Blog: Tools of the lifesaving trade

The animal welfare field is always evolving, and so are the products to fill its needs.

Whether it’s spay/neuter equipment, eco-friendly turf for doggie play yards or tools for reuniting lost pets with their families, businesses are continually finding new ways to make the hard work of caring for animals easier.

Their entrepreneurial spirit will be on full display at this year’s Animal Care Expo in Pittsburgh, where more than 170 vendors will showcase their solutions to challenges in animal rescue, sheltering, field services, fundraising and more.

In the Expo exhibit hall, you’ll find everything from demos of new shelter software to displays of the most advanced animal handling and capture equipment. You can inspect new cage designs, chat with shelter building experts, and pick up resources for your community outreach and humane education programs.

Whether you work hands on with animals, in front of a computer or a bit of both, you won’t want to miss this collection of the latest tools for modern animal sheltering and rescue.

Below is just a sampling of the exciting brands and products that you’ll find in this year’s exhibit hall:*

24Pet by PetPlace: 24PetShelter is the newest cloud-based shelter management software from the makers of PetPoint and Chameleon. It’s built for today—mobile-first, intuitive and light. No bloated features, just what you need to run your shelter more efficiently. (Booth #411)

CUDDLY: The CUDDLY Shelter Feeding Program helps shelters feed more pets while spending less—and earning cash along the way. Partners receive premium, USA-made dog or cat food at exclusive bulk pricing (up to 70% off retail), plus ongoing cash back and donated kibble through adopter and supporter purchases. For every first-time customer who buys CUDDLY food, shelters earn $35 and receive donated food, with additional kibble given back on every reorder—forever. CUDDLY provides hassle-free pallet deliveries, cobranded adoption kits, a dedicated account manager and a monthly impact dashboard. (Booth #320)

DocuPet: DocuPet’s National Pet Registry is the first nationwide pet registration and reunification network that consolidates pet care details, owner contact information and other pet records into a single platform to help reunite lost pets faster. It’s free for pet owners and partner agencies, providing each pet with a HomeSafe-enabled tag linked to a comprehensive online profile and lost pet services. The National Animal Shelter Network is DocuPet’s connected framework linking animal shelters across North America, allowing them to quickly identify lost pets and access owner contact information for reunification. (Booth #511)

Donorbox: Donorbox Live Kiosk helps nonprofits raise up to 35% more by accepting cashless donations with a quick tap or swipe. Perfect for lobbies, events or on-the-go fundraising, Live Kiosk makes in-person giving easy. Capture donor data, offer recurring giving, send automatic tax receipts and much more. (Booth #606)

Humane Innovations: If you’re looking for products that improve animal welfare and make your job easier, stop by the Humane Innovations booth. Humane Innovations has exciting new products and brands, including The Muzzle Movement, muzzles that fit and feel good and give dogs the freedom to be dogs. (Booth #300)

Pigsburgh Squealers Rescue: Pigsburgh Squealers Rescue is a Pittsburgh-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating pigs in need. Come visit our table to learn about pigs as pets and purchase some merch, including T-shirts, hoodies and stickers. Best of all, stop by to meet a resident pig! (Booth #735) 

Jotform: Trusted by animal care professionals around the globe—including Cat Town, Woods Humane Society and Underdog Animal Rescue—Jotform makes it easy to create powerful online forms that collect payments, capture e-signatures and automate workflows. Speed up pet adoptions, veterinary services, volunteer onboarding and other animal care processes with the No. 1 form builder for animal care nonprofits. (Booth #335)

K9Grass by ForeverLawn: The only artificial grass designed specifically for dogs, K9Grass features a nontoxic, antimicrobial surface durable enough to handle paws of all sizes. Check out K9Grass Eco, a new, environmentally friendly artificial grass designed for dogs with recycled content designed for recyclability. (Booth #711)

RedRover: In need of up-to-date resources to inspire kids to be responsible and kind? Humane pros across the country are using RedRover’s Kind News magazine, a children’s publication filled with compelling animal rescue stories, articles about kids standing up for animals, fun games and more! Come to the RedRover booth for your free samples and to nominate your organization to receive Kind News for one year at no cost. The RedRover staff will be ready to hear your stories, too! (Booth #528)

Scrub Racks: Check out a new innovative cleaning system for surgical instrument preparation that improves the productivity of clinics and hospitals. The Scrub Racks System helps you clean multiple instruments at once, dry instruments faster, lubricate instruments with no mess, stay organized to assemble packs faster, and save valuable time and money. (Booth #306)

ShopDot Pet: Boost fundraising and receive much-needed pet products through an innovative, effortless platform. ShopDot Pet offers a free, no-subscription e-commerce storefront designed specifically for rescues and shelters and customized to your organization’s look, feel and mission. Offer trusted pet products to your supporters without managing inventory, fulfillment or operations—and earn a commission on every purchase. Easily design and sell custom-branded merchandise and create a product wish list where supporters can purchase items your organization needs. Bonus: We’ll help you create a marketing campaign to introduce your new online store to your community. (Booth #831)

SmartTag: SmartTag is a companion animal identification company, selling microchips, microchip scanners and ID tags and offering animal protection and recovery services. They recently launched a new mini temperature microchip with advanced temperature reading technology. With a 14-gauge needle, these are the smallest and most accurate available on the market. (Booth #412)

P.S. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to register for Animal Care Expo 2026 in Pittsburgh!

* This information is provided for your reference only. Each vendor provided the company and product descriptions, which have been edited for length and clarity. Humane World for Animals does not endorse, recommend or approve any of the products listed in this article or the companies that provide them.