THE LAREDO ANIMAL PROTECTIVE SOCIETY

What THE LAREDO ANIMAL PROTECTIVE SOCIETY does

The Laredo Animal Protective Society (LAPS) is a private, no-kill, non-profit animal shelter headquartered at 2500 Gonzalez St. in Laredo, Texas, serving Laredo and Webb County. Founded in the 1950s by Ella and Jennie Devine, LAPS became an independent private humane society in 2012 after separating from its prior role managing the City of Laredo animal impound facility. With a staff of 9, the organization focuses on sheltering, rehoming, and providing veterinary-supported care for dogs, while cat adoption operations are handled by partner Best Friends For Life through an on-site Cat Village and Petco satellite locations.

LAPS's core product surface spans dog adoption ($80 for dogs 9 months or older, $140 for puppies under 9 months), the United Way of Laredo-funded SNAP spay/neuter certificate program, microchipping, dog surrender and reclaiming services, grooming add-ons (nail trim, ear cleaning), and community programs including a Foster Program, RuffTail Runners exercise initiative, Paws to Read children's literacy program, and the December 2020-launched Community Pet Pantry for pet food assistance. The underlying technology is a non-proprietary stack of third-party SaaS tools: ShelterLuv for adoption applications and donation checkout, PayPal for recurring giving, Adopt-a-Pet.com for listing reach, and PetcoLoveLost/PawBoost alongside Facebook and Nextdoor for lost-and-found coordination.

The business model is donation-and-fee based: a mix of one-time adoption and service fees, a $50 requested surrender donation, micro recurring monthly donor tiers ($5-$100 via PayPal), and targeted fundraising programs (Guardian Angel, Operation Have a Heart, Virtual Foster). LAPS also earns commissions or in-kind donations through third-party fundraising partners such as Terri Lynn and Max & Neo. The customer base is composed of local pet adopters, Webb County residents seeking subsidized spay/neuter services, volunteer and foster families, and a long tail of individual donors, with United Way of Laredo as the single material institutional funding partner.

Name

THE LAREDO ANIMAL PROTECTIVE SOCIETY

Legal name

The Laredo Animal Protective Society

Website

https://petadoptlaredo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Laredo Animal Protective Society (LAPS) is a private, no-kill, non-profit animal shelter in Laredo, Texas, providing dog adoption, spay/neuter assistance, microchipping, and community pet support programs to Webb County residents since the 1950s.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spay/Neuter & Population Control Programs (BPAGAIAE), Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD), Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)

Keywords

• Animal shelter services
• Pet adoption services
• Spay neuter assistance
• Animal welfare programs
• Pet microchipping services

Headquarters

HQ city

Laredo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Adoption Fees: One-time adoption fees for dogs and puppies. Puppies under 9 months: $140; dogs 9 months or older: $80. These fees help cover veterinary care, vaccinations, microchipping, and shelter operations.
2. Donations: Monthly recurring donations via PayPal ($5-$100/month tiers). One-time donations accepted via PayPal and ShelterLuv checkout. Includes 'Operation Have a Heart' medical expense program and 'Guardian Angel' adoption fee sponsorship.
3. Surrender Fees: $50 surrender donation requested from owners surrendering dogs to defray expenses including veterinary care, food, and shelter costs.
4. Service Fees: Microchip service at $20, SNAP certificate processing fee of $5, nail trim at $15, ear cleaning at $15.
5. Third-party Fundraising: Commission from Terri Lynn snack fundraiser and Max & Neo product donations. Walmart Spark Good program directs donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Laredo Animal Protective Society operates a no-kill animal shelter in Laredo, Texas, providing dog adoption, low-cost spay/neuter assistance (SNAP), microchipping, foster placement, dog surrender and reclaiming services, and community education programs for residents of Webb County. Adopted animals receive vaccinations, microchipping, spay/neuter, and preventative treatments prior to placement.

