June 4, 2026

A three-pronged family foundation aims to make veterinary care more accessible, including a new animal hospital and animal wellness initiatives.

Brad and Jackie Hanson and their son and daughter-in-law, Sam and Betsy Hanson, established the Hanson Family Foundation for the Well-Being of God’s Creatures, a Sioux Falls-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2023.

It already has led to a veterinary hospital inside PetSmart at 2818 S. Louise Ave. and a freestanding facility being built at 4600 E. 59th St. expected to open in July.

A needs assessment was conducted in 2024, with three programs designed to bridge critical service gaps involving dogs, cats and horses.

One program has led to the pet wellness veterinary hospitals. Another created the Animal Resource Center to focus on pet-retention programs and veterinary care that will allow families to keep their pet. That will decrease the number of pets that must be surrendered to shelters.

Those programs have received the most attention initially, but the emphasis on a third — the Shepherd’s Stable Equine Center & Sanctuary — will increase in coming months, said Heidi Dean, director of community engagement and development for the Hanson Family Foundation.

The SSECS initiative will provide rehabilitation, training and sanctuary for unwanted horses. A 16-stall stable near Sycamore Avenue and 85th Street already has some occupants, with barn cats to keep them company.

The seeds of the family’s nonprofit were planted several years ago when Brad Hanson visited Feeding South Dakota. Hanson, retired former CEO of Meta Financial Group and a pioneer in the payments industry, was led to wonder how people who needed food assistance for themselves could feed their pets.

“If they can’t afford to take care of their families, how are they taking care of their animals,” Hanson wondered. That led to the creation of the foundation and the interest in providing care that did not sacrifice quality, Dean said.

Animal Resource Center began making a regional impact last year by supporting 10 rescue groups with products and services. The rescue groups are in Sioux Falls, Brookings, Yankton and southwest Minnesota. ARC also began partnering with Wamakanskan Wawokiye Oti Helping Animal Center on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. The most recent visit in late May included a veterinarian, staff and volunteers for a free grooming clinic.

“We go out for vaccination clinics, and some of our team volunteer for spay-neuter clinics as well,” Dean said. “We (had) a grooming clinic in May, and I’m going out in August. Our staff gives their time in addition to the local people. Spay and neuter is a major emphasis. It’s important to reduce the population.”

In 2025, the foundation’s three veterinarians and other staff recorded more than 22,000 “animal touches” without having its own location, Dean said. Those contacts could be anything from a spay or neuter to a rabies vaccination or wellness check.

Jami Gates Grieve, executive director of the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society, describes the Hanson Family Foundation as an incredible partner. The foundation’s generosity already has had a meaningful and lasting impact on the animals in the Humane Society’s care and on the families it serves.

“The Hanson Family Foundation has helped transform what animal welfare looks like in our community,” Gates Grieve said. “Their support doesn’t just impact the animals inside our shelter — it impacts families, access to care and the long-term well-being of pets throughout our entire region.”

The new 3,700-square-foot hospital includes three exam rooms, a quiet room, large medical treatment area, surgery suite, X-ray room, staff offices, break room and a meeting room for the Hanson Family Foundation ARC team. ​

The business model offers payment-plan options and offers qualifying clients the chance for financial help.

Making veterinary care accessible and offering the animal wellness initiatives will help remove barriers for pet owners who otherwise might struggle to access necessary care, Gates Grieve said.

The foundation’s support will improve the quality of life and outcomes for shelter animals. In partnership with organizations such as Greater Good Charities, animals at the Humane Society and those with other rescue groups have received food, supplies, enrichment items and other resources, Gates Grieve said.

“These types of veterinary partnerships are critical to the future of animal welfare,” the SFAHS director said. “They create a stronger safety net for pets and the people who love them while also helping organizations like ours focus resources on the animals most in need.”

The two veterinary hospitals also will have a favorable impact, Gates Grieve said. She describes access to affordable veterinary care as one of the biggest challenges facing animal welfare organizations.

It also affects individuals, and the PetSmart-located hospital that opened in April as well as the new one under construction are open to the public, Dean said.

“We are not your typical business because we’re a nonprofit. Of course, we want to be viable and sustainable, but we just don’t run as a typical business model,” she said.

“Our veterinarians pride themselves on taking time with the clients too. We even schedule our appointments longer than maybe a typical clinic setting. Their job is not to rush people through but to make sure they’re not only taking care of the pet but asking questions of their owners too.”

The veterinary clinic inside PetSmart had been empty for several years before the Hanson Family Foundation leased the space.

It remodeled the 2,000-square-foot space, which includes three exam rooms, a large medical treatment area, X-ray room, surgery suite, pharmacy, vet staff office and break room.

“Initially, we were just going to have a freestanding clinic, then we thought it’s not enough stress, let’s just open one more,” Dean said, joking. “It’s a natural location. The staff let us know that not a day goes by and someone asks ‘Do you have a veterinarian in-house.’”

The Hanson Family Foundation takes donations to support its mission. Fundraising also will take place in the future, as well as pursuing grants, Dean said.