Associação São Francisco de Assis - Cascais

What Associação São Francisco de Assis - Cascais does

Associação São Francisco de Assis - Cascais (ASFA) is a Portuguese nonprofit animal welfare association founded in 1997 and domiciled in Alcabideche, Cascais Municipality, Portugal. It operates a single integrated facility at Estrada Principal do Zambujeiro nº432, Alcabideche, comprising a shelter for rescued and abandoned companion animals, an exclusive veterinary medical centre for animals under its care, and a private pet crematorium. The association's service portfolio covers the full lifecycle of companion animals in the municipality: rescue and intake, veterinary evaluation and treatment, socialisation and behavioural preparation, facilitated adoption matching, individual pet cremation, and subsidised veterinary support for economically vulnerable families in coordination with local parish councils.

ASFA monetises through three primary streams: annual memberships at €60 (individual) and €500 (corporate), pay-as-you-go individual cremations priced by animal weight/size per a 2026 fee table, and donations/sponsorships accepted via bank transfer to a disclosed IBAN. The organisation additionally receives institutional backing from the Câmara Municipal de Cascais and four Juntas de Freguesia (Carcavelos e Parede, Alcabideche, Cascais e Estoril, S. Domingos de Rana), with these bodies represented directly in ASFA's Direção, Assembleia Geral and Conselho Fiscal.

Customer acquisition is community- and event-led: organic social media (Instagram, Facebook), volunteer participation in animal socialisation programmes, on-site shelter visits, and published testimonials from adopting families. The volunteer programme operates structured shifts Monday–Friday (10:30–12:30 and 14:30–16:30). No proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capability, app, or external API/integration is disclosed. Governance follows standard Portuguese nonprofit association structure with elected Direção (President Fernanda Nunes), Assembleia Geral and Conselho Fiscal, and annual reports published for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Name

Associação São Francisco de Assis - Cascais

Legal name

Associação São Francisco de Assis - Cascais

Website

https://sfacascais.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Associação São Francisco de Assis - Cascais is a nonprofit animal welfare association founded in 1997 in Alcabideche, Cascais, Portugal, operating a shelter, on-site veterinary centre and pet crematorium that rescue, rehabilitate and rehome abandoned companion animals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

Keywords

• Animal welfare services
• Pet adoption programs
• Veterinary care services
• Pet cremation services
• Animal shelter operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Alcabideche

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership (Individual and Corporate): Members pay an annual fee to support the association's operations. Individual membership is €60/year; corporate membership is €500/year. This provides a recurring revenue stream to fund animal care.
2. Pet Cremation Services: Individual cremation services are provided for deceased pets, with pricing varying by animal size/weight as shown in a published fee table. This is a service-fee based revenue stream.
3. Donations and Sponsorships: The association accepts bank transfer donations via a disclosed IBAN (PT50 0018 000337158797020 53), and receives institutional support from local government bodies (Câmara Municipal de Cascais and four Juntas de Freguesia), which provides non-recurring financial backing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ASFA rescues abandoned and stray companion animals in the Municipality of Cascais, provides on-site veterinary evaluation and treatment, socialises and matches animals for responsible adoption, and operates an individual pet cremation service for end-of-life care. It funds these activities through annual memberships, donations, and cremation service fees, with operational support from the local municipality.

