One Tail at a Time
One Tail at a Time is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that rescues pets from city shelters, delivers in-house veterinary and foster care, and places animals through fixed adoption centers, a mobile truck, and a community volunteer network. It also runs the Pet Mutual Aid veterinary access program and Silver Ticket senior pet program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What One Tail at a Time does
One Tail at a Time is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 2008 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Its core function is rescuing homeless pets from Chicago shelters, delivering veterinary and foster care, and placing animals in adoptive homes through a community-powered model that relies on volunteers, foster families, and corporate sponsors. Since inception the organization reports rescuing 14,873 pets and saving 1,465 lives in 2025 alone. The organization operates a vertically integrated service stack that includes physical adoption centers (Bucktown Adoption Center at 2144 N Wood St and a PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center at 1101 S Canal St), the Ellis Veterinary Clinic, the Brian & Sheri Qualizza Isolation Center, the Rudy Stewart Training & Behavior Center, and the mOTAT mobile adoption truck that travels 2-3 days weekly across Chicago.
The business model is donation- and grant-driven rather than revenue-generating in a commercial sense. Funding streams include individual donations (one-time and recurring), a $10/month membership program with newsletter and perks, corporate sponsorships (e.g., BARK "Snacks that Give Back"), grant funding from foundations such as PetSmart Charities ($600,000 community vet care grant in 2025; $100,000 Incubator grant for Pet Mutual Aid in 2024) and the Grey Muzzle Organization ($12,000 Silver Ticket grant in 2021), branded merchandise sales (Square and Bonfire stores), and event-based fundraising including Puppygram corporate visits at a $2,500 minimum suggested donation. The organization has expanded its mission beyond traditional rescue to include community veterinary access via the Pet Mutual Aid program in underserved Chicago neighborhoods (Auburn Gresham, Chatham, Grand Crossing) and senior pet support via the Silver Ticket program, distributed through partners such as MASK, CUSP, and The BLOC. Sister organizations OTAT West Texas (2024) and OTAT Portland (2025) extend the model under the OTAT Collective umbrella, and a Welcome Center is under construction in Humboldt Park.
One Tail at a Time firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- One Tail at a Time
- Legal name
- One Tail at a Time NFP
- Website
- https://onetail.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- One Tail at a Time is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that rescues pets from city shelters, delivers in-house veterinary and foster care, and places animals through fixed adoption centers, a mobile truck, and a community volunteer network. It also runs the Pet Mutual Aid veterinary access program and Silver Ticket senior pet program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where One Tail at a Time is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
One Tail at a Time business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting rescue operations, medical care, and community programs. One-time and recurring gift options available.
- Monthly Membership: $10/month membership program providing ongoing support with perks and monthly insider newsletter.
- Grants: Grant funding from PetSmart Charities ($600,000 for community vet care, $100,000 for Pet Mutual Aid) and The Grey Muzzle Organization ($12,000 for Silver Ticket program).
- Corporate Sponsorships & Partnerships: Corporate support including event sponsorships, adoption fee sponsorships, and product partnerships like BARK treats that give back.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise through One Tail's Merch Store, Bonfire Store, and symbolic gift registry.
- Puppygram Program: Corporate event bookings for puppy visits at workplaces, minimum suggested donation of $2,500 for 1-3 hour sessions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | $10/month recurring membership with perks and newsletter |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Puppygram corporate visits at $2,500 minimum donation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
One Tail at a Time product offering
Product offeringCore offering
One Tail at a Time is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue organization that rescues homeless pets from Chicago shelters and places them into permanent homes through physical adoption centers, a mobile adoption truck, and a community foster network. It operates an in-house veterinary clinic (Ellis Veterinary Clinic) providing medical care for rescued animals and community outreach, alongside programs such as Pet Mutual Aid (free veterinary services in underserved Chicago neighborhoods) and Silver Ticket (preventative care vouchers for senior dogs). The organization is funded through donations, monthly memberships, grants, corporate sponsorships, and event-based fundraising.
Product overview
One Tail at a Time is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal rescue organization operating a single integrated program focused on pet adoption, foster care, and community support. The organization's core offerings include physical adoption centers (Bucktown Adoption Center, PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center), veterinary clinic services (The Ellis Veterinary Clinic), a mobile adoption truck (mOTAT), foster and rescue programs, the Pet Mutual Aid community assistance program, and the Silver Ticket senior pet support program. These programs operate as a unified service model supporting Chicago's animal welfare ecosystem rather than as a modular product platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pet Mutual Aid: Community program addressing barriers in accessing veterinary care in underserved Chicago neighborhoods
- Silver Ticket Program
- OTAT Cooperative
- mOTAT
- Puppygrams
- OTAT Collective
Products and services
- Bucktown Adoption Center
Quantifiable outcome
- 14,873 pets rescued since 2008
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use One Tail at a Time
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
One Tail at a Time technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
One Tail at a Time partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Chicago Animal Care and ControlcoreCity shelter partner from which OTAT rescues animals. OTAT took in 35+ shelter pets impacted by Texas winter storms when Texas shelters faced flooding and power outages.
