Humane Society Silicon Valley

What Humane Society Silicon Valley does

Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 1929 and headquartered in Milpitas, California, at the Peter Detkin and Michelle Oates Detkin Animal Community Center (built 2009). It operates a multi-service animal welfare platform across Santa Clara County, encompassing pet adoption (dogs, cats, kittens, garden cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters), subsidized veterinary care (spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping, essential care for common illnesses, end-of-life euthanasia and cremation), dog training classes, and community support programs including Pet Pantry (one million meals distributed), Community Cat TNR, Lost & Found, Foster Care, Home to Home adoption, and Volunteer Programs. HSSV reported approximately 5,000 adoptions and 3,000 regional rescue intakes, and is currently in recovery from a December 2024 fire that damaged its main facility.

HSSV's revenue model blends earned income (adoption fees of $10–$395 per animal, veterinary service fees at below-market rates, dog training classes at $200 per 6-session course, cremation fees starting at $50) with philanthropic revenue streams including individual donations, the Faithful Friends monthly giving program, 1929 Legacy Society planned giving, endowed funds, vehicle donations through CARS, in-kind donations, and corporate matching from major Silicon Valley employers (Apple, Cisco, Google, Nvidia, Palo Alto Networks). Service delivery is distributed across fixed locations (Milpitas, the West San Jose Petco adoption center at 500 El Paseo de Saratoga, the Community Pet Clinic at 3463 McKee Road, Pet Pantry warehouse at 1116 Wrigley Way) and mobile neighborhood vaccine clinics operating at local parks. Geographic service is restricted to Santa Clara County residents.

Customer segments are distributed across individual pet adopters, low-income pet owners seeking subsidized veterinary care, community cat caregivers, families facing financial hardship, and corporate donors. The organization holds a 4-star Charity Navigator rating, a 2025 Platinum Transparency award from Candid (EIN 94-1196215), and is a recognized partner of Maddie's Fund and Petco Love. There are no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no proprietary technology products, and no external funding rounds; HSSV operates as a self-funded nonprofit reliant on donations, earned service revenue, and corporate partnerships.

Name

Humane Society Silicon Valley

Legal name

Humane Society Silicon Valley

Website

https://hssv.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1929 that operates pet adoption, subsidized veterinary care, spay/neuter, mobile vaccine clinics, pet food assistance, and end-of-life services for Santa Clara County residents and pets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (541940), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lost & Found, Reunification & Microchipping Programs (BPAGAIAL), Spay/Neuter & Population Control Programs (BPAGAIAE), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK), Behavioral Medicine & Training-Integrated Veterinary Services (HLAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Pet adoption services
• Veterinary services
• Animal shelter operations
• Spay and neuter
• Low-cost pet care

Headquarters

HQ city

Milpitas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Adoption Fees: Fees collected from pet adoptions including dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, garden cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, and hamsters. Fees range from $10 (garden cats) to $395 (puppies) and help support the care of animals including spay/neuter, vaccines, deworming, and microchipping.
2. Veterinary Services: Low-cost veterinary services including spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, microchipping, essential care, and end-of-life services. Services priced significantly below market rates to serve low-income community members.
3. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individuals, including tributes, memorials, and the Faithful Friends monthly giving program. Donors can contribute via website, mail, or automatic monthly deductions.
4. Legacy Giving and Endowments: Planned giving through bequests, wills, trusts, IRA beneficiary designations, and endowed funds. Donors create permanent funds that provide ongoing financial support.
5. Vehicle Donation Program: Vehicle donations through partnership with Cars Easy (CARS). Donors receive tax deduction, HSSV receives net proceeds from vehicle sale.
6. In-Kind Donations: Donations of pet food, supplies, blankets, and wish list items to support shelter animals and Pet Pantry program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Humane Society Silicon Valley is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that adopts out dogs, cats, small animals, and garden cats, and provides low-cost veterinary care including spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping, and end-of-life (euthanasia and cremation) services. It also runs pet-retention support programs such as a Pet Pantry for food assistance, a Community Cat TNR program, dog training classes, a foster care program, and a Home to Home adoption pathway.

Product overview

Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) operates as a comprehensive animal welfare organization offering a unified portfolio of shelter, veterinary, and community support services. The core offerings include pet adoption (dogs, cats, garden cats, small animals), essential veterinary care (essential care clinic, spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping), end-of-life services, and community support programs (pet pantry, lost & found, community cat TNR). Training classes and foster care programs provide additional support for pet owners and shelter animals. HSSV also offers Home to Home adoption for pets remaining in foster homes, and volunteer programs enabling community engagement across all service areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Cecilia Claudio Spay and Neuter Program: Spay and neuter services program named after donor Cecilia Claudio
• The Fur Ball
• Home to Home
• Pet Pantry
• Doggie Day Out
• Faithful Friends
• 1929 Legacy Society
• Pet Guardianship Program
• Green Paw Patrol

