hinsdale humane society

What hinsdale humane society does

Hinsdale Humane Society (HHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization founded in 1947 and operating from the Tuthill Family Pet Rescue & Resource Center at 21 Salt Creek Lane, Hinsdale, Illinois. Its core function is sheltering and rehoming dogs, cats, and small animals, with 1,352 adoptions completed in 2025 and a publicly reported 95% save rate. Services extend beyond adoption into foster care (Heidi Gebauer Memorial Foster Program), force-free dog training led by an IAABC/AKC-certified behavior manager, three therapy verticals (TheraPaws general visits since 1982, READ literacy since 2006, and CARe rehabilitation with AMITA Health since 2011), a fee-waiver Match-Me-Up Cats program for harder-to-place animals, and the Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund for special-needs veterinary cases.

The underlying technology stack is third-party SaaS rather than proprietary: ShelterLuv handles adoption applications and animal management, Sustain manages volunteer scheduling, and Active Network processes camp and class registrations. Lost-and-found pet services leverage Petco Love Lost's national photo-matching database. Humane education programming runs across the K-12 spectrum through Animal Advocate Academy, Pawsitive Impact, Junior Board, and tiered summer camps (Critter, Animal Advocate, Teen).

Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model: adoption fees ($25-$500 depending on animal type), tiered monthly memberships ($5-$100), one-time and corporate matching donations from sponsors including Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Bank of America, Johnson & Johnson, and Aon, planned giving via the FreeWill partnership, venue rentals for dog and youth birthday parties, summer camp and education program fees, training class revenue, memorial brick and paw print purchases, and event-based fundraising. Customer segments span individual adopters, individual donors, foster caregivers, adult and youth volunteers, corporate partners, and youth/family program attendees, served primarily through the single Hinsdale facility with recurring off-site adoption drives at Oakbrook Center.

Name

hinsdale humane society

Legal name

Hinsdale Humane Society

Website

https://hinsdalehumanesociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hinsdale Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal shelter founded in 1947 in Hinsdale, Illinois, offering pet adoption, foster care, therapy, training, and humane education to Chicago's western suburbs, funded through adoption fees, donations, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Shelter Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Foster & Volunteer Network Programs (BPAGAIAF), Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK), Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)

Keywords

• Animal shelter services
• Pet adoption programs
• Humane education
• Foster care programs
• Pet therapy visits

Headquarters

HQ city

Hinsdale

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, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Adoption Fees: Fees collected from pet adoptions covering dogs, cats, and small animals. Adoption fees vary by animal type and are listed on the website.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission to save animal lives. Includes one-time donations and contributions through various programs.
3. Monthly Membership Program: Recurring monthly donations from members providing consistent support with tiered giving levels ($5, $10, $25, $50, $100/month) and exclusive perks for monthly donors.
4. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Bequests, wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations that form the financial foundation for the organization's long-term mission. Includes partnership with FreeWill estate planning tool.
5. Corporate Matching Gifts and Sponsorships: Corporate employer matching gift programs and direct corporate sponsorships from companies including All State Insurance, Aon Foundation, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, and others.
6. Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund: Named fund for emergency medical care of special needs animals, receiving dedicated donations and matching campaign contributions.
7. Event Revenue: Revenue from events including adoption drives, fundraisers, and community gatherings. Also includes Learn to Play Mahjong classes requiring $100 donation.
8. Stock Donations: Donations of appreciated stocks, bonds, and mutual funds through Charles Schwab account, providing tax advantages to donors.
9. Venue Rental: Dog birthday parties and youth birthday parties held at the shelter facility, requiring minimum donations of $300 and $275 respectively.
10. Humane Education Programs: Annual membership fees for Animal Advocate Academy ($65 per child), summer camp fees ($300 per week), and program fees for Pawsitive Impact ($25) and Junior Board ($25).
11. Foster Program Support: The foster program is named after Heidi Gebauer and provides supplies and support to foster caregivers at no cost.
12. Animal Sponsorship: Minimum $50 sponsorship gifts to support care of shelter animals with optional website recognition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hinsdale Humane Society operates an animal shelter providing pet adoption services for dogs, cats, and small animals (critters), supported by a foster care program, force-free training classes, and a medical fund for special-needs animals. The organization also delivers community-facing services including TheraPaws pet therapy visits, humane education programs (Animal Advocate Academy, summer camps, youth birthday parties, shelter tours), a pet food pantry, and lost-and-found pet reunification through the Petco Love Lost national database.

Product overview

Hinsdale Humane Society is an animal shelter nonprofit offering a portfolio of animal welfare services centered around pet adoption, foster care, and community education. Core services include pet adoption (dogs, cats, critters) through ShelterLuv, the Heidi Gebauer Memorial Foster Program for temporary home care, TheraPaws pet therapy (including READ and CARe programs), Dog Day Out day-trips, and force-free dog training. The shelter provides humane education through Animal Advocate Academy, Summer Camps, and shelter tours. Additional offerings include dog birthday parties, pet food pantries, lost & found pet services (via Petco Love Lost), Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund for special needs animals, Match-Me-Up Cats fee-waiver program, corporate sponsorships, monthly membership donations, and planned giving via FreeWill. These services operate independently as distinct programs rather than an integrated platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TheraPaws: Pet therapy program bringing comfort, companionship, and connection to people of all ages since 1982.
• Pet Guardianship Legacy Program
• Heidi Gebauer Memorial Foster Program
• Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund
• CARe Therapy
• Paws & Play Getaways
• Match-Me-Up Cats

