Help Animals

What Help Animals does

Help Animals (Association Sans But Lucratif HELP ANIMALS) is a Belgian nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 1981 and registered with the Belgian B.C.E. under number 0421.350.479. The organization operates three physical animal shelters in Anderlecht, Braine-le-Château, and Waterloo, providing temporary accommodation, veterinary care (vaccination, sterilization, microchipping, anti-parasite treatment), and rehoming services for abandoned, seized, found, and surrendered animals including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, horses, donkeys, and farm animals. Beyond direct shelter operations, Help Animals runs an animal sponsorship program, a four-tier membership program (Adherent €15, Sympathisant €25, Protecteur €60, Member for Life €250), a tax-deductible donation program, a bequest and legacy giving channel, and a pedagogical educational tool targeting schools.

The organization's technology footprint is limited to consumer-facing integrations rather than proprietary systems: Bancontact is the sole accepted payment method for adoption and membership fees (credit cards are not accepted), itsme is required for adopter identity verification, and the AR Animal Search mobile app supports geo-tagged reporting of lost, injured, or deceased animals in coordination with veterinarians and municipal services. Help Animals also directs Belgian citizens to the Cat-ID and Dog-ID national identification registries for lost/found pet reunification. The organization maintains an active presence on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube (@HelpAnimals1981), and is GDPR-compliant under EU Regulation 2016/679 and Belgian data protection law.

Help Animals employs 35 staff and serves Belgian residents exclusively, with adoption eligibility restricted to individuals aged 21+ holding a Belgian National Register number. Revenue is generated entirely through donations, membership contributions, adoption fees (cats/dogs €165, puppies €225, plus €100 sterilization fees or €150 deposits), bequests, and solidarity operations; the organization is privately funded with no parent company, private equity, or venture capital involvement. A third shelter in Waterloo was inaugurated on September 6-7, 2025, marking the most recent operational expansion.

Name

Help Animals

Legal name

Association Sans But Lucratif HELP ANIMALS

Website

https://helpanimals.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Help Animals is a Belgian nonprofit ASBL founded in 1981 that operates three animal shelters (Anderlecht, Braine-le-Château, Waterloo) providing rescue, veterinary care, and adoption services for abandoned and seized animals, funded through donations, memberships, adoption fees, and bequests from Belgian residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare and Shelter 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

Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB), Low-Cost & Community Veterinary Clinics (HLAMAAAE)

Keywords

• Animal rescue services
• Pet adoption services
• Animal shelter operations
• Animal welfare nonprofit
• Lost and found pets

Headquarters

HQ city

Anderlecht

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Cash donations from supporters, with every euro received dedicated entirely to improving animal welfare
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership contributions at various tiers (entry, supporter, protector, lifetime)
3. Adoption Fees: Fees for adopting animals including cats (€165), dogs (€165), puppies (€225), plus sterilization contributions
4. Bequests and Legacies: Legacy donations and testamentary bequests from supporters

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Help Animals rescues, shelters, and rehomes abandoned, seized, and mistreated animals across Belgium through three physical shelters in Anderlecht, Braine-le-Château, and Waterloo. Core services include animal adoption, veterinary preparation (vaccination, sterilization, microchipping, anti-parasite treatment), post-adoption follow-up, and lost-and-found coordination, supplemented by sponsorship, membership, and donation programs.