- Best Friends Animal SocietycoreNational animal welfare organization dedicated to ending killing of dogs and cats in shelters. OTAT is member of Best Friends Network (thousands of animal shelters and rescue groups). Awarded OTAT the Collective Impact award for collaborative work toward no-kill goals by 2025.
- BARKminorBARK partnership for 'Snacks that Give Back' - Chicago-specific treat packs sold in Target stores with portion benefiting OTAT. BARK's mission is to make dogs as happy as they make us.
- MASK (Mothers and Men Against Senseless Killings)coreCommunity partner for Pet Mutual Aid free vaccine clinics in South Side Chicago neighborhoods. Collaboration to bring veterinary resources to communities lacking access.
- CUSP (Chicago United Solidarity Project)coreCommunity organization partnering with OTAT's Pet Mutual Aid program for free vaccine and microchip clinics serving underserved Chicago communities.
- The BLOCcoreChicago organization on front lines of promoting equity and justice, partnering with OTAT for Silver Ticket program distribution and pet/people pantries.
- DoolaminorChicago-based creative agency sponsoring half of adoption fees for up to 20 dogs during January 2019. Helped celebrate OTAT's 11th birthday and support rescue mission.
- Best Friends NetworkcoreNetwork comprising thousands of animal shelters, spay/neuter organizations, and 501(c)(3) rescue groups across all 50 states working to save lives of dogs and cats in their communities.
- Hearts SpeakminorOrganization providing resources for found kittens and stray animal guidance that OTAT customized for Chicago resources.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
One Tail at a Time competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Petco Love: National pet welfare foundation funding adoption, veterinary care, and lifesaving programs nationwide. Comparable in mission and as a competitor for the same foundation dollars OTAT pursues.
- Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill leader and OTAT's network partner through the Best Friends Network. Operates sanctuaries, advocacy, and shelter partnerships across all 50 states; broader in scope than OTAT but directly comparable in mission and outcomes measurement approach.
- ASPCA: National animal welfare organization providing grants, advocacy, and direct services nationwide. Overlaps with OTAT's mission in rescue, adoption, and community veterinary support at a much larger scale.
- Humane Society of the United States: National animal welfare advocacy and direct-care organization running rescue, adoption, and veterinary programs. Larger and more advocacy-focused, but comparable on the rescue and shelter transformation dimensions.
Emerging players
- BISSELL Pet Foundation: Pet welfare foundation supporting shelter adoptions, reduced-fee events, and shelter pet programs. Comparable as a peer funder/event sponsor in the same adoption-and-shelter-events ecosystem OTAT operates in.
- Greater Good.org: Charity aggregator and grantmaker distributing donations to animal welfare nonprofits. Comparable in funding/fundraising model adjacency and in operating the donation infrastructure that supports organizations like OTAT.
Direct peers
- PAWS Chicago: Large-scale no-kill animal shelter headquartered in Chicago operating adoption centers, a veterinary clinic, and community programs. Most directly comparable peer given shared geography, integrated service model, and rescue/adoption mission.
- Anti-Cruelty Society: Chicago's oldest animal welfare organization offering adoption, veterinary, and community programs in the same metro. Directly competes for the same Chicago donor base, adopters, and foster families as OTAT.
Regional players
- Chicago Animal Care and Control: Municipal open-admission shelter from which OTAT rescues animals. A strategic partner and supply source for OTAT, but a public-sector counterpart with a different mandate (intake vs. adoption-focused rescue).
Others
- PetSmart Charities: Major animal welfare grantmaker funding OTAT's community vet and Pet Mutual Aid programs and hosting the Everyday Adoption Center. Comparable as a funder/ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor; sets the agenda OTAT aligns its programming to.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
One Tail at a Time social profiles
Digital presenceOne Tail at a Time financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
One Tail at a Time leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
One Tail at a Time subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
One Tail at a Time funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
One Tail at a Time M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about One Tail at a Time
What does One Tail at a Time do?
One Tail at a Time is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue organization that rescues homeless pets from Chicago shelters and places them into permanent homes through physical adoption centers, a mobile adoption truck, and a community foster network. It operates an in-house veterinary clinic (Ellis Veterinary Clinic) providing medical care for rescued animals and community outreach, alongside programs such as Pet Mutual Aid (free veterinary services in underserved Chicago neighborhoods) and Silver Ticket (preventative care vouchers for senior dogs). The organization is funded through donations, monthly memberships, grants, corporate sponsorships, and event-based fundraising.
Is One Tail at a Time a public or private company?
One Tail at a Time is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was One Tail at a Time founded?
One Tail at a Time was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is One Tail at a Time based?
One Tail at a Time is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does One Tail at a Time make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are monthly Membership, grants, corporate Sponsorships & Partnerships, merchandise Sales and puppygram Program.
Who are One Tail at a Time's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Petco Love, Best Friends Animal Society, ASPCA and Humane Society of the United States. Emerging players are BISSELL Pet Foundation and Greater Good.org. Direct peers are PAWS Chicago and Anti-Cruelty Society. Chicago Animal Care and Control is listed as a regional player. PetSmart Charities is listed as an others.
Does One Tail at a Time have an API?
No public API is recorded for One Tail at a Time.