Products and services

• Pet Adoption Services Adoption services placing dogs, cats, and small animals (critters) into permanent homes. Adoption applications are processed through the ShelterLuv platform with adoption fees varying by animal type.
• Heidi Gebauer Memorial Foster Program Temporary home-based care program for animals not ready for adoption, including bottle-fed kittens, medical recovery cases, and senior pets. All supplies, food, and medical support are provided at no cost to foster caregivers.
• TheraPaws Pet Therapy Program Pet therapy program offering visits to offices, nursing homes, hospitals, and schools. Includes the READ literacy therapy program (since 2006) for children's literacy and the CARe (Canine Assisted Rehabilitation) therapy program (since 2011) partnering with AMITA Health hospitals in Hinsdale, La Grange, and Bolingbrook.
• Dog Day Out (Paws & Play Getaways) Day-trip program allowing community members to take shelter dogs on outings to reduce stress and improve adoption prospects.
• Training & Enrichment Program Dog training classes using force-free, science-based methods including group classes and private sessions led by IAABC-accredited and AKC CGC-certified trainer Jamie Kennedy. Adopters and volunteers receive discounts.
• Humane Education Programs Educational programming including Animal Advocate Academy (weekly classes for grades 1-6 at $65/year), Summer Camps (Critter Camp ages 6-9, Animal Advocate Camp ages 10-12, Teen Camp ages 13-14 at $300/week), Youth Birthday Parties, and Shelter Tours.
• Dog Birthday Parties Venue rental service for celebrating dogs' birthdays at the shelter's Puppy Bowl facility, with 1.5-hour private rentals requiring a minimum $300 donation.
• Pet Food Pantry Community food assistance program providing pet food at multiple locations throughout the area for community members in need.
• Lost & Found Pets Service Lost pet reunification service partnering with Petco Love Lost national database, which provides photo-matching technology across 200,000+ pets.
• Zach Leathers Emergency Medical Fund Named fund providing emergency care, surgeries, and treatments for shelter animals with special medical needs.
• Match-Me-Up Cats Program Adoption program waiving fees for harder-to-place cats including seniors, bonded pairs, and special needs animals. Over 180 cat adoptions completed in seven years.
• Corporate Sponsorships & Matching Gifts Program Corporate partnership opportunities including supply drives, event sponsorship, animal sponsorship (minimum $50), and matching gift programs from employers including All State, Aon, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, and Microsoft.
• FreeWill Estate Planning Tool Free online estate planning tool accessible at freewill.com/HinsdaleHumaneSociety helping supporters create wills or trusts in 20 minutes with the option to include gifts to HHS.
• Monthly Membership Program Recurring donor program offering monthly giving at tiered levels ($5, $10, $25, $50, $100/month) with perks including welcome gifts, biannual updates, website recognition, and exclusive donor events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% animal save rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Petco Love LostminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Petco Love Lost, the largest national pet database, to help lost and found pets reunite with families. Uses photo-matching technology across 200,000+ pets.
• VCA Aurora Animal HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterinary partner providing specialized medical care including surgeries, internal medicine workups, and ultrasounds for shelter animals. Treated animals including Marilyn (episioplasty), Davis (diaphragmatic hernia surgery), Gregory (hypospadias procedure), and Penny (internal medicine evaluation).
• MedVet ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency veterinary care provider. Treated Betty after rescue from plastic container (emergency care and monitoring).
• West Subwestern Veterinary AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterinary partner that amputated Honey's leg after she was found with broken femur and dislocated hip from apparent BB gun injury.
• Chicago Animal Care & ControlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner shelter that transferred Timothy (Bulldog mix requiring multiple surgeries) to HHS. Also source for Paco transfer.
• Washington County Animal ControlminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner animal control in southern Illinois that transferred Saint Gin (Great Pyrenees rescue) to HHS after severe neglect case.
• AMITA HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system partner for CARe (Canine Assisted Rehabilitation) therapy program since 2011. Therapy dogs work alongside healthcare professionals in rehabilitation, hospice, and behavioral health units at Hinsdale, La Grange, and Bolingbrook hospitals.
• CatVandominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner for Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) services. Brought Colonel Mustard to HHS clinic for TNR surgery where severe Feline Gingivostomatitis was discovered, leading to his admission into adoption program.
• Veterinary Emergency Group Oak BrookcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency veterinary provider that gave Noah (starvation case) lifesaving care and kept him under observation until stable enough for HHS care.
• Amazon Wish ListminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party wish list platform for community members to donate supplies directly to the shelter.
• Chewy Wish ListminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPet supply retailer wish list platform for community supply donations.
• Aurora Animal Care & ControlminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner animal control that surrendered Sultan after he was hit by a car and left outside with broken, infected leg for six months.
• International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC)minorOthersAccrediting organization for dog trainer Jamie Kennedy (Animal Behavior Manager). IAABC accreditation validates force-free, science-based training methods.
• American Kennel Club (AKC)minorOthersAKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) evaluator certification for Jamie Kennedy. HHS offers CGC classes through Training & Enrichment Department.
• FreeWillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with FreeWill estate planning tool - free online tool helping supporters create wills or trusts in 20 minutes, with option to include gifts to HHS. Accessible at freewill.com/HinsdaleHumaneSociety.
• ShelterLuvcoreTechnology or IntegrationAnimal management and adoption application platform. Used for foster applications (new.shelterluv.com/matchme/foster/HHSA) and adoption applications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hinsdalehumanesociety7452
• Facebookfacebook.com/HinsdaleHumaneSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hinsdale-humane-society-and-pet-rescue-resource-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/hinsdalehumanesociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 hinsdale humane society