Humane Society of Western Montana

What Humane Society of Western Montana does

The Humane Society of Western Montana is an independent, privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization headquartered in Missoula, Montana, founded in 1963 (formerly operating as the Missoula Humane Society). It operates an open-admission shelter and a diversified suite of companion-animal services including adoptions, low-cost spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping, training and behavior counseling, cremation, a pet food pantry, lost-and-found coordination, foster network management, and a mobile Rural Outreach program that has logged 63,811+ miles across Western Montana between 2021 and 2025. The organization reports a 98%+ placement rate since 2010 and, in 2025 alone, served 4,798 pets, administered 7,147 vaccines, performed 2,176 spay/neuter procedures, and completed 1,201 adoptions.

The business model combines earned income and philanthropic support with no reliance on government appropriations. Revenue mechanics include adoption fees, fees for veterinary and ancillary services (spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping, training, cremation), individual and corporate donations, and grants. Distribution is multi-channel: on-site adoptions at the Missoula facility, retail co-hosted adoption events with PetSmart and Petsense, and online placement through national partner platforms including Petco Love Lost, Petango, 24PetWatch, and Home To Home. The Rural Outreach program extends service delivery into surrounding rural counties that lack comparable animal welfare infrastructure.

The organization is staffed by 20–25 personnel and serves pet owners, adopters, and surrendered animals across Western Montana, with a programmatic emphasis on access-to-care interventions (low-cost veterinary services, food assistance) and live-release outcomes. Its competitive position is rooted in six decades of community presence, multi-program scope, and the only documented mobile veterinary service footprint of scale in the region.

Name

Humane Society of Western Montana

Legal name

Humane Society of Western Montana

Website

https://myhswm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Humane Society of Western Montana is an independent 501(c)(3) animal welfare nonprofit in Missoula, MT, operating sheltering, adoptions, low-cost veterinary services, and a mobile rural outreach program serving pet owners across Western Montana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (541940), Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Low-Cost & Community Veterinary Clinics (HLAMAAAE), Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF), Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD)

Keywords

• Animal shelter services
• Pet adoption programs
• Veterinary care
• Animal welfare nonprofit
• Spay neuter services

Headquarters

HQ city

Missoula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Adoption Fees: Fees collected from pet adoptions including dogs, cats, and small animals. Fees vary by species and age (adult cats $50, adult dogs $100, kittens $150, puppies $225, small animals $10-$45). All adopted animals receive age-appropriate vaccinations, spay/neuter, microchip, and starter supplies included in fee.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, HSWM relies primarily on donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. Donations support all programs including adoptions, spay/neuter, behavior support, medical assistance, and foster care. Donation options include general donations, honorariums, memorials, and planned giving.
3. Veterinary Services Revenue: Revenue from low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, microchipping, and cremation services offered to the community. Fees are set to be affordable while generating partial cost recovery. Includes trap-neuter-return (TNR) assistance for feral cat colonies.
4. Training Classes and Behavior Consultations: Fee-based training services including Puppy Kindergarten (4-week package), puppy socialization courses, and private behavior consultations for complex behavioral concerns. Fees support trainer time and shelter operations.
5. Cremation Services: On-site cremation services offered for deceased companion animals. Rates based on pet weight: 0-30lbs $75, 31-50lbs $120, 51-100lbs $160, 100-150lbs $190, 150+lbs $220. Provides both private and communal cremation options.
6. Grant Funding: Funds received through grants from foundations and organizations. Notable grants include support from The Max & Betty Swanson Foundation for Petworks Care Clinics, and vaccine donations from Petco Love. The organization also receives support through an endowed fund (Friends for Life) managed with Montana Community Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HSWM operates an animal shelter and adoption center in Missoula, MT, and provides an integrated suite of companion animal welfare services including pet adoption, low-cost spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations, microchipping, cremation, behavior helpline and training (including Puppy Kindergarten), a pet food pantry, and financial assistance for veterinary care. The organization also runs a statewide rural outreach program delivering veterinary services to underserved Montana communities.

