United Spay Alliance

What United Spay Alliance does

United Spay Alliance (USA) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 and headquartered in Walkersville, Maryland, dedicated to promoting affordable, accessible, and timely spay/neuter services as a solution to cat and dog overpopulation. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs anchored by a Spay/Neuter Referral Directory serving 3,000+ monthly users and a State Leader Network with active leaders in 40 states. Its flagship advocacy initiative, Feline Fix by Five (co-sponsored with Marian's Dream), promotes sterilization of cats before five months of age. Capacity-building programs include HQHVSN Wet Labs (24 trainings across 9 states training 103 veterinarians since late 2022), the Community Cats Grants program (275+ groups, over $320,321 awarded since 2017), and the Sustainable Solutions Grant Program ($4,000–$8,000 awards) funded by the Summerlee Foundation.

USA's core technology is the High-Quality, High-Volume Spay/Neuter (HQHVSN) surgical training methodology, delivered through hands-on local wet labs designed to minimize travel costs and avoid cross-state licensing barriers. Educational infrastructure includes the monthly 'United We Spay' podcast (30+ episodes, 4,880+ downloads), an annual online conference (875+ registrants since 2020), Spay Vet Net for HQHVSN surgeon networking, and a webinar library. The organization also convenes a 15-member Veterinary Shortage Task Force to address workforce bottlenecks.

USA's business model is a 501(c)(3) donations-and-grants model (EIN 47-2598654). It does not charge for referral services; revenue derives from tax-deductible public donations and foundation grants. It serves a fragmented, non-paying beneficiary base including individual pet owners, community cat caretakers, veterinarians and vet students, and grassroots TNR/animal welfare organizations. The leadership team comprises a lean contractor staff of 1–10 supported by an unusually credentialed volunteer board of HQHVSN surgeons, shelter directors, and movement veterans.

Name

United Spay Alliance

Legal name

United Spay Alliance

Website

https://unitedspayalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

United Spay Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a national spay/neuter referral directory, a 40-state State Leader Network, HQHVSN veterinary wet labs, community cat grants, and the Feline Fix by Five campaign to reduce pet homelessness.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Spay/Neuter & Population Control Programs (BPAGAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Referral, Collaboration & Care Coordination Networks (Specialist Referrals, Record Sharing) (HLAMAGAJ)

Keywords

• Spay neuter services
• Animal welfare nonprofit
• Veterinary surgical training
• Community cat programs
• Pet overpopulation prevention

Headquarters

HQ city

Walkersville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: United Spay Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on public donations. Donations are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. EIN 47-2598654.
2. Grants: The organization receives grant funding from foundations including the Summerlee Foundation for the Sustainable Solutions Grant Program, which awards $4,000-$8,000 to support community cat spay/neuter efforts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

United Spay Alliance is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a free online Spay/Neuter Referral Directory connecting pet owners and community cat caretakers to low-cost veterinary providers across all 50 states. It supports a State Leader Network in 40 states, runs HQHVSN (High-Quality, High-Volume Spay/Neuter) hands-on wet lab training for veterinarians, administers Community Cats Grants and Sustainable Solutions Grants to grassroots TNR organizations, and operates the Feline Fix by Five campaign advocating for early-age feline sterilization. Educational programming is delivered through the monthly "United We Spay" podcast, webinars, and the annual online conference.

