What animal welfare society does

Animal Welfare Society (AWS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization founded in 1967 and headquartered in Kennebunk, Maine, operating from a 46-acre campus. The organization serves the Southern Maine and broader New England region and reports reaching 20,000+ pets and people annually across its program portfolio.

AWS's core service lines are pet adoption, a full-service Community Veterinary Clinic open to the public, canine training, emergency sheltering (including a Stay@Home in-home sheltering program), a foster network, a Working Cats placement program, and end-of-life cremation services. The veterinary clinic is staffed by five veterinarians supported by licensed veterinary technicians, vet assistants, and client services representatives, and offers exams, vaccinations, surgery, dental, in-house diagnostics via IDEXX, and prescription pharmacy fulfillment through an integrated online pharmacy (OurVet/Covetrus). Adoption intake is supported through transport partnerships with out-of-state shelters.

The organization's revenue model combines earned income (adoption fees, veterinary service fees, pharmacy sales, cremation fees) with contributed income from individual donations, corporate sponsorships, in-kind contributions of food and supplies, fundraising events such as Woofstock Festival, and recurring giving programs. AWS holds a Four Star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, supporting donor confidence and fundraising capacity. Discounted veterinary services are provided through the Companion Program to qualifying low-income pet owners, financed in part via CareCredit and Scratchpay, and adopters and clinic clients are cross-sold pet insurance through Trupanion, Pets Best, and Embrace.

Name

animal welfare society

Legal name

Animal Welfare Society

Website

https://animalwelfaresociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Animal Welfare Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Kennebunk, Maine that delivers pet adoption, full-service veterinary care, training, and emergency sheltering, serving 20,000+ pets and people annually across Southern Maine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Veterinary Services (541940)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD), Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF), Low-Cost & Community Veterinary Clinics (HLAMAAAE)

Keywords

• Pet adoption services
• Veterinary care services
• Animal shelter operations
• Spay and neuter services
• Canine training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kennebunk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Adoption Fees: Fees collected from pet adoptions including dogs ($250), puppies ($400), cats ($125), kittens ($120-$300+), rabbits ($85), and various small animals, birds, and reptiles with species-specific pricing.
2. Veterinary Services Revenue: Revenue from the Community Veterinary Clinic providing wellness exams, spay/neuter services, vaccinations, preventative care, dentistry, diagnostics, surgery, pharmacy, and end-of-life services to community members and shelter animals. Services are priced at Community Pricing with discounted Companion Program rates.
3. Donations and Fundraising: AWS is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that relies on donations from supporters. Donation programs include online donations, monthly giving, tribute giving, planned giving, and support for the Companions for Life Fund that subsidizes veterinary care.
4. In-Kind Donations: AWS accepts donations of food and supplies from the community to support animals in their care.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Animal Welfare Society is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating a physical Adoption Center that places dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, small animals, and reptiles into homes, alongside a full-service Community Veterinary Clinic delivering affordable spay/neuter, wellness care, vaccinations, diagnostics, surgery, pharmacy, and end-of-life services. The organization also runs canine training classes, an emergency pet sheltering program (Stay@Home), a foster volunteer network, lost-and-found support, animal admissions, and community events such as the annual Woofstock Festival, all from its 46-acre Kennebunk, Maine campus serving Southern Maine.

Product overview

Animal Welfare Society operates as a private 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs and services. The core offerings include an Animal Adoption Center placing dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and small animals; a full-service Community Veterinary Clinic providing affordable spay/neuter, wellness care, diagnostics, surgery, pharmacy, and end-of-life services; and canine training programs. Supporting services include the Stay@Home emergency sheltering program, foster volunteer network, working cats placement, lost and found services, animal admissions, and community events like the Woofstock Festival. The organization uses a two-tiered pricing model with standard Community Pricing and a discounted Companion Program for income-qualified clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Adoption Services Comprehensive pet adoption services placing dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, rats, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs, and reptiles into homes. The adoption process includes a questionnaire, meet-and-greet with adoption counselors, and same-day adoption, with all adopted animals spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped.
• Working Cats Program

Quantifiable outcome

• AWS serves 20,000+ pets and people each year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and support.

