Homeless Animals Rescue Team

What Homeless Animals Rescue Team does

Homeless Animals Rescue Team (HART) is a 501(c)(3) no-kill animal rescue and support organization incorporated in 1990 and headquartered at a P.O. Box in Fairfax Station, Virginia. The organization rescues abused and unwanted dogs and cats, placing them in screened adoptive and foster homes in the Northern Virginia metro area. HART distinguishes itself by accepting older, sick, and injured animals alongside readily adoptable ones, and operates a HART Owner Assistance Program (HOAP) to help local pet owners rehome companion animals rather than surrender them to shelters.

HART's core services include pet adoption, foster care coordination, the HOAP rehoming program, a Sponsor a Pet / Sponsor Hope monthly donation program, and community education resources. Operations are managed through a standard website (hart90.org) with online adoption and foster applications, pet listings, and RSS feeds — no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or API exists. The organization relies on a minimally-staffed office (1-10 employees) and a large volunteer corps, with revenue going primarily to veterinary services and boarding (98.1% of revenues directed to animal care per the last reporting period).

The revenue model is multi-stream and typical of a small non-profit: recurring individual donations (via PayPal, check, and vehicle donations), one-time adoption fees, monthly sponsorship subscriptions, a $50 non-refundable HOAP processing fee, and passive income through a Chewy referral partnership ($20 per qualifying purchase). Distribution occurs through weekend adoption events at PetSmart locations in Chantilly and Sterling, VA, plus listings on Petfinder and AdoptAPet. HART holds financial partnerships with Bissell Pet Foundation and Petco Love, a channel partnership with PetSmart Charities, and Charity Navigator recognition for financial transparency.

Name

Homeless Animals Rescue Team

Legal name

Homeless Animals Rescue Team

Website

https://hart90.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Homeless Animals Rescue Team (HART) is a 501(c)(3) no-kill animal rescue organization in Northern Virginia that rescues abused and unwanted dogs and cats, placing them in screened adoptive and foster homes since 1990.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Rescue and Pet Adoption Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB)

Keywords

• Animal rescue services
• Pet adoption programs
• Foster care services
• Animal welfare nonprofit
• Pet rehoming assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfax Station

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Adoption Fees: Fees charged for dog and cat adoptions; applicants pay adoption fees as part of the screening and placement process
2. Donations: Individual donations received through PayPal, check, and other means; donations are encouraged and used to support animal care, veterinary services, and boarding costs
3. Sponsor a Pet / Sponsor Hope Programs: Monthly sponsorship programs where individuals can sponsor specific animals or contribute to the Sponsor Hope initiative to rescue more animals from high-kill shelters

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HART rescues abused, neglected, and surrendered dogs and cats and places them in screened adoptive or foster homes through online applications, home visits, and weekend adoption events at PetSmart locations in Chantilly and Sterling, Virginia. The organization also runs a volunteer foster care program, the HART Owner Assistance Program (HOAP) for owner-initiated pet rehoming, and recurring sponsorship programs (Sponsor a Pet, Sponsor Hope) that fund animal care and veterinary services. Operations are supported by individual donations, adoption fees, and partnerships with PetSmart Charities, Petco Love, and Bissell Pet Foundation.

Product overview

HART operates as a unified animal rescue service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of pet adoption services connecting rescued animals with adoptive families, supported by a foster care program for temporary housing, an online pet listings platform displaying available animals, and volunteer coordination. Additional modules include sponsorship programs allowing donors to support specific animals, the Owner Assistance Program (HOAP) helping community members rehome pets, donation services accepting various contribution types, and educational resources for pet owners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pet Adoption Services

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

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 and minor.

• PetSmart CharitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPetSmart Charities partners with HART to host adoption events at PetSmart locations in Chantilly and Sterling, VA every weekend
• ChewyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHART receives a $20 donation when supporters order pet food through Chewy using HART's referral link (chewy.com/rp/6533)
• PetfinderminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHART lists adoptable animals on Petfinder's searchable database of animals needing homes
• AdoptAPetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHART lists adoptable animals on AdoptAPet.com's platform for wider reach to potential adopters
• Charity NavigatorminorOthersHART is rated/recognized by Charity Navigator (EIN: 541564904) indicating financial transparency and accountability

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SPCA of Northern Virginia: No-kill rescue serving the Northern Virginia region with dog and cat adoption programs. Directly comparable to HART in mission and operating geography.
• Humane Rescue Alliance: Regional animal welfare organization serving the DC metro area including Northern Virginia, offering adoption, fostering, and owner support services. Comparable scope and customer base to HART, though operating at larger scale.
• Homeward Trails Animal Rescue: Northern Virginia-based pet rescue operating foster-based rehoming for dogs and cats sourced from high-kill shelters. Closely mirrors HART's mission, geographic footprint, and foster-network model.
• Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation: Virginia-based no-kill rescue operating a similar foster-based model for dogs and cats in the greater Northern Virginia/DC metro area. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and operating structure to HART.
• Animal Welfare League of Arlington: Arlington, Virginia-based animal shelter and rescue providing adoption and related services in the same Northern Virginia market as HART. Overlapping service area and adopter base.

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: National 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization providing adoption, rescue, and advocacy services. Operates the same overall category as HART but at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization running adoption programs and sanctuary operations. Larger and broader in scope than HART but operates in the same no-kill, adoption-driven segment.
• Humane Society of the United States: Largest US animal protection organization operating across rescue, advocacy, and shelter support. Indirect peer in mission space; overlaps with HART's no-kill positioning but operates at national scale.

Others

• PetSmart Charities: Philanthropic arm of PetSmart that funds HART and facilitates HART's weekend adoption events at PetSmart Chantilly and Sterling. Comparable as a funder/channel partner rather than a competing rescue.
• Maddie's Fund: Major family foundation dedicated to achieving no-kill community status across the US by funding shelters and rescues. Operates in HART's funding and best-practice ecosystem rather than as a direct rescue competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HART90Rescue
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Homeless-Animals-Rescue-Team-HART/377277142135?ref=ts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/homeless-animals-rescue-team

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Homeless Animals Rescue Team