Heartland Animal Shelter

What Heartland Animal Shelter does

Heartland Animal Shelter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 586 Palwaukee Drive, Wheeling, Illinois, that operates a no-kill animal rescue and adoption facility serving the Chicagoland region. Founded in October 2002 by Dr. Herbert Preiser, DVM, the shelter has maintained a 98%+ save rate since 2007 — above the 90% national no-kill benchmark — and rescued more than 900 animals in 2023. Its core offering is a unified service spanning animal rescue, medical care, behavioral rehabilitation, adoption matching, foster coordination, and outreach programs designed to keep companion animals with their families.

The organization's operating model is community- and volunteer-driven, supported by a Young Professionals Board (HYP) and a nine-member Board of Directors that includes the Executive Director and is elected annually by voting volunteers and employees. Its technology footprint is minimal, consisting of Better Impact for volunteer scheduling rather than proprietary platforms or APIs. Jenny Schlueter has served as Executive Director since June 2022, having previously held leadership roles at Chicago Animal Care and Control and Tree House Humane Society.

Heartland generates revenue through three streams: charitable donations (including one-time gifts and the Heartland Heroes recurring giving program at $20/month or more with merchandise perks), adoption fees (which are periodically waived for campaigns such as Chicago dogs), and merchandise sales. Strategic partnerships with PetSmart Charities, Petco Love, Best Friends Animal Society, and Bissell Pet Foundation support grants, awareness, and adoption events. The shelter's accountability is reinforced by a Charity Navigator Four-Star rating and a Candid Platinum Transparency Seal (2026).

Name

Heartland Animal Shelter

Legal name

Heartland Animal Shelter NFP

Website

https://heartlandanimalshelter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heartland Animal Shelter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit no-kill shelter in Wheeling, Illinois that rescues and rehomes dogs and cats in the Chicagoland area, funded primarily through donations, adoption fees, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Rescue and Welfare Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Community Housing Services (62422)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF), Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Animal rescue services
• Dog and cat adoption
• No-kill shelter
• Animal welfare nonprofit
• Foster care programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wheeling

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Heartland relies on charitable donations from individuals, including monthly recurring donations through the Heartland Heroes program and one-time gifts.
2. Adoption Fees: Revenue generated from adoption fees when animals are placed in permanent homes.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of Heartland Heroes branded merchandise to supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Heartland Animal Shelter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit no-kill animal rescue organization that rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes homeless dogs and cats. Founded in 2002 in Wheeling, Illinois, the shelter provides adoption services, foster care placement, and volunteer coordination for animal welfare. It also operates a recurring monthly giving program (Heartland Heroes) to sustain operations.

Product overview

Heartland Animal Shelter operates as a single, unified nonprofit service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their core offering is animal shelter services including animal rescue, medical care, behavioral rehabilitation, adoption matching, volunteer programs, foster care coordination, and donation-based fundraising. They do not offer a technology product, SaaS platform, or API-based services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dog and Cat Adoption Rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption placement services for homeless dogs and cats to individual pet adopters in the greater Chicago area.
• Foster Care Program Program that places rescued dogs and cats with volunteer foster families who provide temporary in-home care until permanent adoption.
• Heartland Heroes Monthly Giving Recurring monthly donation program for individual supporters who commit to ongoing financial contributions to fund shelter operations and animal care.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer scheduling and coordination program that recruits and manages individuals who assist with animal care, shelter operations, and events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98%+ save rate since 2007
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• PetSmart CharitiescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPetSmart Charities is a national nonprofit companion animal welfare organization that provides grants and support to animal shelters like Heartland.
• Petco LovecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPetco Love is a national nonprofit working to save pets' lives by supporting animal welfare organizations.
• Best Friends Animal SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBest Friends is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of shelter animals. Heartland was one of only two groups in top 10 rescues for both dogs and cats.
• Bissell Pet FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBissell Pet Foundation supports pet shelters through funding and adoption events.
• Fly PlumbingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partner providing support to Heartland Animal Shelter.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Bissell Pet Foundation: National pet welfare funder supporting shelters through grants and signature adoption events (e.g., Empty the Shelters). Comparable to PetSmart Charities/Petco Love as an ecosystem funder for shelters like Heartland.
• PetSmart Charities: National nonprofit funder that grants to and partners with animal shelters, including Heartland. Acts as an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor, shaping the funding and adoption-event landscape Heartland operates in.

Broad incumbents

• Humane Society of the United States: National animal welfare organization with shelter, rescue, and policy programs across the US. Comparable mission scope at much larger scale, and a potential coalition partner for Heartland on regional advocacy and rescue transports.
• Best Friends Animal Society: Leading national no-kill animal welfare organization and Heartland's 'mutual' strategic partner. Operates the same rescue-and-adoption model at national scale, providing broader context on funder relationships and program strategy.
• ASPCA: Largest US animal welfare organization with national rescue, adoption, veterinary, and advocacy programs. Provides a benchmark for scale, funder access, and policy/advocacy pathways that small regional shelters aspire to.

Direct peers

• Tree House Humane Society: Chicago-area animal welfare nonprofit focused on cat rescue, adoption, and low-cost veterinary services. Heartland's Executive Director previously served as Director of Development there, and it operates a directly comparable no-kill shelter/adoption model in the same region.
• Almost Home Foundation: Chicagoland no-kill cat and dog rescue relying on a foster network and adoption events. Directly comparable rescue-and-adoption model with similar reliance on volunteers, fosters, and community fundraising in the same metro area.
• PAWS Chicago: Chicago-based no-kill animal shelter and adoption organization explicitly cited alongside Heartland as one of only two top-10 rescuers for both dogs and cats from Chicago Animal Care and Control. Directly comparable mission, geography, and operating model.
• The Anti-Cruelty Society: Chicago-based animal welfare organization offering adoption, veterinary care, and humane education. Operates a directly comparable brick-and-mortar shelter and adoption program serving the same Chicagoland adopter base.

Regional players

• Chicago Animal Care and Control: Municipal open-admission animal shelter that is Heartland's primary transfer partner for at-risk dogs and cats. Serves the same Chicago geography as a government-run counterpart with overlapping intake/adoption missions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AdoptHeartland
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeartlandAnimalShelter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heartlandanimalshelter

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 Heartland Animal Shelter