Steve Zeidman

ABOUT

I serve as Managing Partner of BarkPass and Chief Growth Officer of AnimalsFirst working across municipal animal services, shelter operations, pet licensing, field services, and community-facing technology.

I have spent most of my career working alongside animal welfare agencies; learning from them, building with them, and solving the real, everyday challenges that come with the work.

My career began inside New York City’s municipal animal shelter system. Since then, I have led technology, data, research, product strategy, and operational initiatives serving animal welfare organizations across North America.

Everything I build comes back to one idea:

Better technology and better data help more animals get adopted, stay safe, and remain with their families.

Today, I focus on connecting systems that have traditionally operated separately, including shelter management, animal control, pet licensing, field services, and community programs.

The goal is not to add more software. It is to reduce administrative burden, improve decision-making, strengthen compliance and revenue, and give animal welfare professionals more time to focus on animals and people.

CURRENT LEADERSHIP

Managing Partner | BarkPass

BarkPass helps municipalities modernize pet licensing and permitted dog park management through automated workflows, resident-friendly technology, and better operational data.

Chief Growth Officer | AnimalsFirst

AnimalsFirst provides modern software for shelters, rescues, animal control agencies, and field services.

Across both organizations, I work to create a more connected animal welfare technology environment.

TECHNOLOGY & DATA AUTOMATION ASSESSMENT

Modernizing municipal animal services requires seamless data, efficient licensing, automated workflows, and systems designed around how staff actually work.

I offer agencies a complimentary, no-obligation, vendor-neutral:

Technology & Data Automation Assessment.

As the original creator of PetPoint and a longtime leader in shelter technology, I help agencies evaluate their data systems, software infrastructure, licensing processes, and administrative workflows.

The assessment can identify opportunities to:

• Reduce repetitive administrative work
• Improve reporting and data quality
• Connect fragmented systems
• Automate licensing and renewal workflows
• Strengthen compliance
• Improve staff efficiency
• Identify revenue opportunities
• Reduce implementation risk

This is not a software demonstration. It is a focused discussion about what is working, what is not, and what a practical modernization path could look like.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Animal welfare technology
• Shelter and rescue operations
• Municipal animal services
• Shelter data and analytics
• Pet licensing modernization
• Workflow automation
• Technology assessment
• Software implementation
• Product strategy
• Data standards
• Strategic partnerships
• System integration

SPEAKING & CONTRIBUTING

I speak with animal welfare leaders, government agencies, technology teams, and industry organizations about the operational and strategic challenges shaping modern animal services.

Topics include:

• The Future of Animal Welfare Technology
• Turning Shelter Data into Better Decisions
• Building a Connected Animal Services Technology Ecosystem
• Modernizing Municipal Pet Licensing
• Breaking Down Data Silos
• Evaluating Technology Without Vendor Bias
• From Software Purchase to Successful Implementation
• Using Automation to Improve Capacity and Compliance

Available for conferences, workshops, webinars, panels, and executive discussions.

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP

Selected experience includes:

• Creator of PetPoint
• Certified Animal Welfare Administrator
• Founding Board Member, Shelter Animals Count
• Former Head of Research, PetSmart Charities
• Past Chair, Current Board Member, Catalyst Council
• Board and advisory service supporting animal welfare organizations

WHAT I BELIEVE

Animal welfare professionals should not have to work around their technology.

Systems should reflect real operations, reduce repetitive work, connect information across departments, and turn data into decisions.

The future of animal services will be built through better integration, shared standards, practical automation, and partnerships that put animals, staff, and communities first.

Better data informs better decisions.

Better technology creates more capacity.

More capacity helps more animals.