Pals Pet Access League Society

Name

Pals Pet Access League Society

Legal name

Pet Access League Society

Website

https://palspets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pals Pet Access League Society is a Calgary-based nonprofit founded in 1985 that provides free pet visitation therapy to seniors, adults, children, and at-risk youth through 450+ volunteers across 60+ facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal-Assisted Therapy Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs & Senior In-Home Pet Sitting (HSANAEAH)

Keywords

• Pet therapy services
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Volunteer programs
• Nonprofit services
• Community wellness

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individuals via e-transfer, ATB Cares platform, and direct mail. Donations are tax-deductible (charitable tax #107811879RR0001).
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorships from companies including Tito's Handmade Vodka (volunteer recruitment and training support) and Little Dom Vivant Red Wine ($5 per bottle). Corporate matching programs from TC Energy, Conoco Phillips, Suncor, ATB Financial, BMO, Shell Canada, Telus, and others.
3. Merchandise Sales: PALS Shop sells branded merchandise including paw balm, socks, memberships, and pet-safe ice melt. Revenue supports operational costs.
4. Vehicle Donations: Partnership with Donate A Car Canada allows supporters to donate vehicles; proceeds fund therapy programs.
5. Bottle/Recycling Donations: Partnership with Skip the Depot allows supporters to recycle bottles, cans, electronics and clothes with PALS as charity of choice.
6. Legacy/Bequest Donations: Legacy donations through wills, bequests of cash, real estate, stocks, bonds, artwork, RRSP/RRIF, or life insurance beneficiary designations.
7. United Way: Receives funds through the United Way Donor Choice Program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

PALS (Pet Access League Society) operates a volunteer-driven pet visitation therapy program that sends screened volunteer-and-pet teams to more than 60 facilities across Calgary, including hospitals, long-term care homes, hospices, schools, libraries, emergency shelters, and the Calgary International Airport. All services are delivered free of charge to clients and facilities, funded entirely through donations, sponsorships, merchandise sales, and fundraising events.

Product overview

PALS (Pet Access League Society) is a Calgary-based nonprofit offering pet therapy programs, not a technology product company. The organization operates multiple programs including Pet Visitation Therapy, Pawsitive PALS, Story PALS, Puppy Rooms, and Pre-Board Pals. Additional offerings include the PALS Legacy Bursary scholarship program and a merchandise store selling branded items and volunteer memberships. All pet therapy services are provided free of charge to clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pet Visitation Therapy Program: Core program providing pet therapy visits to over 60 facilities in Calgary including hospitals, long-term care, schools, libraries, shelters, and the airport.
• Pawsitive PALS
• Story PALS
• Puppy Rooms
• Pre-Board Pals