Product overview

The Humane Society of Western Montana is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization that operates a collection of integrated programs centered on companion animal welfare. Rather than a single unified product, HSWM offers a portfolio of interconnected services: pet adoption (dogs, cats, small animals, and working cats) is the core program, supported by veterinary services (spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchipping), a behavior helpline and training services (including Puppy Kindergarten), a pet food pantry and financial assistance fund (Nandi & Friends), and lost-and-found services leveraging Petco Love Lost's facial recognition technology. Additional programs include cremation services, humane education, a Home To Home self-rehoming platform, and the HOPE Foster Program for medical, juvenile, and community care fostering. The organization serves both shelter animals and the broader Western Montana community through outreach clinics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pet Adoption
• Spay & Neuter Services
• Vaccinations
• Microchipping
• Lost & Found Services
• Pet Food Pantry
• Nandi & Friends Medical Assistance Fund
• Cremation Services
• Behavior Helpline
• Puppy Kindergarten
• Training & Behavior Services
• Humane Education
• Home To Home Rehoming
• HOPE Foster Program
• Working Cat Program

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Petco Love LostcoreTechnology or IntegrationHSWM partners with Petco Love Lost, which provides a lost pet database using facial recognition technology to help reunite found pets with owners. Lost and found reports created through HSWM populate on Petco's local map for community visibility.
• PetangocoreTechnology or IntegrationPetango provides the shelter management software and animal listing platform used on HSWM's website. All available adoptable animals are listed via Petango's photo database.
• 24PetWatchcoreTechnology or IntegrationHSWM uses 24PetWatch microchips for permanent pet identification. 24PetWatch provides 24/7/365 pet recovery specialists and their microchips can be scanned by any universal scanner. Initial registration is free.
• Home To Home™coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSWM participates in the Home To Home™ program, a free platform allowing pet guardians to rehome animals directly without going through a shelter. HSWM refers community members to this service as an alternative to surrender.
• Denny Menholt University HondaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner business hosting a pet food pantry donation drop-off box at their South Reserve Street location, making it convenient for community members to donate without traveling to the shelter.
• Petco (Missoula)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Petco store in Missoula serves as a drop-off location for pet food pantry donations, expanding accessibility for community donors.
• Emily Tieman – State Farm Insurance AgentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState Farm Insurance office in Missoula hosts a pet food pantry donation drop-off box as a community service partnership.
• Area Veterinarians (Post-Adoption Support)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArea veterinarians provide free post-adoption check-ups for all adopted pets, a key component of HSWM's adoption support program.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Arizona Humane Society: Independent regional nonprofit offering adoptions, low-cost veterinary clinics, behavior support, and community outreach in Phoenix — overlaps with HSWM on full-service shelter and community programming.
• Wisconsin Humane Society: Regional 501(c)(3) shelter network offering adoptions, low-cost spay/neuter, training, and a behavior helpline comparable to HSWM's service portfolio.
• San Diego Humane Society: Large independent regional nonprofit shelter and veterinary services provider offering adoptions, low-cost clinics, behavior support, and community outreach comparable to HSWM's full-service model.
• Humane Society of Missouri: Independent regional animal welfare organization offering adoptions, veterinary care, training, and outreach programs across multiple Missouri locations; structurally analogous to HSWM as an independent (non-HSUS) regional 501(c)(3).
• Denver Dumb Friends League: Large regional 501(c)(3) shelter and veterinary services organization serving the Denver metro and Colorado, offering adoptions, low-cost spay/neuter, training, and behavior services — directly comparable to HSWM's full-service model at a larger scale.

Direct peers

• Charleston Animal Society: Mid-sized regional animal welfare nonprofit operating shelter, spay/neuter, training, and community education programs — closely comparable in scope and operational scale to HSWM.
• Montana Spay/Neuter Task Force: Montana-based nonprofit operating low-cost spay/neuter and TNR programs across the state — directly comparable to HSWM's veterinary service and rural outreach footprint.

Emerging players

• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization operating adoption partnerships and community programs across the U.S., including rural and tribal community outreach that intersects HSWM's mission.
• ASPCA: National animal welfare organization operating shelter, spay/neuter, and outreach programs that compete for the same donor base and adoptable-pet pipeline as HSWM, though serving a far broader geographic footprint.

Others

• Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation): National animal welfare funding organization that provides HSWM grants for vaccine clinics and operates the Petco Love Lost facial recognition platform — a key partner in HSWM's service offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWquOfan1dP8mzIYE0JZ1uA
• Facebookfacebook.com/myhswm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/humane-society-of-western-montana
• Instagraminstagram.com/myhswm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Humane Society of Western Montana