Cherryland Humane Society

What Cherryland Humane Society does

Cherryland Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) no-kill animal shelter founded in 1956 and headquartered at 1750 Ahlberg Road in Traverse City, Michigan. It serves as the sole contracted housing and care facility for both Grand Traverse County Animal Control and Leelanau County Animal Control, providing dog and cat adoption services, animal surrender intake, foster placement for animals with medical or behavioral needs, in-house veterinary care, and a Good Dog Training Program offering free lifetime post-adoption training. The organization is Fear Free Shelter Certified and employs credentialed behavior and training staff (IAABC Shelter Behavior Certification, CPDT-KA). Services are delivered through two physical locations: the main shelter facility and a separate CHS Thrift Store at 1253 W South Airport Road that sells donated goods to fund operations.

The organization operates with approximately 20+ staff across executive, medical, behavior/training, adoption, fundraising, and administrative functions, plus a network of volunteers and foster families. Marketing channels include website, Facebook, community events, email, and educational video content. Distribution channels are primarily physical (shelter plus thrift store) supplemented by online application and donation processing. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed; operations rely on Squarespace, PayPal, Google Forms, and integrations with Chewy (affiliate) and FreeWill (planned giving).

The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue mix: adoption fees ($150 cats, $250 dogs), surrender fees ($50), donation programs (one-time, recurring, memorial, Leah's Legacy emergency vet fund), planned/legacy giving via FreeWill, thrift store transaction revenue, animal control contract income, and corporate sponsorships (Bissell Pet Foundation, World's Best Cat Litter). A completed $3M From Hope to Home Capital Campaign is funding a 9,000-square-foot facility expansion launched in 2024. The shelter is geographically bounded to Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties and serves approximately 600 animals annually with 4,000+ adoptions cumulatively over recent years.

Name

Cherryland Humane Society

Legal name

Cherryland Humane Society

Website

https://cherrylandhumane.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Founded in 1956, Cherryland Humane Society is a no-kill, Fear Free certified animal shelter serving Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties in Michigan, providing pet adoption, surrender, foster care, behavior training, and veterinary services funded through donations, adoption fees, and thrift store proceeds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Shelter Services

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD), Spay/Neuter & Population Control Programs (BPAGAIAE), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK), Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF)

Keywords

• Animal shelter services
• Pet adoption programs
• Animal rescue care
• Humane society nonprofit
• Thrift store retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Traverse City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Adoption Fees: Revenue generated from pet adoptions. Cat adoption fee is $150 and dog adoption fee is $250, which include vaccinations, microchipping, spay/neuter, and post-adoption support.
2. Thrift Store: The CHS Thrift Store at 1253 W South Airport Road sells donated items including clothing, furniture, household goods, and pet supplies. Proceeds directly support shelter operations and animal care.
3. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations including one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations, memorial/honorarium gifts, and emergency vet care fund contributions (Leah's Legacy). Donations can be made via PayPal, credit card, stock transfers, IRA qualified charitable distributions, and planned giving.
4. Surrender Fees: $50 surrender fee for owners relinquishing pets to the shelter, covering part of the intake and care processing costs.
5. Legacy/Planned Giving: Planned giving opportunities including bequests through FreeWill, beneficiary designations for IRAs/401(k)s, charitable IRA rollovers (up to $100,000 annually for those 70.5+), and appreciated stock donations.
6. Chewy Affiliate Program: CHS earns $15 per new Chewy customer referral through their affiliate program, plus receives 30% off first Autoship orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cherryland Humane Society operates a regional animal shelter providing pet adoption, owner-requested animal surrender, stray cat intake, foster placement, and dog training services. It supplements these services with a thrift store whose proceeds support shelter operations, and it funds its mission through donations, grants, and community partnerships. The organization has run continuously since 1951 and serves Grand Traverse County and surrounding Michigan communities.

