Safe Pets Safe Families

What Safe Pets Safe Families does

Safe Pets Safe Families Inc. is a volunteer-run, registered not-for-profit charity founded in 2013 in South Australia by Jennifer Howard, a domestic violence survivor. The organisation provides crisis foster care, veterinary financial assistance, pet food banking, and youth education for pet owners facing domestic violence, homelessness, mental illness, or medical emergencies. Its service portfolio comprises the Safe Pets Foster program (up to 12 weeks of emergency foster care), Paws & Pals (outreach and pop-up vet clinics for homeless owners), the Vet Crisis Fund (a circular revolving fund for urgent veterinary care), the Youth & Pets Program/YAPP (empathy and responsible-ownership education for at-risk youth up to age 25), the Fill Their Bowl pet food bank, and the Forget Me Not emergency preparedness packs. Distribution operates exclusively within South Australia through a crisis intake phone line, website intake forms, a network of registered foster carers, eight-plus veterinary partners, four-plus boarding partners, and referral agreements with Women's Safety Services SA, Anglicare, Baptist Care, and Uniting SA. The organisation is entirely volunteer-led with 15 employees, operates from a warehouse in Marleston and a PO Box in Christies Beach, and has no proprietary technology product.

The business model is donation-funded rather than commercial: revenue streams include tax-deductible donations via PayPal and bank deposit, a small undisclosed weekly contribution from owners using the foster program, Centrepay deductions from Centrelink recipients, corporate sponsorship (anchored by a 6-year, $350,000+ AUD partnership with the Petstock Foundation), supplementary sponsors (Scratch Pet Food, Boehringer Ingelheim), and merchandise sales (travel cups, face masks, Forget Me Not packs). Marketing and outreach rely on organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), earned media coverage, a Mailchimp newsletter, an Eventbrite-ticketed annual Quiz Night, Frothy and Fidos community sessions, and sausage sizzles at Bunnings and Officeworks. The organisation holds no patents, no AI/ML capabilities, and operates with no technology product layer, positioning itself as a relationship- and volunteer-intensive service charity rather than a technology-enabled platform.

Name

Safe Pets Safe Families

Legal name

Safe Pets Safe Families Inc.

Website

https://safepetssafefamilies.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Safe Pets Safe Families is a volunteer-run South Australian not-for-profit charity, founded in 2013, that provides emergency foster care, veterinary financial assistance, and pet food banking to pet owners experiencing domestic violence, homelessness, mental illness, or medical emergencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Exotic & Small Pet Daycare (Short-Stay Care) (HSANAKAH), Preventive Care & Vaccination Clinics (HLAMAAAB)

Keywords

• Crisis foster care
• Animal welfare services
• Domestic violence support
• Pet welfare charity
• Veterinary assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Christies Beach

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations (PayPal and bank transfer): Tax-deductible contributions received via PayPal and bank deposit (BSB: 805-050, Account: 102177213, People's Choice Credit Union). Donations fund core programs including the foster care program, Vet Crisis Fund, and community support services.
2. Foster care weekly contributions: A small weekly charity contribution fee charged to owners using the Safe Pets Foster program, which provides emergency foster care for up to 12 weeks. Contributions support the ongoing operation of the foster care service.
3. Corporate sponsorship and grants: Major partnership with the Petstock Foundation, which has donated over $350,000 in the last 6 years through initiatives including the Team Giving Program, Home Town Hero Campaign, and The Christmas Project. Additional sponsors include Scratch Pet Food and Boehringer Ingelheim.
4. Merchandise and product sales: E-commerce sales through the Safe Pets Safe Families online shop, offering merchandise including reusable travel cups ($25), face masks ($5), Forget Me Not emergency pet packs ($19.95), T-shirts, pet products, and treats.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels11 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Safe Pets Safe Families provides emergency foster care for the pets of people experiencing domestic violence, homelessness, mental illness, or medical emergencies in South Australia. The organization complements foster placement with a Vet Crisis Fund for urgent veterinary costs, a Youth & Pets Program (YAPP) for at-risk young people, Paws & Pals community dog-walking visits, and Forget Me Not starter packs for owners entering refuge.

Product overview

Safe Pets Safe Families operates as a multi-program charity platform providing crisis care and support services for pet owners in South Australia facing domestic violence, homelessness, mental illness, or medical emergencies. The core offering consists of the Safe Pets Foster Care Program, which provides temporary foster housing for pets for up to 12 weeks. This is supported by complementary programs including Paws & Pals (outreach and pet food bank for homeless owners), the Youth & Pets Program/YAPP (education for at-risk youth), the Vet Crisis Fund (financial assistance for veterinary care), and the Forget Me Not emergency preparedness packs. The organization also operates a merchandise shop selling branded items including travel cups, face masks, and apparel to fund operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Safe Pets Foster Program: Emergency foster care program providing temporary homes for pets of people experiencing domestic violence, homelessness, mental illness, or medical emergency for up to 12 weeks.
• Vet Crisis Fund
• Youth and Pets Program (YAPP)
• Paws & Pals
• Fill Their Bowl
• Forget Me Not