Products and services

• Pet Adoption (Dogs, Cats, Small Animals, Garden Cats) Adoption placement of dogs, cats, small animals, and garden cats from HSSV's animal care facilities, including the Milpitas flagship and West San Jose Petco Adoption Center, to local individuals and families in the Silicon Valley/South Bay area.
• Essential Care Veterinary Clinic Low-cost veterinary care services for cost-sensitive pet owners in the South Bay, providing accessible medical care for owned pets.
• Spay and Neuter Services Subsidized spay and neuter surgical services for community cats and owned pets, supporting population control and animal welfare.
• Vaccinations and Microchipping Low-cost vaccination and microchipping services delivered at the Community Pet Clinic in San Jose and through mobile Neighborhood Vaccine Clinics serving local communities.
• End of Life Services (Euthanasia and Cremation) End-of-life veterinary services including euthanasia and cremation for owned pets, providing a humane, affordable option for South Bay pet owners.
• Pet Pantry (Food Assistance) Free or subsidized pet food distribution program for pet owners facing financial hardship, helping prevent pet surrender due to food insecurity in the South Bay.
• Community Cat Program (TNR) Trap-neuter-return (TNR) services for community cat colony caregivers, providing humane population management for unowned community cats in the South Bay.
• Dog Training Classes Group dog training classes for adopted dogs and community pet owners, supporting behavioral success and retention in the home.
• Home to Home Adoption Direct rehoming service that helps owners place their pets with new adopters without shelter surrender, reducing shelter intake stress.
• Foster Care Program Volunteer-based foster care program that places shelter animals in temporary home environments to support socialization, medical recovery, and adoption readiness.
• Lost & Found Pet Service Lost and found pet service that helps South Bay residents report and locate lost pets, supporting reunification with owners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000 animals adopted into loving homes
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Petco LovecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPetco Love is a national animal welfare organization that partners with local shelters. HSSV operates a Petco Neighborhood Adoption Center at 500 El Paseo de Saratoga in San Jose, providing visible retail presence for adoptable animals.
• Cars Easy (CARS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services) handles vehicle donation processing for HSSV. Donors use the CARS platform to donate vehicles, with proceeds going to HSSV after sale.
• AppleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner that participates in workplace giving and volunteer hour matching programs supporting HSSV.
• CiscominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner participating in workplace giving and volunteer hour matching programs supporting HSSV.
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner participating in workplace giving and volunteer hour matching programs supporting HSSV.
• NvidiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner participating in workplace giving and volunteer hour matching programs supporting HSSV.
• Palo Alto NetworksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner participating in workplace giving and volunteer hour matching programs supporting HSSV.
• Santana RowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSantana Row shopping center partners with HSSV for annual Santa Paws holiday event, providing venue and community engagement for pet lovers.
• Corporate Matching Gift CompaniesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious companies that match employee donations to HSSV through workplace giving programs. Includes multiple technology companies in Silicon Valley area.
• Bay Area Cats: TNR & Community ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacebook-based community network providing tools, support, and guidance for TNR trapping and community cat caretakers in the Bay Area.
• 13th Street Cat RescueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal TNR organization that lends traps to community cat caregivers in Santa Clara County. Contact: 408-566-3637.
• Cat Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organization lending traps and providing resources for community cat caretakers. Contact: (408) 335-4357.
• Homeless Cat NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting homeless and community cats through trap lending and education.
• Caring Pet Services of Los GatosminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner provider for cremation services. Handles communal and private cremation with options for memorial items and urns.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• San Francisco SPCA: San Francisco's flagship animal welfare organization operating an adoption center, full-service veterinary hospital, and community programs. Directly comparable to HSSV as a Bay Area nonprofit providing adoption, low-cost vet, and behavior/training services.
• Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA: San Mateo County-based shelter offering adoption, spay/neuter, behavior training, and wildlife rehabilitation. Direct geographic neighbor and near-identical service mix to HSSV in the Silicon Valley region.
• Berkeley Humane: East Bay animal shelter offering adoption, affordable veterinary care, dog training, and youth programs. Comparable nonprofit model with community-focused service portfolio overlapping HSSV's programs.
• Marin Humane: North Bay animal welfare organization providing adoption, behavior/training, and community services. Comparable in mission breadth and nonprofit operational model to HSSV.

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: National animal welfare organization with adoption, veterinary, and legislative advocacy programs. A national incumbent that partially overlaps HSSV's mission but operates at much larger scale across many regions.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare leader operating sanctuaries and supporting partner shelters nationwide. Comparable nonprofit mission at greater scale; HSSV is a partner in its No-Kill 2025 initiative.

Others

• Maddie's Fund: National animal welfare philanthropy focused on achieving no-kill communities. HSSV is a recognized Maddie's Fund partner and recipients of grant funding, making it a comparable ecosystem participant.
• Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation): National animal welfare nonprofit funding shelter partners and operating adoption programs in Petco stores. Already partners with HSSV on the West San Jose Petco adoption center and provides grant funding.

Regional players

• SPCA Monterey County: Regional animal welfare nonprofit serving Monterey County with adoption, spay/neuter, and wildlife services. Comparable operating model in a neighboring California geography.
• Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority: Santa Clara County's contracted animal shelter serving multiple municipalities. Operates in the same service geography as HSSV but as a public-mandated shelter rather than a private nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hssv
• Facebookfacebook.com/humanesocietysv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/humane-society-silicon-valley
• Instagraminstagram.com/hssv

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 Humane Society Silicon Valley