Product overview

The Laredo Animal Protective Society (LAPS) operates as a no-kill, non-profit animal shelter providing comprehensive animal welfare services in Laredo, Texas. The organization functions as a unified platform combining animal sheltering, adoption, and community education services. Core offerings include dog adoption and surrender services, the SNAP spay/neuter assistance program, and microchipping services. LAPS also provides community support programs such as the Community Pet Pantry (in partnership with Best Friends For Life) offering free pet food, the Foster Program with virtual sponsorship options, and the Guardian Angel donation program. Additional services include dog reclaiming, RuffTail Runners exercise program, Paws to Read literacy initiative, community presentations, and basic grooming services. The shelter connects with the community through platforms like ShelterLuv for applications and donations, PetcoLoveLost and PawBoost for lost/found pets, and social media channels including Facebook and Nextdoor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Operation Have A Heart: Donor program that helps pay for medical expenses for dogs, including vaccines, dewormer, microchips, heartworm treatment, tick fever treatment, blood tests, X-rays, and surgeries.
• Guardian Angel

Products and services

• Dog Adoption Adoption placement of dogs from the LAPS no-kill shelter; all dogs are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and treated with parasite preventatives prior to adoption. Adoption fees vary by age and length of stay. Intended for individuals and families in Laredo/Webb County seeking a companion pet.
• Spay/Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) Low-cost spay/neuter referral program for cats and dogs owned by qualifying low-income households in Webb County; $10 co-pay per animal. Eligibility requires enrollment in a public assistance program such as Medicaid, SNAP, CHIP, TANF, free school lunch, or SSI. Surgery is performed by a partner veterinarian.
• Pet Microchipping Service Microchip implantation for owned dogs, either as part of adoption or as a standalone service to help reunite lost pets with their owners.
• Foster Placement Program Coordination of temporary in-home care for shelter dogs with volunteer foster families, expanding the shelter's effective housing capacity. Includes a virtual foster/sponsor option for supporters who cannot host animals at home.
• Dog Surrender Service Acceptance of owner-surrendered dogs from residents who can no longer keep them, with a requested donation to offset sheltering costs. Provided as an alternative to abandonment or release to municipal animal services.
• Dog Reclaiming Service Reuniting found dogs with their owners, including outreach through PetcoLoveLost and PawBoost networks. Helps reduce shelter intake of owned dogs.
• Grooming Maintenance Services (Nail Trim and Ear Cleaning) Low-cost nail trim and ear cleaning services for owned dogs and cats, supporting basic at-home hygiene and reducing shelter relinquishment for preventable grooming issues.
• Community Pet Pantry Distribution of donated pet food and supplies to families experiencing financial difficulty to keep pets in their homes.
• Community Education and Outreach In-person presentations at schools, clubs, and organizations plus staffed information booths at community events to teach pet welfare and responsible ownership.
• Long Stay Dogs Adoption Program Targeted adoption initiative for dogs that have remained in the shelter beyond an average length of stay, with reduced adoption fees to accelerate placement.
• RuffTail Runners Community running program in which participants are paired with shelter dogs needing exercise, supporting dog socialization and exercise while increasing visibility and adoption likelihood.
• Paws to Read Reading Program Reading-support program allowing children to read aloud to shelter dogs, fostering literacy practice and socialization for resident dogs.
• Operation Have a Heart (Heartworm Treatment Sponsorship) Sponsorship-funded heartworm treatment for HW+ shelter dogs to make them eligible for adoption, paired with the 'Heart to Heart' identification of affected dogs on the adoption listing.
• Guardian Angel Program Recurring donor sponsorship program where supporters fund a specific shelter dog's medical and care costs while the dog awaits adoption.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Best Friends For LifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Best Friends For Life is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, no-kill, foster-based cat rescue organization. They partner with LAPS to handle cat adoptions since LAPS focuses on dogs. They have a 'Cat Village' adoption center at LAPS and satellite locations at Petco stores. Best Friends For Life also partners with LAPS on the Community Pet Pantry.
• Laredo Pet Vet PCminorOthersLocal veterinary clinic accepting LAPS SNAP certificates for spay/neuter services. Located at 2101 Shiloh Dr Suite 140, (956) 615-7297.
• Critter Care Veterinary ClinicminorOthersLocal veterinary clinic accepting LAPS SNAP certificates. Located at 5837 Northgate Ln #100, (956) 753-2988.
• Veterinary Care CenterminorOthersLocal veterinary clinic accepting LAPS SNAP certificates. Located at 2406 Clark Blvd., (956) 722-3333.
• Laredo Animal ClinicminorOthersLocal veterinary clinic accepting LAPS SNAP certificates. Located at 6001 McPherson Road, (956) 727-5031.
• Texas Wellness Spay & Neuter ClinicminorOthersSan Antonio-based spay/neuter clinic accepting LAPS SNAP certificates. Located at 4922 S Zarzamora Street, San Antonio, TX 78211, (210) 864-3083.
• SNAP San AntoniominorOthersSan Antonio-based SNAP clinic accepting LAPS SNAP certificates. Located at 6758 Ingram Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, (210) 673-7722.
• Max & NeominorGTM or Marketing PartnerDog gear company that donates 1 donation box per year of essential supplies (leashes, collars) to LAPS. Created to help supply both donors and rescues with quality dog gear.
• City of Laredo Animal Care FacilitycoreOthersThe city shelter (5202 Maher St.) where stray animals picked up by animal control are taken. LAPS rescues dogs from this facility. Collaboration on microchip registration through Laredo Animal Care Facility.