Product overview

Help Animals operates as a unified animal shelter and adoption services organization, offering animal adoption, shelter accommodation, and lost/found animal services across three shelters in Belgium (Anderlecht, Braine-le-Château, and Waterloo). The core offering consists of animal adoption services supporting pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, psittacines) and farm animals (horses, ponies, donkeys, sheep, goats, cows, pigs). Supporting services include animal sponsorship programs, membership tiers, donations, and an educational tool. The organization also provides an AR Animal Search mobile application for reporting lost and found animals. The portfolio functions as a single integrated service line centered on animal welfare, rescue, and rehoming rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Adoption Services Rescue and adoption services for abandoned, seized, or surrendered animals, including veterinary preparation (vaccination, sterilization, microchipping, anti-parasite treatment) and responsible adoption matching for Belgian residents aged 21+.
• Animal Shelters (Refuges) Three physical animal shelters providing temporary accommodation, veterinary care, and welfare services for abandoned, lost, or seized animals in Anderlecht, Braine-le-Château, and Waterloo, Belgium.
• AR Animal Search Mobile App Free smartphone application enabling users to report lost, injured, or deceased animals with geo-tagged photos and coordinate with veterinarians, shelters, and municipal services.
• Animal Sponsorship Program Sponsorship program allowing individuals to financially support specific shelter animals, contributing to their ongoing care and maintenance.
• Annual Membership Program Tiered annual membership program with four levels (Adherent €15, Sympathisant €25, Protecteur €60, Member for Life €250) providing membership benefits and supporting shelter operations; required before adoption.
• Donations Program Financial contribution program accepting donations of any amount, with donations tax-deductible in Belgium under applicable legislation.
• Educational Toolkit (Outil pédagogique) Educational resources and materials for schools and educators about animal welfare, responsible pet ownership, and animal rights.
• Legs and Testaments (Bequests) Bequest and testamentary giving program allowing supporters to include Help Animals in their estate planning.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Cat IDminorOthersBelgian cat identification database service. Help Animals directs citizens to contact Cat ID (02 333 49 94) for lost/found cat reunification services.
• Dog IDminorOthersBelgian dog identification database service. Help Animals directs citizens to contact Dog ID (02 333 92 22) for lost/found dog reunification services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fondation 30 Millions d'Amis: French animal welfare foundation supporting shelters and adoption across France. Comparable nonprofit model, donation/membership revenue, and shelter-rehoming focus, though serving a different national market.
• SPA Belgium (Société Protectrice des Animaux): Belgian national animal welfare NGO operating shelters and adoption services. Directly comparable as a nonprofit animal shelter with rehoming, donations, and volunteer-based operations across Belgium.
• Animaux en Péril: Belgian nonprofit animal welfare organization running a shelter and rehoming services. Comparable mission, funding model (donations/memberships), and operational scope focused on companion and farm animals.
• Veeweyde (ASBL): Brussels-based animal shelter and welfare organization. Closest geographic peer, offering shelter, adoption, and veterinary services to abandoned animals in the Brussels-Capital region.

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): US national animal welfare organization with shelter, adoption, and veterinary services. Comparable on adoption, rehoming, and donor-funded nonprofit operations, though far larger and operating across broader advocacy and rescue functions.
• RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): UK's largest animal welfare charity operating shelters, veterinary hospitals, and adoption services. Comparable on shelter operations, rehoming, and donations model, though significantly larger and broader in scope.
• Humane Society International: Global animal welfare organization with shelter and rehoming operations across multiple countries. Comparable nonprofit model with donations, memberships, and shelter-based rehoming, though operating at much greater geographic scale.
• PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals): International animal rights and welfare organization. Comparable in mission and donation-driven nonprofit funding, though primarily advocacy-focused rather than shelter-operator like Help Animals.
• Dogs Trust: Large UK-based dog welfare charity with rehoming centers and a donation-funded model. Comparable in shelter/adoption services, scale of operations, and donor-driven nonprofit structure, though broader geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Brussels Animal Propreté (Fourrière de Bruxelles): Municipal animal pound operated by the Brussels-Capital Region. Directly comparable function (sheltering stray/seized animals), though government-funded and operating only within Brussels rather than across Belgium.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HelpAnimals1981
• Facebookfacebook.com/helpanimals.be
• Instagraminstagram.com/helpanimalsasbl
• TikToktiktok.com/@helpanimalsasbl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/help-animals

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Help Animals