Product overview

United Spay Alliance is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to promoting affordable, accessible, and timely spay/neuter services as the solution to cat and dog homelessness. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs: the Spay/Neuter Referral Directory and State Leader Network form the core service-delivery infrastructure connecting pet owners to low-cost providers nationwide; Feline Fix by Five provides the flagship public awareness campaign for early-age sterilization; HQHVSN Wet Labs, Spay Vet Net, and Spay/Neuter Training Resources collectively build veterinary capacity through hands-on training and professional networking; Community Cats Grants and Sustainable Solutions Grants provide funding and mentorship to grassroots organizations; and the United We Spay Podcast and annual United Spay Alliance Online Conference serve as educational and advocacy platforms. The Veterinary Shortage Task Force addresses systemic challenges in the veterinary profession.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Spay/Neuter Referral Directory National online database maintained by United Spay Alliance helping pet owners and community cat caretakers easily locate low-cost spay/neuter services across the United States, including Feline-Only clinics and MASH (Mobile Animal Surgical Hospital) clinics, with an International Directory extension for services outside the US.
• State Leader Network Nationwide network of grassroots advocates and organizational leaders helping families find low-cost spay/neuter services in their communities, with USA maintaining active State Leaders in 40 states and ongoing efforts to cover remaining states.
• Feline Fix by Five Campaign National public awareness campaign and initiative advocating for cats to be spayed/neutered before five months of age to prevent unintended litters, including awareness month activities each February, a veterinary partner network, and educational resources.
• HQHVSN Wet Labs Hands-on training program providing veterinarians opportunities to practice high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter techniques under expert guidance in supervised, real-time settings; local, skills-based trainings are designed to minimize travel costs and avoid cross-state licensing barriers.
• Community Cats Grants Program Matching grant program helping small, grassroots nonprofits and TNR groups build organizational and fundraising capacity; grants require organizations to raise $2,000 to receive a matching $2,000 grant for spay/neuter services for community cats.
• Sustainable Solutions Grant Program Grant program combining financial support ($4,000-$8,000 awards), education, and mentorship to help organizations build sustainable, humane community cat programs; includes participation in an 8-week University of the Pacific-Benerd College Community Cat Program Management Certification Course.
• United Spay Alliance Online Conference Annual online conference hosted by United Spay Alliance to share key information from the spay/neuter movement, designed to inspire and empower participants to increase access to affordable spay/neuter services in their communities; over 875 registrants since 2020.
• United We Spay Podcast Monthly podcast from United Spay Alliance featuring key voices and stories from leaders throughout the spay/neuter movement; episodes released on the first Thursday each month and distributed via Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify.
• Spay Vet Net Dedicated networking platform for high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) surgeons allowing them to act as trainers, provide referrals, share job opportunities, and support advocacy efforts.
• Veterinary Shortage Task Force Ad-hoc working group of 15 members including veterinarians, shelter directors, policy experts, and professors established to understand the complex challenges facing the veterinary community and develop meaningful solutions to increase access to affordable spay/neuter services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2.7 million estimated backlog of spay/neuter surgeries nationwide due to COVID-19 pandemic effects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Cats PodcastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer administrator of the Community Cats Grants program, which transferred to United Spay Alliance at the start of 2024. Stacy LeBaron, host of Community Cats Podcast, serves as Treasurer & Strategic Director on USA's board and founded the Community Cats Grants Program.
• MSPCA-AngellminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with United Spay Alliance to provide HQHVSN training for veterinarians. Hosted wet labs in Boston, MA including one scheduled for June 8, 2024.
• Marian's DreamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Feline Fix by Five campaign, a joint initiative to promote spaying cats before 5 months of age to prevent unwanted litters.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: Major national animal welfare organization operating spay/neuter clinics, mobile veterinary services, and policy advocacy. Significantly larger budget and brand, but overlapping mission around reducing pet overpopulation and supporting low-cost veterinary services.
• Humane Society of the United States: Large national animal welfare organization that runs spay/neuter programs, shelters, and policy advocacy across a much broader portfolio. Competes for donor dollars and policy influence with USA in the animal welfare space.
• Best Friends Animal Society: Leading national no-kill animal welfare organization running spay/neuter programs and shelter partnerships. Operates at much larger scale but shares the goal of reducing euthanasia and pet overpopulation through accessible sterilization services.
• PetSmart Charities: Large animal welfare grantmaker funding low-cost spay/neuter programs, adoptions, and pet-related hunger relief. Shares the same donor-supported mission of reducing pet overpopulation through accessible sterilization services.
• Maddie's Fund: Major animal welfare foundation funding shelter medicine, spay/neuter programs, and community cat initiatives nationwide. Operates as both a grantmaker and a thought leader, with overlapping focus on veterinary capacity-building and TNR programs.
• Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation): National nonprofit supporting animal welfare through grant funding and adoption events, with significant investment in spay/neuter programs. Competes for corporate partnership dollars and donor mindshare in the same advocacy space.

Direct peers

• Alley Cat Allies: National 501(c)(3) focused on cat welfare and Trap-Neuter-Return programs. Operates in the same community cat / TNR / spay-neuter advocacy space, with similar donor-funded model and policy advocacy focus. Executive Director Brianna Lovell Myers previously worked as a consultant for Alley Cat Allies.
• North Shore Animal League America: National no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization where founder Esther Mechler previously ran SPAY/USA from 1990-2010. Operates spay/neuter programs and shares direct institutional lineage with United Spay Alliance.
• Community Cats Podcast: Long-running podcast (600+ episodes) covering community cat management and TNR. Founded by Stacy LeBaron, who is now USA's Treasurer & Strategic Director. Its Community Cats Grants program was transferred to USA in 2024, creating institutional overlap.

Others

• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): Primary professional association for veterinarians in the US, addressing workforce shortages and practice standards. Comparable in addressing the veterinary shortage issue that USA's HQHVSN training and Veterinary Shortage Task Force programs target.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/USpayAlliance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@unitedspayalliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/FelineFixbyFive
• Instagraminstagram.com/felinefixbyfive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-spay-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 United Spay Alliance