What Cedar Valley Humane Society does

Cedar Valley Humane Society (CVHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization headquartered at 7411 Mt Vernon Rd SE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1901 (originally as the Humane Society of the City of Cedar Rapids, later renamed Linn County Humane Society in 1921 and Cedar Valley Humane Society in 1991), the organization operates an open-admission shelter that does not turn animals away when space is available and imposes no time limits on adoptable animals. CVHS provides pet adoption services for dogs, cats, and small animals, animal control services under contract with municipalities in Linn, Johnson, and Benton counties, lost-and-found pet reunification, low-cost veterinary services (microchipping, vaccinations), and end-of-life services (euthanasia, cremation).

CVHS generates revenue from four primary streams: donations (the majority, with an average gift of $25), adoption fees (which bundle spay/neuter, vaccinations, and medical screening), transactional service fees (dog training, microchipping, vaccinations, cremation, facility rentals, birthday parties, and trivia/golf fundraisers), and periodic grants. The organization's go-to-market is community-led: volunteer engagement (7,252 volunteer hours in 2024), foster programs (16,405 foster hours), grassroots fundraising events, mobile pet food pantries, offsite vaccination clinics, and Dog House Donation Bank partnerships with local retailers. Specialized programs target distinct customer segments, including Pets for Veterans (50% adoption discount for veterans), Cat Companions (free adoptions for adults 65+), and Lonely Hearts (discounts on long-stay animals), alongside educational programs for schools and youth.

In late 2024, CVHS re-launched the Expanding Our Pawprint capital campaign anchored by a $1 million donation from the Allsop family, with an additional $1.5 million sought from regional corporate sponsors (Hall Perrine, US Nameplate Co., Skogman Realty, Transamerica, UFG Insurance, Cedar Grove, Cedar Memorial, GreenState Credit Union, Petco Love). The campaign funds construction of a new adoption center that broke ground March 26, 2025 and entered soft opening February 17, 2026, tripling shelter footprint from 7,000 to 18,000 SF. In 2024, CVHS helped 7,648 animals (3,886 dogs, 3,762 cats), returned 221 stray pets to owners, transferred in 96 animals from overcrowded shelters, and served 20,000+ families across its 47-municipality service area of 140,000+ residents. The organization is governed by an independent board of directors and employs 11-50 staff.

Name

Cedar Valley Humane Society

Legal name

Cedar Valley Humane Society

Website

https://cvhumane.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cedar Valley Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit open-admission animal shelter in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, providing pet adoption, animal control, microchipping, vaccinations, and pet food assistance across 47 municipalities in Linn, Johnson, and Benton counties while helping 7,000+ animals annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Shelter and Welfare Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK), Low-Cost & Community Veterinary Clinics (HLAMAAAE)

Keywords

• Animal shelter services
• Pet adoption programs
• Low-cost veterinary care
• Humane education
• Animal control services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The majority of funding for the Cedar Valley Humane Society comes from donations. Though occasional estate gifts and large memorial gifts are received, the average donation is $25.
2. Adoption Fees: Revenue generated from pet adoption fees, which include feline leukemia test, heartworm test, age-appropriate vaccinations, deparasitizing, and spay/neuter surgery.
3. Service Fees: Fees from services including dog obedience classes, birthday party rentals, facility rentals, microchipping, euthanasia, cremation, and surrender fees.
4. Grants: Grant funding received periodically to support shelter operations and community programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cedar Valley Humane Society operates an open-admission animal shelter offering pet adoption for dogs, cats, and small animals, low-cost veterinary services (microchipping, vaccinations, end-of-life/cremation), dog obedience training, pet food assistance, lost-and-found reunification, foster placement, and humane education. It also runs targeted adoption-discount programs for seniors (65+), veterans, and long-stay animals, and offers shelter-hosted birthday parties and facility rentals to local families and community groups.