Products and services

• Pet Visitation Therapy Program Core pet visitation therapy service delivering screened volunteer-and-pet teams to over 60 partner facilities across Calgary, providing companionship, emotional support, and stress relief to seniors, adults, and children.
• Pawsitive PALS Youth-at-risk program bringing pet therapy to struggling youth to help them make healthy choices, showing the importance of friendship and positive ways to handle peer pressure.
• Story PALS Collaboration with Calgary Public Libraries pairing struggling readers aged 6-12 with therapy dog teams for one-on-one reading sessions. Children read without fear of criticism, boosting self-esteem and reading levels.
• Puppy Rooms Stress relief program visiting universities (University of Calgary, St. Mary's University College, SAIT) and expanding to corporate Calgary work environments.
• Pre-Board Pals Airport therapy program in partnership with Calgary Airport Authority bringing therapy animals to YYC terminal to enhance passenger experience, focusing on stressed travelers and those with cancelled/delayed flights.
• PALS Legacy Bursary Merit-based scholarship program awarding up to 2 scholarships per year (minimum $500 each) to active PALS volunteers, their family members, or individuals who have benefited from PALS pet therapy, for post-secondary education, tutoring, special needs programs, learning tools, or equipment.
• PALS Store Online merchandise store selling PALS branded items including Paws Paw Balm ($15), PALS Socks ($15), Individual Memberships ($30/year), Family Memberships ($40/year), and Bear Track Pet Safe Ice Melt ($30). Revenue supports operational costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 facilities served in Calgary
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Little Dom VivantcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Limited edition red wine sponsorship. Five dollars from every bottle sold goes to PALS. Partnership celebrates the human-animal bond and supports pet therapy at over 60 Calgary facilities including the Alberta Children's Hospital and hospices.
• Tito's Handmade VodkacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Generous gift to support volunteer recruitment and training programs. Tito's, known as the Vodka for Dog People, recognizes the power of pet therapy to celebrate PALS's 40th year and beyond. Partnership helps create pet therapy moments and memories.
• Calgary Airport AuthorityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2014Pre-Board Pals (PBP) partnership bringing therapy animals to Calgary International Airport (YYC) to enhance passenger experience. Therapy dogs and cats roam the terminal greeting visitors during peak travel times Wednesday through Sunday, focusing on stressed travelers and those with delayed or cancelled flights. Started April 2014 and continues as an ongoing flagship program.
• Calgary Public LibrariesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Story PALS collaboration with Calgary Public Libraries since 2006. Struggling readers aged 6-12 are paired with therapy dog teams for 6-week one-on-one reading sessions twice yearly. The program helps children read without fear of criticism, boosting self-esteem and reading levels.
• ATB CarescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDonation platform that matches 15% of each dollar donated (limited to $150,000 yearly) and pays 100% of administration fees on donations made through their site. Significantly increases donation value for PALS.
• Donate A Car CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVehicle donation program allowing supporters to donate cars, trucks, or other vehicles. Free towing/pickup available with guaranteed tax receipt for donors.
• Skip the DepotminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBottle and can recycling partnership. Supporters sign up and select PALS as their charity of choice when recycling bottles, cans, electronics, and clothes from home.
• United Way Donor Choice ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPALS receives funds through the United Way Donor Choice Program, providing a recurring donation channel from workplace giving campaigns.
• Vin Room (Shopify store)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline retailer for Little Dom Vivant limited edition wine. Processes wine orders with portion donated to PALS.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• BC SPCA: British Columbia's largest animal welfare charity providing shelter, advocacy, and humane education. Comparable to PALS as a Canadian nonprofit animal-welfare organization, but broader in scope and regional in geography.
• Calgary Humane Society: Calgary-based animal welfare nonprofit providing shelter, adoption, and humane education services. Adjacent to PALS in nonprofit animal-welfare mission and Calgary geography, but focused on shelter operations rather than therapy visits.
• Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS): Alberta-based animal rescue and welfare nonprofit serving Calgary and surrounding areas. Overlaps with PALS in Alberta geographic focus and nonprofit animal-welfare mission, though focused on rescue/adoption rather than therapy visits.

Direct peers

• Pet Partners: The largest therapy animal organization in the United States, registering volunteer therapy animal teams and placing them in hospitals, airports, libraries, and schools. Highly comparable in screening rigor, volunteer model, and facility-based delivery.
• Alliance of Therapy Dogs: National US nonprofit registering therapy dog teams for visits to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and libraries. Mirrors PALS's volunteer-screening and facility-visit model with a multi-state reach.
• Therapeutic Paws of Canada: Canadian nonprofit that trains and certifies volunteer therapy dog teams to visit hospitals, care facilities, schools, and universities. Directly comparable to PALS in mission, volunteer-driven model, and free delivery of pet therapy services across Canada.
• Bright Spot Therapy Dogs: New England-based nonprofit training and certifying therapy dog teams for visits to hospitals, schools, and crisis response settings. Comparable in mission and volunteer-driven delivery model.
• St. John Ambulance (Canada) - Therapy Dog Program: National humanitarian organization running one of the largest volunteer pet therapy programs in Canada, with similar screening, training, and facility-visit model to PALS. Operates across multiple provinces, making it a larger, broader-incumbent peer.

Broad incumbents

• PetSmart Charities of Canada: National pet-focused charity funding access-to-care, adoption, and pet welfare programs across Canada. Adjacent to PALS in nonprofit animal-welfare mission with substantially greater funding capacity and national reach.
• Humane Canada: National federation representing animal welfare agencies across Canada. Comparable to PALS in nonprofit animal-welfare positioning but operates at an industry-association level rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PALSCalgary
• Facebookfacebook.com/PALSCalgary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pals-pet-access-league-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/palscalgary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Pals Pet Access League Society