Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia

What Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia does

Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia (ACCT Philly) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 and operating under exclusive contract with the City of Philadelphia as the only open-intake animal shelter in the city. Headquartered at 111 West Hunting Park Avenue in North Philadelphia with a staff of 51-100, ACCT Philly handled 20,057 animals in 2025 across dogs, cats, small animals, reptiles, birds, and wildlife, achieving an 87% live release rate (reunification, transfer, or adoption). The organization's intake averages more than 30 animals per day, with roughly 8,000 dogs entering annually and over 200 animals on-site at peak periods. Operations are supported by 688 volunteers (including 488 newly recruited), a foster care network, and rescue partner transfers.

ACCT Philly runs a portfolio of interconnected programs built around the ShelterLuv management platform. Core service lines include direct adoption at the main shelter, off-site adoption events at 13 Doggie Style Pets stores and multiple PetSmart and Petco locations, the Philly Pupventures field-trip program for shelter dogs, the Working Cat Adoption Program for non-traditional feline adopters (barns, warehouses, breweries), the Love Local Rescue transfer program for medical and behavioral cases, the Community Cats (TNR) program, a Foster Care program with $200 gift card incentives for four-week commitments, a $750 rescue-pull incentive for dogs over 40 lbs, and a Pet Pantry resource program aimed at keeping pets in homes. Annual adoption fees are nominal and waived or reduced to $10 during Bissell Pet Foundation's Empty the Shelters and Hill's Pet Nutrition's Clear the Shelters campaigns.

The business model combines three revenue streams: a recurring municipal contract with the City of Philadelphia for animal care and control services; project-scoped grants from animal welfare foundations (PetSmart Charities, Foxwynd Foundation, VCA Charities, Bissell Pet Foundation, Hill's Pet Nutrition); and adoption fees supplemented by community donations and corporate partners. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on volunteer mobilization, retail-partner-hosted adoption events, and seasonal promotional campaigns to drive adoption volume across the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Name

Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia

Legal name

Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia

Website

https://acctphilly.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ACCT Philly is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating under exclusive contract with the City of Philadelphia as the region's only open-intake animal shelter, handling roughly 20,000 animals annually through direct adoptions, foster networks, rescue transfers, and retail-partner adoption events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Shelter Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAEALAB

Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations

Agriculture & Food Production/Animal Production & Aquaculture/Animal Welfare, Boarding & Production Support Services (non-veterinary)

Keywords

• Animal shelter services
• Pet adoption programs
• Animal welfare services
• Foster care programs
• Animal rescue operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Adoption Fees: Revenue from pet adoption fees. Standard adoption fees fund basic operations. During promotional events like Empty the Shelters, fees are reduced to $10 or waived to $0 for sponsored campaigns.
2. Donations and Grants: ACCT Philly receives grant funding from organizations like PetSmart Charities ($30,000), Foxwynd Foundation ($50,000), and VCA Charities. Community donations support the Pets Fund and general operations.
3. Municipal Contract: ACCT Philly serves the City of Philadelphia by contract as the animal care and control service provider.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

ACCT Philly operates Philadelphia's only open-intake animal shelter under contract with the City of Philadelphia, providing comprehensive animal care and control services including adoption placement, foster coordination, rescue partnerships, lost and found pet services, pet licensing, animal complaint response, and wildlife assistance. The organization handles nearly 20,000 animals annually across dogs, cats, small animals, reptiles, birds, and wildlife with an 87% live release rate. Operations are supported by 688 volunteers, partnerships with 13 Doggie Style Pets stores, multiple PetSmart and Petco locations, and grants from major animal welfare foundations.

Product overview

ACCT Philly is the largest animal care and control service provider in the Philadelphia region, caring for nearly 20,000 animals annually. It is the only open intake animal shelter in Philadelphia, managing the city's animal shelter facility in North Philadelphia. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including animal adoption services, foster care, rescue partnerships, community cat management, and volunteer coordination. Key programs include the Philly Pupventures field trip program for shelter dogs, the Working Cat Adoption Program for independent cats, the Love Local Rescue Program for transfer partnerships, and the Community Cats Program. These programs work together to save lives by facilitating adoptions, fostering, rescue transfers, and keeping pets with their families through resources like the Pet Pantry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pet Adoption Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% live release rate - animals are reunited with families, transferred to rescue, or adopted
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Doggie Style PetscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2025Strategic partnership with Doggie Style Pets retail stores to facilitate dog adoptions. The partnership has enabled 500+ dog adoptions through 13 store locations in the Philadelphia area. Doggie Style Pets hosts adoptable dogs, facilitates same-day adoptions, and volunteers assist with dog walking and socialization. The collaboration creates vital space for incoming shelter dogs with every adoption.
• MSPCA-AngellminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Transport partnership for relocating animals from ACCT Philly to MSPCA-Angell facilities. Celebrated successful transport and new beginnings through collaborative animal welfare efforts.
• Petco LoveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPetco Love is listed as a community affiliate supporting ACCT Philly's mission through their national pet welfare initiatives.
• Orphan Kitten ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrphan Kitten Club is a community affiliate focused on supporting the care and placement of orphaned kittens.
• Life of RileyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity affiliate supporting animal welfare initiatives.
• Shelter Animals CountminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACCT Philly is a proud participant in Shelter Animals Count, contributing to the national database of shelter animal statistics for transparency and benchmarking.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS): Private nonprofit operating as Baltimore's open-intake animal shelter under city contract; closely comparable hybrid nonprofit/municipal model with similar intake volume, foster, and rescue partnership programs.
• Animal Care Centers of NYC: Open-intake municipal animal shelter contracted by New York City, handling tens of thousands of animals annually with similar adoption, foster, and rescue partnership programs; directly comparable operating model and mandate to ACCT Philly.
• LA Animal Services: City of Los Angeles's open-intake animal shelter system operating multiple facilities with adoption, foster, and rescue programs; a direct municipal peer with a comparable open-intake mandate and high-volume intake profile.
• Chicago Animal Care and Control: Municipal open-intake animal control agency serving Chicago, providing sheltering, adoption, and field services under a city contract; structurally and operationally analogous to ACCT Philly at a larger scale.
• Austin Animal Center: One of the largest no-kill municipal shelters in the U.S., operated by the City of Austin; directly comparable open-intake municipal model with industry-leading live release rate metrics similar to ACCT Philly's 87%.
• San Francisco Animal Care & Control: City of San Francisco's open-intake municipal shelter providing adoption, foster, and field services; structurally identical operating model to ACCT Philly at comparable intake scale.
• Humane Rescue Alliance: Washington, D.C. area nonprofit providing animal sheltering, adoption, and animal care and control services under contract; comparable in size, hybrid nonprofit/municipal structure, and program breadth to ACCT Philly.
• Maricopa County Animal Care & Control: County-operated open-intake shelter serving the Phoenix metropolitan area; comparable regional scale (one of the largest in the U.S.) and high-volume intake profile to ACCT Philly.

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: National nonprofit providing animal welfare services, including municipal shelter contracting, grants, and rescue partnerships; relevant as a broader-incumbent ecosystem player and grantmaker supporting local shelters like ACCT Philly.

Others

• PetSmart Charities: Major animal welfare grantmaker funding adoption events and foster programs at shelters nationwide, including direct grants to ACCT Philly; comparable as a funding/infrastructure partner rather than a direct operator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acctphilly
• YouTubeyoutube.com/myacctphilly
• Facebookfacebook.com/acctphilly
• Instagraminstagram.com/acctphilly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acctphilly

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 Animal Care & Control Team of Philadelphia