Product overview

Cherryland Humane Society is a no-kill animal shelter offering a unified suite of animal welfare services centered around pet adoption and care. The core offering is Adoption Services for dogs and cats, supported by Animal Surrender and Stray Cat Intake programs. Additional services include a Foster Program for animals with special needs, the Good Dog Training Program providing free post-adoption behavioral support, and a Thrift Store generating operational funds. Donation programs include general giving, Leah's Legacy emergency vet fund, Legacy Giving/Planned Giving via FreeWill integration, and the From Hope To Home Capital Campaign for facility expansion. Community Resources provide referrals to training, veterinary, and pet supply services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Good Dog Training Program: Behavioral support and training program for dogs in shelter and post-adoption. Every adopted CHS dog receives free training through this program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ animals cared for annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fear Free ShelterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertification organization providing training and standards for low-stress animal shelter care. CHS staff members individually hold Fear Free Shelter certifications.
• International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization providing certification for shelter behavior staff. CHS holds IAABC Shelter Affiliate status; trainers Emma Laird and Tia Barbera hold individual certifications.
• Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional certification organization for dog trainers. CHS trainer Emma Laird holds CPDT-KA certification.
• American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional veterinary specialty organization. CHS training program references ACVB as resource for cases requiring veterinary behaviorist referral.
• Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional veterinary organization providing shelter medicine standards and guidelines. CHS uses ASV standards as framework for new facility design.
• FreeWillcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline estate planning tool partner enabling CHS supporters to create wills and designate beneficiaries for non-probate assets (IRAs, 401(k)s, life insurance). Facilitates legacy giving program.
• Grand Traverse Animal ControlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHS serves as housing and care facility for Grand Traverse Animal Control. Animal Control handles stray dog intake and owner reunification.
• Leelanau County Animal ControlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHS serves as housing and care facility for Leelanau County Animal Control, accepting stray animals from that county pending available space.
• Community Pet Resource OrganizationsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of referral partners including HANDDS to the Rescue, TC Paw Cat Rescue, Little Traverse Bay Humane Society, Great Lakes Humane Society, Help From My Friends, Community Cats of Benzie County, Kelly's Kritters, and Munchkins' Mission. CHS refers community members to these organizations for additional rehoming resources.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Great Lakes Humane Society: Regional animal shelter also serving parts of northern Michigan. Operates with a similar adoption- and surrender-based model and is a recognized peer within CHS's referral network.
• Little Traverse Bay Humane Society: Regional no-kill animal shelter in Petoskey, MI serving northern Michigan communities. Directly comparable as a county-level shelter offering adoption, surrender, and community education services in an adjacent geography.

Broad incumbents

• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization. Comparable in mission and no-kill philosophy, and a thought leader CHS aligns with through its certifications and operational standards.
• Michigan Humane Society: Largest statewide animal welfare organization in Michigan. Provides adoption, veterinary, and rescue services across multiple locations, overlapping with CHS on mission and program offerings but at significantly greater scale.
• ASPCA: National animal welfare organization providing shelter, advocacy, and veterinary services. Operates as a broader incumbent in the animal welfare space that CHS aligns with via Candid/GuideStar transparency standards.
• Harbor Humane Society: West Michigan animal shelter offering adoption, veterinary, and education programs. Highly comparable mission and operating model; ED Heidi Yates previously led this organization.
• Humane Society of Muskegon County: Regional animal shelter in western Michigan with a similar adoption- and surrender-based model. Connected to CHS through prior leadership overlap (Heidi Yates previously served as ED).

Others

• PetSmart Charities: Largest funder of animal welfare in North America, providing grants to shelters and supporting adoption programs. A peer funder and ecosystem participant for any community shelter at CHS's scale.
• Bissell Pet Foundation: National pet welfare foundation and a major sponsor/financial partner of CHS. Relevant peer as a funder and convener in the shelter ecosystem, supporting adoption events and shelter grant programs.

Emerging players

• TC Paw Cat Rescue: Local Traverse City cat-focused rescue in CHS's referral network. Operates in the same geography with a narrower cat-only focus, complementing rather than directly competing with CHS's dog-and-cat shelter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cherrylandhumanesociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cherryland-humane-society

Compliance6 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 Cherryland Humane Society