• Final Gift Pet Memorial CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWS partners with Final Gift Pet Memorial Center for cremation services. When pet owners select private cremation, remains are returned in decorative urns. Non-private cremations are handled through Final Gift with communal reef balls placed in coral restoration areas through their PetReefs program.
• Southern Maine Hospital for Small MammalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWS provides adopted small animals with coupons for complimentary wellness exams and nail trims at Southern Maine Hospital for Small Mammals in Kennebunk. This partnership supports adopters of rabbits, rats, mice, guinea pigs, and other small mammals with post-adoption veterinary care.
• IDEXX LaboratoriessupportTechnology or IntegrationAWS Community Veterinary Clinic partners with IDEXX Laboratories, an industry leader in diagnostic innovation, for laboratory diagnostic services including blood work and specialized testing.
• OurVetsupportTechnology or IntegrationAWS uses OurVet's online pharmacy platform for prescription medications, preventatives, food, and supplies. OurVet works directly with manufacturers and product suppliers to provide safe and effective medications. AWS has a strong partnership with them for processing prescriptions.
• CareCreditsupportChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAWS Community Veterinary Clinic accepts CareCredit, a healthcare credit card that offers promotional financing for veterinary costs. This helps pet owners manage payments for expensive procedures.
• ScratchpaysupportChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAWS Community Veterinary Clinic accepts Scratchpay, a third-party payment plan program offering simple and affordable payment plans for large veterinary bills with transparent interest rates.
• Trupanion Pet InsurancesupportChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAWS Community Veterinary Clinic accepts Trupanion Pet Insurance and offers a free 30-day trial for all wellness clients. This partnership helps reduce financial burden of unexpected veterinary expenses.
• Maine Veterinary Medical CentersupportOthers24/7 emergency veterinary hospital in Scarborough, ME recommended by AWS for emergencies when the AWS Community Veterinary Clinic is unavailable.
• Portland Veterinary Emergency & Specialty CaresupportOthersEmergency veterinary hospital in Portland, ME recommended by AWS for urgent and emergency care when AWS clinic is unavailable.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greater Androscoggin Humane Society: Maine-based animal welfare organization providing adoption, veterinary care, and community education programs. Closely matches AWS's integrated shelter-plus-clinic operating model within the same state.
• Coastal Humane Society: Brunswick, ME shelter operating adoption services and a community veterinary clinic. Comparable in scale, regional scope, and the integrated adoption-plus-affordable-vet-care value proposition.
• Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland: Regional animal shelter and veterinary clinic in Westbrook, ME offering adoptions, low-cost vet care, and humane programs. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and integrated service model to AWS.

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: National animal welfare organization operating shelter, adoption, and veterinary programs. Overlaps with AWS's mission and community vet-clinic focus, but at a national, multi-region scale.
• Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation): National nonprofit funding animal welfare organizations and adoption events. Adjacent/ecosystem relationship to AWS, which already runs adoption events at PetSmart and Tractor Supply.
• PetSmart Charities: Leading funder of animal welfare and adoption programs in North America, with regular in-store adoption events at PetSmart. Operates in the same donation-and-adoption ecosystem as AWS.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare network with adoption centers and sanctuary operations. Comparable adoption-and-care mission with significantly broader geographic footprint than AWS.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): Nation's largest animal welfare advocacy organization with shelter and rescue program funding. Comparable mission space but operates at a vastly larger national scale rather than a single community.

Others

• Maddie's Fund: Family foundation advancing no-kill animal welfare through grants to shelters and rescue groups. Provides capital and program funding to organizations like AWS for community-based pet life-saving initiatives.

Regional players

• MSPCA-Angell: Massachusetts-based animal welfare organization operating adoption centers and the Angell Animal Medical Center. Comparable mission and integrated vet/shelter model but serves a different New England geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyo_-hEbRZo7JE1HIKzd6LQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/AWSKennebunk
• Instagraminstagram.com/aws.maine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aws.maine

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 welfare society