Second Chance Humane Society Colorado

What Second Chance Humane Society Colorado does

Second Chance Humane Society (SCHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in Ridgway, Colorado. It serves the Western Colorado counties of Ouray, San Miguel, and Montrose, and as of May 1, 2026 has expanded operations into Delta County through the takeover of the Delta Animal Shelter. The organization's stated mission, built around the core values of Compassion, Action, Resourcefulness, and Integrity (CARI), is to improve the lives of animals by fostering the human-animal bond.

SCHS operates an integrated portfolio of animal welfare services: animal adoption (dogs, cats, and trial adoption programs), on-site veterinary services with a subsidized voucher program, volunteer and foster programs, community education resources (a weekly newsletter and pet column), and three thrift shop retail locations (Ridgway Thrift Shop, Sit Stay Shop Telluride, and Paws for Art Gallery). The organization also runs the "Dogs Day Out" community engagement program and provides lost-and-found and pet re-homing assistance. Revenue is generated through four streams: charitable donations, thrift shop merchandise sales, adoption fees, and veterinary service fees. With 14 employees, SCHS is a small operation whose competitive position rests on being the only dedicated local animal shelter in its service area, with residents of outlying communities previously having to travel more than an hour to access adoption services.

The organization maintains an active community-facing presence through a weekly e-newsletter, a pet column blog, social media, and participation in local events including the Telluride Farmers Market and Ridgway State Park programming. Corporate sponsors include Alpine Bank, Subaru, Walmart, Servpro, Black Canyon, Chowdown, and Murdochs Ranch and Home Supply. SCHS is a member of the SCAWO (Shelters Caring for Animals Working as One) coalition of regional animal shelters. No proprietary technology, digital platform, or AI capabilities are disclosed; the organization relies on a Squarespace-hosted website and standard social media channels.

Name

Second Chance Humane Society Colorado

Legal name

Second Chance Humane Society

Website

https://adoptmountainpets.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Second Chance Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 1994 in Ridgway, Colorado, operating shelter, adoption, veterinary, and thrift shop services across four Western Colorado counties (Ouray, San Miguel, Montrose, and Delta).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Animal shelter services
• Pet adoption programs
• Veterinary care services
• Thrift retail operations
• Animal welfare nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Ridgway

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Donations: Charitable contributions from individuals and organizations supporting the animal welfare mission. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Thrift Shop Sales: Revenue from three thrift shop locations (Ridgway, Telluride, and Paws for Art Gallery) selling donated merchandise.
3. Adoption Fees: Fees collected from pet adoptions at shelter locations.
4. Veterinary Services: Paid veterinary clinic services for community pets, including a voucher program for subsidized care.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Second Chance Humane Society Colorado is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 1994 and based in Ridgway, Colorado, serving Ouray, San Miguel, and Montrose counties. It operates an animal shelter providing pet adoption services, low-cost veterinary and spay/neuter services, and runs thrift shops whose proceeds help fund animal care operations. The organization relies on a 14-person staff supported by volunteers, donors, and foster caregivers to deliver humane care and rehoming for companion animals.

Product overview

Second Chance Humane Society operates as a unified animal welfare organization offering integrated services including animal adoption (with dog, cat, and trial adoption options), veterinary services with financial assistance programs, three thrift shop retail locations, volunteer and foster programs, community education resources (pet column, behavior training), and donation support. The organization serves Western Colorado through locations in Ridgway and Telluride, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 1994.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pet Adoption Program
• Veterinary and Spay/Neuter Services

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SCAWO (Shelters Caring for Animals Working as One)coreOthersCoalition/network of animal shelters. SCHS is a member and their logo appears on the SCAWO coalition page.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA): National animal welfare organization providing sheltering, advocacy, and grant funding for local shelters. Comparable nonprofit mission but operates at massive national scale, competing for donor dollars in SCHS's market.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): Largest U.S. animal protection organization with advocacy, direct care, and shelter support programs. National scope and lobbying focus contrasts with SCHS's direct local shelter operations but they compete for the same charitable donor base.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare network operating sanctuaries and partnering with local shelters. Comparable mission (no-kill adoption focus) but operates a national network and sanctuary model rather than direct community sheltering.
• Denver Dumb Friends League: Large Colorado-based animal welfare nonprofit operating shelters, veterinary services, and adoption programs statewide. Directly comparable mission and service mix (adoption, vet, community programs) but operates at significantly larger metro scale than SCHS.
• San Diego Humane Society: Large regional humane society offering adoption, veterinary services, animal control, and community programs. Comparable integrated service model (shelter + vet + community) but at much larger scale in an urban California market.

Others

• PetSmart Charities: Major funder of local shelter and adoption programs; provides grants that SCHS's sponsors (Subaru, Walmart) often co-fund. Not a direct competitor but a strategic partner/funding source for community shelters like SCHS.

Direct peers

• Larimer Humane Society: Northern Colorado regional humane society providing sheltering, adoption, veterinary services, and animal control contracts. Comparable in scope (shelter + vet + community programs) and similarly serves a multi-county region.
• Humane Society of Boulder Valley: Colorado regional humane society offering adoption, veterinary care, behavior training, and community education. Closest comparable to SCHS in operating model (multi-program nonprofit shelter with vet clinic) though operating in a more populous county.

Regional players

• Aspen Valley Humane Society: Mountain-region humane society serving Colorado resort communities with adoption and animal care services. Comparable in serving affluent rural/mountain populations but does not directly overlap with SCHS's Ouray/San Miguel/Montrose/Delta service area.
• Heart of the Rockies Animal Rescue: Central Colorado (Salida/Buena Vista area) animal rescue offering dog and cat adoption services. Comparable mission and rural-Colorado operating environment, but does not currently operate vet services or thrift retail.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/second-chance-humane-society-colorado

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Second Chance Humane Society Colorado