Network Community-based support connecting volunteer puppy raisers with mentors, resources, and peer networks to assist them throughout the puppy raising journey.
• Branded Merchandise Merchandise sold by the nonprofit to raise awareness and generate funds to support its mission of aiding puppy raisers.
• Resource Library Educational resources and materials provided to volunteer puppy raisers to help them train and care for future service dogs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provided ~$5,000 in financial assistance since founding in March 2019
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Give LivelycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Fundraising partner platform for processing online donations and hosting peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. Pawsible uses Give Lively as their primary donation processing platform.
• PrintfulcoreTechnology or IntegrationDrop shipping fulfillment partner for Pawsible's online merchandise store. Printful produces and ships custom apparel and products to customers.
• America's VetDogs (AVD)minorOthersAssistance dog organization that Pawsible supports through their programs. Pawsible provides financial assistance to puppy raisers affiliated with this organization.
• Canine Companions for IndependenceminorOthersMajor assistance dog organization partnering with Pawsible. Multiple chapters of Pawsible support raisers affiliated with this organization.
• Guide Dog Foundation for the BlindminorOthersAssistance dog organization with Pawsible chapters supporting their puppy raisers.
• United States Veterans Service Dogs (USVSD)minorOthersAssistance dog organization for veterans. Pawsible has a dedicated chapter for USVSD raisers.
• Southeastern Guide DogsminorOthersAssistance dog organization with Pawsible chapters supporting their puppy raisers.
• University of PittsburghminorOthersUniversity chapter partner - Pawsible supports the STEP @ Pitt student puppy raising group.
• Penn State UniversityminorOthersUniversity chapter partner with active puppy raising group.
• Savannah, GA ChapterminorOthersRegional chapter partner based in Savannah, Georgia.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PetSmart Charities: Largest funder of animal welfare in North America. Comparable as a nonprofit that funds programs supporting companion animals and could plausibly fund or partner with Pawsible to scale its raiser-support programs.
• NEADS World Class Service Dogs: Service dog organization relying on volunteer puppy raisers. Comparable in operating model to Pawsible's partner organizations and operating in the same volunteer-raiser ecosystem.
• America's VetDogs: Assistance dog organization serving veterans and a Pawsible partner organization. Comparable because its volunteer puppy-raisers are a primary beneficiary segment of Pawsible's programs.
• Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind: Established assistance dog organization whose volunteer puppy raisers Pawsible directly supports. Comparable as an incumbent in the same raiser-support ecosystem and as a Pawsible partner.
• 4 Paws for Ability: Service dog nonprofit placing dogs with children with disabilities and veterans. Comparable as a mission-aligned assistance dog organization serving the broader ecosystem Pawsible's raisers support.
• Canine Companions for Independence: One of the largest U.S. assistance dog organizations and an active Pawsible partner. Comparable because it operates the volunteer puppy-raiser pipeline that Pawsible exists to support, making it both a peer in serving the raiser community and a potential disintermediator.
• Southeastern Guide Dogs: Assistance dog organization and Pawsible partner whose volunteer raisers Pawsible supports. Comparable as part of the same raiser-support value chain.
• Best Friends Animal Society: Major national animal welfare nonprofit. Comparable as a mission-aligned peer in the broader companion-animal welfare space that Pawsible could partner with or learn from as it scales.

Emerging players

• Pet Partners: Nonprofit focused on therapy animal programs with a volunteer-handler model. Comparable as a volunteer-driven animal welfare nonprofit that supports human-animal partnerships in a related but distinct niche.
• ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities): Service dog organization relying on volunteer puppy raisers to place mobility and service dogs. Comparable as a similarly-sized incumbent in the volunteer-raiser ecosystem that Pawsible's model targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pawsible.inc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pawsible-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/pawsible.inc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Pawsible