The Arizona Pet Project

What The Arizona Pet Project does

The Arizona Pet Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 86-1008549) founded in 2000–2001 and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, with operations expanding statewide including to Tucson. Its functional focus is pet retention: keeping families and pets together during financial hardship, domestic crisis, housing instability, or homelessness, rather than rescuing animals into shelter care. The organization runs six core programs — Shelter Intervention, Community Resource Center, Free Spay/Neuter, Pets for Life, Crisis Foster Care (in partnership with BestyBnB), and Homeless Outreach — delivered through embedded veterinary social workers who provide crisis-specific support, supplies, and veterinary services to qualifying households.

The business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than commercial. Revenue is assembled from state and federal awards (American Rescue Plan Act, Arizona Department of Veterans' Services), foundation grants (Vicky and Bill Piper Trust, Mercy C.A.R.E.S.), corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and event-based fundraising. Service recipients are low-income families and individuals experiencing crisis across Arizona, with no fees charged for retention, spay/neuter, or crisis foster services. Cumulative reach exceeds 165,000 families served since 2005, with 4,403 families served in 2024 and 2,921 pets supported in the most recent fiscal year. The organization employs 1–10 staff and is led by CEO Leanna Taylor.

Programmatic depth comes from cross-sector partnerships spanning animal welfare, human services, government, and corporate funders, plus the 2023 launch of a first-of-its-kind Community Resource Center in Arizona and the 2025 launch of crisis foster care with BestyBnB. The 2024 RISE Award from Mercy C.A.R.E.S. and three concurrent major grants indicate that funders view the model as scalable to statewide operation.

Name

The Arizona Pet Project

Legal name

The Arizona Pet Project

Website

https://azpetproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Arizona Pet Project is a Phoenix-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers pet retention programs — shelter intervention, spay/neuter, crisis foster care, and homeless outreach — to low-income and crisis-affected families across Arizona.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)

Keywords

• Animal welfare services
• Pet retention programs
• Veterinary social work
• Homeless pet support
• Crisis pet assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals via website, Venmo, PayPal, and check mailings. Monthly giving program called Compassion Crew.
2. Government Grants: Grants from Arizona Department of Veterans' Services ($40,000), American Rescue Plan Act via Governor's office, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust ($75,000), Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Grant ($207,000).
3. Event Fundraising: Annual HERO Awards gala, Desert Duck Derby rubber duck adoption fundraiser, Arizona Gives Day online campaign.
4. Volunteer Services: Volunteer engagement at local events to support operations without direct revenue.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Arizona Pet Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that prevents the surrender of pets by low-income, veteran, senior, homeless, and crisis-affected families through free services including shelter intervention, pet deposit assistance, temporary boarding, free spay/neuter and vaccines, pet food and supplies, and emergency veterinary care funding. Services are delivered through the Community Resource Center in Phoenix, statewide social worker outreach (including Tucson), and partnerships with human services and animal welfare organizations across Arizona.

Product overview

The Arizona Pet Project is a nonprofit organization operating as a social services platform focused on keeping pets with the people who love and need them most. The organization offers multiple interconnected programs: the Shelter Intervention Program serves as the core initiative preventing unnecessary surrenders; the Community Resource Center provides a physical hub staffed by veterinary social workers for distributing services and supplies; Free Spay and Neuter Clinics address pet overpopulation; the Pets for Life Program extends resources to underserved communities; the Crisis Foster Care program partners with BestyBnB technology to match vetted foster caregivers with pets in crisis; and the Homeless Outreach Program delivers supplies and veterinary care to unsheltered pet owners. Supporting services include pet deposit assistance, temporary boarding, pet food and supplies distribution, and veterinary care financial assistance. All programs are designed to prevent families from having to surrender their pets due to housing instability, financial hardship, or crisis situations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Besty BnB: A crisis pet foster care partnership program with BestyBnB technology platform that pairs qualified community members to pets in need, particularly for domestic violence survivors.
• Pets For Life
• Compassion Crew
• HERO Awards