Product overview

Associação São Francisco de Assis - Cascais (ASFA) operates as an animal welfare organization offering a unified set of services centered on rescue, adoption, and care for abandoned companion animals. The core portfolio consists of animal adoption services, an individual pet cremation service (with proprietary pet crematorium), and a veterinary medical center exclusively serving ASFA animals. Supporting services include a structured volunteering program for animal socialization, individual and corporate membership programs for financial support, and an economic support program for vulnerable families. Founded in 1997 and located in Alcabideche, the organization serves the Municipality of Cascais.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Adoption Services Facilitated adoption service that matches rescued dogs and cats from the ASFA shelter with permanent homes. All animals are evaluated by veterinarians, vaccinated, desexed, and behaviourally prepared before being made available for adoption. Targeted at individuals and families in the Cascais Municipality seeking a companion animal.
• Individual Pet Cremation Service Individual cremation service for deceased companion animals, performed on-site at the ASFA pet crematorium in Alcabideche. Pricing varies by animal weight/size per the published 2026 fee table, and appointments are taken on Saturdays with prior booking. Targeted at pet owners in the Cascais Municipality seeking a dignified end-of-life service.
• Veterinary Medical Services On-site veterinary medical centre providing medical evaluations, vaccinations, desexing, and treatment for animals under ASFA's care, plus subsidised veterinary support for economically vulnerable families in coordination with local parish councils.
• Individual Annual Membership Annual individual membership at €60/year providing recurring financial support to ASFA's animal welfare operations. Membership form is downloaded from the website and submitted by email. Targeted at local individuals in the Cascais Municipality.
• Corporate Annual Membership Annual corporate membership at €500/year for businesses supporting animal welfare in Cascais. Membership form is downloaded from the website and submitted by email. Targeted at local companies in the Cascais Municipality.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Câmara Municipal de CascaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Câmara Municipal de Cascais (Cascais Municipal Council) is represented in ASFA's Direction (Direção) with its President and two Vice-Presidents, and is the primary institutional partner supporting ASFA's mission to care for abandoned animals in the municipality. The council also features ASFA in its institutional communications.
• Junta de Freguesia de Carcavelos e ParedecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNuno Alves, representing the Junta de Freguesia de Carcavelos e Parede, serves as President of ASFA's Assembleia Geral. The parish council is a key institutional partner in the Cascais municipality.
• Junta de Freguesia de AlcabidechecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJosé Filipe Ribeiro, representing the Junta de Freguesia de Alcabideche, serves as Vice-President of ASFA's Conselho Fiscal. ASFA's main shelter is physically located in Alcabideche.
• Junta de Freguesia de Cascais e EstorilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPedro Morais Soares, representing the Junta de Freguesia de Cascais e Estoril, serves as President of ASFA's Conselho Fiscal (Supervisory Board).
• Junta de Freguesia de Sões RanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Junta de Freguesia de Sões Rana is listed among the supporting parish councils on ASFA's institutional page.
• União de Freguesias de Carcavelos e Parede (UFCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFCP is one of ASFA's institutional supporters, listed alongside the other parish councils and the Câmara Municipal de Cascais on the Quem Somos page.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): UK largest animal welfare charity operating shelters, veterinary hospitals, and rescue services. Comparable to ASFA as a nonprofit running the full animal welfare lifecycle (rescue, vet care, rehoming), though at vastly larger scale and geographic reach.
• ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): US nonprofit spanning rescue, adoption, veterinary care, and policy advocacy. Comparable to ASFA in offering an integrated animal welfare lifecycle, with a similarly structured membership and donation revenue model.
• Blue Cross (UK): UK animal welfare charity operating rehoming centers, veterinary services, and pet bereavement support. Comparable to ASFA particularly in its pet cremation/end-of-life services alongside adoption, and its membership/donation hybrid funding model.
• Battersea Dogs & Cats Home: UK dog and cat shelter providing rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming services. Comparable to ASFA in its core shelter-to-adoption value proposition, with a community fundraising model and published annual impact reports.

Direct peers

• Animais de Rua: Portuguese nonprofit dedicated to street animal welfare (primarily dogs and cats) through sterilization campaigns and community education. Directly comparable to ASFA's mission of companion animal welfare in Portugal, with overlapping volunteer and community-driven models.
• Associação Animalife: Portuguese nonprofit focused on animal welfare, providing veterinary support to families in economic vulnerability and abandoned animal rescue. Closest functional peer to ASFA within Portugal, with similar economically-fragile-family support programs.
• Quinta Animal (Associação Quinta Animal): Portuguese animal shelter/rescue organization focusing on abandoned animals and rehoming. Comparable to ASFA as a domestic Portuguese nonprofit operating shelter facilities and adoption programs for companion animals.

Others

• Petfinder: Online pet adoption platform connecting adopters with shelters and rescue organizations. Ecosystems-adjacent to ASFA's adoption motion; potentially competitive or partnerable as the digital adoption channel evolves.

Regional players

• Centro de Recolha Oficial de Animais de Companhia (CROA): Municipal animal collection centers in Portugal handling stray and abandoned animals under public administration. Indirect peer to ASFA as part of the broader Portuguese animal welfare infrastructure, though publicly operated and not directly comparable in service mix.

Emerging players

• Pet Cremation Services (PCS): Specialized pet cremation provider offering individual cremation and end-of-life services. Comparable to ASFA's cremation arm specifically, though operating as a pure-play private cremation service rather than a shelter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sfacascais
• Instagraminstagram.com/sfa_cascais
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sfacascais

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Associação São Francisco de Assis - Cascais