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 48% of women delay leaving violent partners for fear of what will happen to their pet — Safe Pets Safe Families removes this barrier by providing safe foster care for pets during the transition to safety.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Scratch Pet FoodminorOthersScratch Pet Food sponsors Safe Pets Safe Families, providing in-kind support for the organisation's pet food bank and foster care operations.
• Boehringer IngelheimminorOthersBoehringer Ingelheim sponsors Safe Pets Safe Families, providing in-kind veterinary pharmaceutical support.
• Tea Tree Gully Veterinary HospitalcoreOthersTea Tree Gully Vet is a core vet partner providing discounted surgery and veterinary services to Safe Pets Safe Families clients through the Vet Crisis Fund. The hospital provided discounted surgery for Frida the dog following a fundraising drive.
• Northern Vet GroupcoreOthersNorthern Vet Group (including Elizabeth Park Vet) is a vet partner providing veterinary services to Safe Pets Safe Families clients at reduced costs.
• Reynella Veterinary CliniccoreOthersReynella Veterinary Clinic is a vet partner providing veterinary services to Safe Pets Safe Families clients at reduced costs.
• Pets and Their PeoplecoreOthersPets and Their People is a vet partner providing veterinary services to Safe Pets Safe Families clients at reduced costs.
• Black Forest Family VetcoreOthersBlack Forest Family Vet is a vet partner providing veterinary services to Safe Pets Safe Families clients at reduced costs.
• Modbury Veterinary CliniccoreOthersModbury Veterinary Clinic is a vet partner providing veterinary services to Safe Pets Safe Families clients at reduced costs.
• Riverland Veterinary PracticecoreOthersRiverland Veterinary Practice is a vet partner providing veterinary services to Safe Pets Safe Families clients at reduced costs.
• Angle Park Veterinary CliniccoreOthersAngle Park Veterinary Clinic is a vet partner providing veterinary services to Safe Pets Safe Families clients at reduced costs.
• Victor VetscoreOthersVictor Vets provided intermediate care for Frida the dog, offering casting and medication at a capped cost of $500 before referring to Tea Tree Gully Vet for surgery.
• The Purr-fect CatteryminorOthersThe Purr-fect Cattery is a boarding service provider that supports Safe Pets Safe Families by providing temporary accommodation for cats in the foster program.
• Woodside CatteryminorOthersWoodside Cattery is a boarding service provider supporting Safe Pets Safe Families by providing temporary accommodation for cats in the foster program.
• Hedgegrove Pet RetreatminorOthersHedgegrove Pet Retreat is a boarding service provider supporting Safe Pets Safe Families with temporary accommodation for pets.
• Windemere Kennel & CatteryminorOthersWindemere Kennel & Cattery is a boarding service provider supporting Safe Pets Safe Families with temporary accommodation for pets.
• Blueprint StudiosminorOthersBlueprint Studios provides creative and design services to Safe Pets Safe Families as an in-kind sponsor.
• Petstar PhotographyminorOthersPetstar Photography provides photography services to Safe Pets Safe Families as an in-kind sponsor.
• Pawly UnderstoodminorOthersPawly Understood provides services to Safe Pets Safe Families as an in-kind sponsor.
• Women's Safety Services SA (WSSSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafe Pets Safe Families holds a formal MOU with Women's Safety Services SA, the leading domestic violence service in South Australia. The organisations work together to support WSSSA in becoming pet-friendly and the Fill Their Bowl campaign provides pet food to domestic violence victims using WSSSA services.
• Anglicare SAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnglicare SA supplies food packages to vulnerable people and receives pet food support from Safe Pets Safe Families' Fill Their Bowl campaign for clients with pets.
• Baptist CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaptist Care supplies food packages to vulnerable people and receives pet food support from Safe Pets Safe Families' Fill Their Bowl campaign for clients with pets.
• Uniting SAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniting SA supplies food packages to vulnerable people and receives pet food support from Safe Pets Safe Families' Fill Their Bowl campaign for clients with pets.
• St Johns Youth ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt Johns Youth Services referred the Frida dog case to Safe Pets Safe Families, demonstrating referral partnership for supporting homeless youth with pets.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• RSPCA Australia: National federation of state animal welfare societies operating shelters, inspectorate services and advocacy; operates broadly in animal welfare and intersects with the crisis-foster niche occupied by SPSF.
• Animal Welfare League Australia: Major Australian animal welfare organisation providing shelter, veterinary and community programs across multiple states; broader incumbent offering crisis-adjacent animal welfare services.

Direct peers

• RedRover: US nonprofit running the SafePlace grant and Safe Housing programs that provide emergency boarding and foster care for pets of domestic violence survivors; closest international model to SPSF's Foster Care Program.
• Pet Refuge: New Zealand charity operating temporary foster care for pets of people fleeing family violence; near-identical service model to Safe Pets Safe Families, scaled nationally through a central facility plus foster network.
• Pets of the Homeless (Australia): Australian-focused program distributing pet food and emergency veterinary care to pets of homeless and disadvantaged owners, overlapping with SPSF's Fill Their Bowl pet food bank and Vet Crisis Fund.
• Purple Leash Project: Joint initiative between Purina and RedRover funding pet-friendly domestic violence shelters across the United States; comparable mission of making DV refuge accommodation pet-friendly at scale.
• Pets in the Park: Australian charity providing veterinary care and outreach for pets of people experiencing homelessness, directly mirroring the Paws & Pals and pop-up vet clinic functions of Safe Pets Safe Families across multiple states.

Regional players

• Women's Safety Services SA: South Australia's leading specialist domestic violence service and SPSF's MOU partner; comparable regional DV-services space, but without the pet-foster operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/safepetsAus
• Facebookfacebook.com/safepetssafefamilies
• Instagraminstagram.com/safepetssafefamilies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safe-pets-safe-families

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Safe Pets Safe Families