Product overview

Cedar Valley Humane Society operates as a comprehensive animal welfare organization offering a unified set of shelter and community services rather than a modular software product. The core offerings center on pet adoption (dogs, cats, small animals), animal care services (microchipping, vaccinations, end-of-life services), and community support programs (pet food pantry, lost & found pets, foster care). Specialized adoption programs include Pets for Veterans (50% discounted adoptions for veterans), Cat Companions (free cat adoptions for seniors 65+), and Lonely Hearts (discounted adoptions for long-stay animals). Educational and engagement services include dog obedience training classes, Humane Education school programs, Cat Tales reading program, Kids Who Care youth projects, and shelter birthday parties. Facility offerings include auditorium and meeting room rentals, while fundraising programs encompass kennel sponsorship, Dog House Donation Bank corporate partnerships, and the Expanding Our Pawprint capital campaign for facility expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pet Adoption Services Comprehensive pet adoption program placing dogs, cats, and small animals in permanent homes, with adoption process guidance, meet-and-greet opportunities, and post-adoption support for community members in Eastern Iowa.
• Dog Obedience Classes Group dog training classes held at the Community Building covering focus, sit, down, stay, stand, loose leash walking, heel, and recall; 7-week sessions limited to 6 dogs using dog-friendly methods at $160 per enrollment.
• Microchipping Services Microchip insertion for dogs and cats at $35 per pet (or $15 for income-assistance participants), including lifetime registration via 24PetWatch.
• Low-Cost Vaccinations Everyday low-cost vaccination services including canine Distemper ($15) and Bordetella ($15), with seasonal vaccine clinics offering Bordetella, Distemper, Rabies, and microchipping.
• End of Life Services Euthanasia and cremation services for pets, including general cremation ($100-$150 by weight) and private cremation ($150-$190 by weight), plus an on-site pet cemetery.
• Pet Food Pantry Pet food assistance for financially struggling owners, available on-site and via mobile pantry at South Benton County Food Pantry and Heritage Area Agency on Aging locations, limited to once monthly per household.
• Lost & Found Pets Lost and found pet reporting, microchip scanning, and reunification services including online report forms, facility tours, and coordination with multiple county animal control agencies.
• Pet Surrender Services Appointment-only pet surrender process with surrender fees of $100 for Cedar Rapids residents and $50 for contracted areas, including alternatives counseling to help owners keep pets when possible.
• Birthday Parties Two-hour birthday party experiences for children ages 6-12 at the shelter, including private party room, kitchen access, shelter tour, animal-themed crafts, and an animal guest visit at $250 per party on Saturdays.
• Facility Rentals Rental of 1,500 sq ft auditorium (capacity 80), meeting room (capacity 18), and full kitchen, with hourly rates of $25-$125 depending on space and weekday vs. weekend/holiday, including AV equipment and Wi-Fi.
• Donation Services Multiple donation options including online giving, memorial/honor donations, the Loyal Supporter monthly giving program, vehicle donation, and kennel sponsorship opportunities for community supporters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,000+ animals helped annually
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Graham ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for the new adoption center construction project as part of the Expanding Our Pawprint capital campaign. Key construction partner for facility expansion.
• OPN ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm designing the new adoption center. Also represented on CVHS Board of Directors through Associate Principal Toby Olsen.
• ChewyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline pet supply retailer hosting CVHS wish list for direct supply donations to support shelter animals.
• AmazonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorE-commerce platform hosting CVHS Amazon Wish List for supply donations including cleaning supplies, office supplies, cat needs, dog needs, and medical equipment.
• Edgewood Animal HospitalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipating business in Dog House Donation Bank Program for collecting spare change donations at checkout.
• Visions4LessminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal business hosting Dog House Donation Bank at 2805 Blairs Ferry Rd, Cedar Rapids.
• Dental Health PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDental practice hosting Dog House Donation Bank at 4332 Center Point Rd NE.
• Marion Tire Co.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutomotive service business hosting Dog House Donation Bank at 3270 7th Ave, Marion.
• Pierson's Flower Shop & GreenhousesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlorist business hosting Dog House Donation Bank at two locations.
• RAYGUNminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail store hosting Dog House Donation Bank at 1028 3rd St SE, Cedar Rapids.
• South Benton County Food PantryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMobile pet food pantry distribution partner at 1212 8th Ave, Belle Plaine, IA 52208.
• Heritage Area Agency on AgingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMobile pet food pantry distribution partner at locations in Cedar Rapids and Marion.
• Cars for CausesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle donation partner processing car donations for CVHS through careasy.org platform.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: One of the largest U.S. animal welfare organizations operating shelters, adoption centers, spay/neuter programs, and humane law enforcement. Comparable in mission and service mix (adoption, low-cost vet, animal control) but at a national advocacy and multi-region operational scale.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization headquartered in Kanab, Utah. Comparable as a larger, established animal shelter operator with open-admission-adjacent philosophy, but operating at national scale across multiple regional centers rather than a single community footprint like CVHS.
• PetSmart Charities: National funder of pet welfare and adoption programs that partners with thousands of shelters including regional humane societies. Comparable because it both funds shelter operations and runs national adoption campaigns that overlap with CVHS's adopter and donor pool.
• Petco Love: National nonprofit investing in animal welfare through shelter partnerships, adoption events, and lifesaving programs. Directly comparable because it is a current CVHS capital campaign silver sponsor and operates the kind of national adoption infrastructure that competes for the same donor and adopter attention.
• The Humane Society of the United States: National animal welfare advocacy and direct-care organization. Comparable as a fellow 501(c)(3) focused on shelter, rescue, and humane education, but functions primarily as a national umbrella and grantmaker rather than a single-region shelter operator.
• Maddie's Fund: National family foundation dedicated to achieving no-kill outcomes across U.S. shelters through grantmaking, education, and pilot programs. Comparable because it both funds and benchmarks community shelters, including Iowa-based operations like CVHS.

Others

• Adopt-a-Pet.com: Largest North American nonprofit pet adoption network listing shelter animals. Comparable as an adjacent platform that funnels adopters to shelters like CVHS and competes indirectly for visibility and donor mindshare in the same online adoption category.
• Petfinder: Online pet adoption directory owned by Purina that aggregates adoptable animals from thousands of shelters including CVHS. Comparable as an adjacent distribution/technology platform that influences CVHS's adoption throughput without directly competing for donations.

Direct peers

• Iowa Humane Alliance: Iowa-focused animal welfare nonprofit operating spay/neuter and adoption programs across the state. Highly comparable as a state-level shelter and community veterinary services provider serving similar populations of pet owners and adopters.
• Animal Rescue League of Iowa: Iowa-based nonprofit animal shelter and adoption organization operating in Des Moines and Ankeny. Directly comparable as a regional Iowa animal welfare organization offering adoption, low-cost veterinary services, animal control, and humane education in a similar Midwest market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cvhumane
• Facebookfacebook.com/cvhumanesociety
• Instagraminstagram.com/cvhumanesociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cedar-valley-humane-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Cedar Valley Humane Society