Espanola Humane

What Espanola Humane does

Española Humane is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization headquartered in Española, New Mexico, operating an open-door animal shelter and a full-service veterinary clinic that primarily serve Hispanic and Native American communities in Rio Arriba County and surrounding pueblos. Its core offerings include free statewide spay/neuter surgeries, low-cost wellness and urgent veterinary care, an adoption program (fees ranging from free for adults to $350 for specially trained dogs), foster and volunteer programs, and a community outreach initiative called Pet Amigos that includes Trap-Neuter-Return services for community cats. The organization also operates differentiated programs including Paws in the Pen (which trains shelter dogs with inmate handlers) and Puppy Patch at the Ojo Santa Fe resort, which has placed 672 puppies since inception.

The organization's revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit mix: private donations and fundraising events (including the Fur Fest annual gala with sponsorship tiers up to $10,000), modest adoption fees, a municipal contract to operate the city-owned Española animal shelter, and grants from national funders including Petco Love and PetSmart Charities. Documented impact includes 3,286 animals received at the shelter, 6,621 free spay/neuter surgeries, and 17,402 free vaccinations in the past year. Española Humane reports that 85-89% of every dollar goes directly to animal care, holds a four-star Charity Navigator rating, and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid.

In March 2025 the organization broke ground on a 7,000-square-foot veterinary clinic in Ohkay Owingeh to expand capacity and serve underserved communities, with an early 2026 target opening. Technology infrastructure is non-proprietary and administrative, relying on Petpoint for animal records, Covetrus for appointment scheduling, Petco Love Lost for photo-based lost pet reunification, and Michelson Found Animals for microchip registration. The organization is in a leadership transition phase, with Kate Baldwin appointed Executive Director in January 2025 following the retirement of longtime leader Bridget Lindquist.

Name

Espanola Humane

Legal name

Española Humane

Website

https://espanolahumane.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Española Humane is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an open-door animal shelter and veterinary clinic in Northern New Mexico, providing free spay/neuter statewide, low-cost vet care, adoption services, and community outreach to underserved Hispanic and Native American pet owners in Rio Arriba County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Veterinary Services (541940)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD)

Keywords

• Animal shelter services
• Veterinary clinic services
• Pet adoption programs
• Spay and neuter
• Community animal welfare

Headquarters

HQ city

Espanola

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Donations: Individual donations from supporters who contribute to the organization's fundraising efforts throughout the year.
2. Fundraising Events: Annual events including Fur Fest gala, Puppy Love virtual auction, and various community fundraising activities.
3. Adoption Fees: Small adoption fees ranging from free for adults to $50 for puppies/kittens, with higher fees for specially trained dogs. Fees offset medical care, food, and shelter costs.
4. Government Contracts: Manages city-owned animal shelter in Española, providing essential municipal animal control services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Española Humane is an open-door animal shelter that accepts every animal in Rio Arriba County without charge, providing adoption, foster care, lost-and-found, and community outreach services. It also operates a full-service veterinary clinic offering free spay/neuter statewide in New Mexico, low-cost wellness and illness care, urgent care, and vaccinations for residents of Rio Arriba County, Española, Chimayó, Ohkay Owingeh, and Santa Clara Pueblo. The organization runs signature programs including Paws in the Pen (inmate-trained dogs), Puppy Patch at Ojo Santa Fe, Pet Amigos community outreach/TNR, and the Healing Hearts Fund for emergency medical financial assistance.