Products and services

• Shelter Intervention Program Core program that prevents unnecessary surrender of pets by connecting vulnerable community members and families in crisis with services and resources to keep pets with the people who love and need them most.
• Community Resource Center First-of-its-kind resource center in the Phoenix Valley staffed by veterinary social workers that connects pet-owning families with human and animal services, distributes supplies, and provides bilingual support in an inclusive, welcoming environment.
• Free Spay and Neuter Clinics Community wellness clinics providing free spay and neuter surgeries to prevent pet overpopulation and reduce strain on Arizona's crowded animal shelters.
• Pets for Life Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 165,000+ families kept together with pets since 2005
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• André HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly homeless outreach partnership providing equitable access to pet care for unhoused neighbors in Phoenix's 'the Zone.' The Arizona Pet Project offers free vaccines, pet food, supplies, and urgent veterinary care through this collaboration.
• Feed PhoenixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly homeless outreach partnership supporting unhoused people with pets. Combined effort to reach those in need in and out of the Zone in Phoenix.
• BestyBnBcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform partnership pairing qualified community members with pets in need for crisis foster care. Addresses the 70% of domestic violence survivors who delay escape due to pet restrictions. Pet Caregiver Community Challenge aims to recruit 25+ foster caregivers by October 2025.
• Palm Glen Animal HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterinary partnership providing discounted emergency surgery for rescued kittens and pets. Enabled rapid care for Oskar Whitetoe's fractured leg surgery.
• NAGI FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting tribal communities including Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Joint funding for emergency veterinary care for family pets.
• UMOM New Day CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesert Duck Derby partnership hosting duck pluck event. Families living on UMOM campus chose prize winners. Partnership supports families facing homelessness with pets.
• Humane Society of Southern ArizonamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMet with 24+ Tucson organizations to discuss expanding services to Pima County. Collaboration on keeping people and pets together.
• Pima County Behavioral HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTucson expansion partner addressing behavioral health and housing needs for families with pets.
• City of TucsonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMet with City of Tucson officials as part of Pima County expansion to address housing insecurity and homelessness for families with pets.
• Foundation for Senior Living (FSL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner$75,000 Piper Trust grant partnership to provide direct services to 200 low-income seniors in Maricopa County. Includes gap analysis of pet impact on affordable housing residents.
• Northern Arizona Veterans Health Care System (NAVHCS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrescott visit to understand veteran population needs including unsheltered veterans. Pets present barriers to accessing VA care.
• Nation's FinestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthern Arizona veteran services organization visited during Prescott expansion meetings.
• Catholic Charities (Prescott)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthern Arizona community services organization visited during Prescott expansion meetings.
• City of FlagstaffmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing Program Manager meeting to explore Northern Arizona expansion. Tight housing market creates barriers for families with pets.
• Flagstaff Shelter ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director meeting to explore Northern Arizona expansion and pet-inclusive shelter solutions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: One of the largest national animal welfare organizations providing rescue, veterinary care, and advocacy across the country—operates at a far larger scale with similar end goal of animal welfare and is a potential funder.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization operating shelters, sanctuaries, and programs nationwide—serves a broader pet welfare mission with significantly larger scale, resources, and policy influence than AZPP.

Others

• PetSmart Charities: Major pet welfare funder that sponsors AZPP's HERO Awards and funds thousands of animal welfare programs nationally—a directly comparable funder peer with overlapping beneficiary base.
• Petco Love: Petco's nonprofit foundation funding animal welfare organizations nationwide—a direct grantmaker to comparable pet-support nonprofits and a potential funding source for AZPP.
• Greater Good Charities: National nonprofit that funds and operates animal welfare, humanitarian, and environmental programs; provides grant funding to similar organizations and operates comparable pet retention programs.

Regional players

• Arizona Humane Society: Phoenix-based animal welfare organization operating in the same geographic market with overlapping services (intake, veterinary care, adoption) and serving as a potential referral destination for cases where surrender becomes unavoidable.
• Humane Society of Southern Arizona: Regional Tucson-based animal welfare nonprofit that AZPP partners with for Pima County expansion; a comparable mission via traditional shelter model versus AZPP's intervention-only approach.

Direct peers

• Maddie's Fund: Animal welfare foundation that operates the Pets for Life program focused on keeping pets and families together through community outreach, free services, and resources for underserved pet owners—mirrors AZPP's shelter intervention approach with similar target populations.
• RedRover: National nonprofit that helps animals and people in crisis by providing emergency sheltering, financial assistance for veterinary care, and resources to help people keep their pets during domestic violence, homelessness, and natural disasters—a directly comparable mission and service model to AZPP.
• RedPaw Emergency Relief: Philadelphia-based nonprofit providing emergency boarding and veterinary assistance to people and their pets during crisis situations including domestic violence, homelessness, and natural disasters—a very comparable service model to AZPP.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/thearizonapetproject
• Facebookfacebook.com/thearizonapetproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thearizonapetproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/thearizonapetproject
• TikToktiktok.com/@thearizonapetproject

Compliance1 record

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 The Arizona Pet Project