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SPCA of Texas: Major regional no-kill shelter operator across Dallas-Fort Worth with adoption, spay/neuter, microchipping, and community programs. Comparable in mission and program mix (adoption, surrender, low-cost vet services), though at materially larger scale than LAPS and serving a different Texas metro.
• Austin Pets Alive!: Texas-based no-kill shelter best known for pioneering the RuffTail Runners dog-running volunteer program that LAPS explicitly modeled its own program after. Highly comparable on no-kill operating model, volunteer-driven execution, and breadth of community programming.

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: National animal welfare organization with adoption placement, spay/neuter programs, and community pet support services. Comparable in mission breadth and program design, though operating at vastly larger national scale.
• Houston SPCA: Large Texas shelter and humane society offering adoption, low-cost spay/neuter, microchipping, and cruelty investigation. Comparable in service mix; much larger scale and operates the state's primary animal ambulance service.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization headquartered in Kanab, Utah, operating the largest sanctuary for companion animals in the U.S. Directly comparable as a no-kill leader; LAPS partners with the related Best Friends For Life cat rescue, and Best Friends' no-kill 2025 framework is a shared strategic reference point.

Others

• Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation): National pet industry foundation funding shelter adoptions and operating the Petco Love Lost lost-and-found platform that LAPS uses directly. Comparable as an ecosystem partner and indirect funder of LAPS's adoption and lost-pet reunification services.
• Adopt-a-Pet.com: North America's largest non-profit pet adoption platform listing adoptable dogs from shelters including LAPS. Comparable as a digital distribution layer for shelter adoption inventory; functions as infrastructure rather than direct shelter competition.

Regional players

• City of Laredo Animal Care Facility: Government-run municipal shelter at 5202 Maher St. that LAPS actively pulls dogs from and coordinates with on microchip registration. Comparable as a local shelter serving the same Laredo/Webb County market, but operating under the open-admission city pound model rather than no-kill.
• San Antonio Humane Society: Regional no-kill shelter serving the San Antonio metro with adoption, spay/neuter, and community support programs. Comparable as a Texas no-kill peer; geographically distinct from LAPS but referenced in LAPS's own SNAP clinic network (Texas Wellness and SNAP San Antonio).

Emerging players

• Best Friends For Life: Foster-based 501(c)(3) no-kill cat rescue organization operating out of LAPS's Cat Village and Petco satellite locations, and co-operator of the Community Pet Pantry. Closest direct operating peer in the Laredo market, with overlapping volunteer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LAPSadopt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-laredo-animal-protective-society

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 THE LAREDO ANIMAL PROTECTIVE SOCIETY