Product overview

Española Humane operates as a dual-division animal welfare organization combining an open-door animal shelter with a full-service veterinary clinic. The shelter division provides animal intake, adoption, foster care, and lost/found services for Rio Arriba County, while the clinic division offers free spay/neuter statewide and affordable wellness, urgent care, and vaccination services for Northern New Mexico families. The organization runs several specialized programs including Paws in the Pen (inmate dog training), Puppy Patch (Ojo Santa Fe puppy adoptions), Pet Amigos (community outreach/TNR), and Healing Hearts Fund (emergency medical financial assistance). A major new 7,000-square-foot clinic opened in 2026 to expand access to veterinary care in underserved communities. The shelter has received 3,286 animals, performed 6,621 free surgeries, and administered 17,402 vaccinations in the past year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Shelter Services Open-door shelter accepting every animal in Rio Arriba County without charge. Provides adoption, foster care, lost and found pet services, and volunteer programs for dogs, cats, and pocket pets including rabbits, ferrets, and hamsters. Located at 108 Hamm Parkway, Española, NM; open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Animal Clinic Services Full-service veterinary clinic offering free spay/neuter statewide in New Mexico, affordable wellness and illness appointments, urgent care for minor conditions, and end-of-life care. Serves residents of Rio Arriba County, Española, Chimayó, Ohkay Owingeh, and Santa Clara Pueblo. Located at 2126 El Llano Road, Ohkay Owingeh.
• Urgent Care Services Same-day appointments for stable, non-life-threatening conditions including vomiting, limping, ear infections, minor wounds, and skin issues. Starts at $35 per visit for service-area residents.
• Wellness and Vaccine Services Low-cost wellness and illness appointments plus free drive-through vaccine clinics on Thursdays and Fridays (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) offering canine DAPP, feline FVRCP, and rabies vaccines.
• Spay/Neuter Program Free spay and neuter surgeries available statewide to all New Mexico pet owners. Includes surgery, pain medication, microchip, core vaccines if needed, and post-operative care. $20 refundable deposit required to reserve appointments.
• Pet Adoption Services Pet adoption program placing dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens in forever homes. Standard adoption fees: puppies/kittens $50, adult dogs/cats $25, Ojo Santa Fe puppies $150, Paws in the Pen trained dogs $350. All adopted animals are spayed/neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated.
• Foster Care Program Foster volunteer program providing food, supplies, support, and medical care. Approximately one-third of shelter animals are in foster care at any given time, including bottle-baby fosters and emergency fosters.
• Lost and Found Pet Services Lost pet reporting, stray animal holding (3 days without ID, 5 days with ID), and reunion services. Partners with Petco Love Lost for photo-matching technology to reunite pets with families.
• Healing Hearts Fund Financial assistance fund providing urgent medical care for sick and injured pets when families cannot afford treatment. Covers infections, wounds, ongoing conditions, and end-of-life services.
• Pet Amigos Community Outreach Community outreach program providing free spay/neuter support, Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for community cats, and pet food assistance for families in need.
• Paws in the Pen Program Dog training program pairing shelter dogs with inmate trainers at correctional facilities. Dogs receive specialized training and adoption fees are $350 for program participants.
• Puppy Patch Program Puppy adoption program at Ojo Santa Fe resort location. Has adopted 672 puppies since inception. Puppies typically cost $150 at this location.
• Pet Surrender Support Resources for pet owners considering surrender, including behavior help, senior/sick pet guidance, quality-of-life calculators, and self-rehoming assistance to avoid shelter intake.
• GoodPup Dog Training Partnership Partnership providing one week of free online dog training for all adopters, with 10% discount on continued membership. Includes private 1-on-1 video sessions with certified trainers for crate training, potty training, and behavior correction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85-89% of every dollar goes directly to the animals
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• BISSELL Pet FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Empty the Shelters national adoption events, providing reduced adoption fees and national exposure. Multiple events in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
• Best Friends Animal SocietysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational animal welfare organization listed as supporter. Part of network working to save shelter pets.
• Ojo Santa FecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Puppy Patch program where Española Humane puppies are socialized and adopted. Adopted 672 puppies since inception. Location provides visibility and space for puppy care.
• Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Felines & FriendssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-way collaboration announced in September 2023 for animal welfare coordination in Northern New Mexico. Joint adoption events and program sharing.
• City of EspañolacoreOthersManages the city-owned animal shelter. Essential partnership for municipal animal control services. Coordinates facility maintenance and operations.
• GoodPupsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNation's leading online dog training service. Provides one week of free training to all adopters. GoodPup donates to Española Humane with every sign-up.
• La Fonda on the PlazaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSanta Fe hotel hosts adoption events and donates a portion of pet accommodation fees back to support Española Humane's services.
• Michelson Found AnimalssupportingTechnology or IntegrationProvides microchip registration services. All adopted animals receive microchips with lifelong registration through Michelson Found Animals.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department: Municipal animal shelter serving Albuquerque and Bernalillo County with adoption, lost/found, and field services. Comparable in mission and shelter operations but operates at much larger scale as a government entity.
• Animal Humane New Mexico: New Mexico's largest private open-admission animal shelter and low-cost veterinary care provider, based in Albuquerque. Operates a comparable shelter-plus-clinic model with adoption, spay/neuter, and community programs across the same state.
• Felines & Friends: Cat-focused rescue and adoption organization in Northern New Mexico. Direct collaborator with Española Humane and Santa Fe Animal Shelter under the joint animal welfare initiative, making it a direct peer in regional cat welfare and adoption services.
• Santa Fe Animal Shelter: Regional open-admission animal shelter in Santa Fe, NM. Direct geographic peer and active collaborator via the three-way partnership announced in September 2023 with Española Humane and Felines & Friends for animal welfare coordination in Northern New Mexico.

Others

• PetSmart Charities: Leading funder of animal welfare in North America, with grants of $25,000 (2024) and $42,000 (2021) to Española Humane. Acts as a financial partner rather than a direct competitor, supporting access to affordable veterinary care programs.
• Maddie's Fund: National family foundation providing grants to advance the no-kill movement, including a $5,000 grant to Española Humane in 2022. Acts as a capital partner and peer in the broader grant-funded animal welfare ecosystem rather than a direct service competitor.
• Petco Love: National nonprofit investing in animal welfare (a $25,000 grant in 2023 and $20,000 in 2025 to Española Humane). Functions as a major financial partner rather than a direct service peer, but operates the Petco Love Lost platform that Española Humane integrates with.

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: National animal welfare organization providing shelter, spay/neuter, veterinary, and advocacy services. Comparable in mission and scope of services but at vastly larger national scale and as a broader portfolio operator.
• Humane Society of the United States: Largest national animal protection organization in the U.S., supporting shelters, rescue, and policy advocacy. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same overall animal welfare space but at far greater scale and scope than a regional shelter.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization headquartered in Kanab, UT. Listed as a supporter of Española Humane and operates the broader nationwide network that includes this shelter's transfer partnerships. Overlaps in mission but operates at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EspanolaHumane
• Facebookfacebook.com/EspanolaHumane
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/espanola-valley-humane-society

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Espanola Humane