About Honey Paws

What is Honey Paws?

Honey Paws is a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting breeding dogs and ending the cruelty of puppy mills. We do this through several ways:

  • Public education
  • Animal welfare advocacy both with the USDA and State Legislatures
  • Direct support for rescue organizations that support our mission

Honey Paws works to raise awareness, strengthen protections for breeding dogs, and help support the organizations rescuing and rehabilitating dogs affected by commercial breeding operations.

There are many dog rescue organizations, but very few who work in this secretive and cruel side of the dog business, up the food chain to the source. Our aim is to shed a light on the cruelty of puppy mills, save breeding dogs and create a new standard for adopting or buying a dog.

No.

Honey Paws does not:

  • Operate a traditional animal shelter
  • Personally take custody of every animal it supports
  • Act as a veterinary provider
  • Provide legal advice

Honey Paws launched publicly in March, 2026. It was founded by Elizabeth Izard Apelles. She previously founded Greater Honeycomb Inc. Honey Paws is an initiative of Greater Honeycomb, inc, a 501c3. Please see https://greaterhoneycomb.org/ to learn more.

Honey Paws is an initiative of Greater Honeycomb, inc., a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 47-4673881) and further classified as a section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) in the Internal Revenue Code. The board of Directors of Greater Honeycomb, inc is Elizabeth Izard Apelles and Philip Apelles. They are committed to this endeavor and have signed our written conflict of interest policy document.

Honey Paws is led by Elizabeth Izard Apelles. She previously co-founded Greater Than One, a media marketing and technology company sold in 2025 to New Mountain Capital / Real Chemistry. Devon Laszewski serves as Director. Our full team, and why each of us is here, is on the Meet the Team page of the store.

Greater Honeycomb, inc., a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 47-4673881) and further classified as a section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) in the Internal Revenue Code. Greater Honeycomb, inc was founded in 2015 and the founding name was GTO Greater Good inc. The EIN number was and is the same: 47-4673881.

In 2026, Ms. Apelles changed the name to Greater Honeycomb to better sync up with the new initiative she was planning, Honey Paws. As of this writing, the IRS and all government bodies are updating their systems to reflect the new name. We expect this to be completed at the end of 2026, early 2027. In the meantime, all donations either to Greater Honeycomb or to GTO Greater Good, using our EIN number 47-4673881 will be applied correctly.

Greater Honeycomb Inc. applies to a single model across more than one cause:

  • Honeycomb Health.store: free, fully managed online storefronts that raise money for any rare disease non profit
  • Honey Paws.org: focused on improving the lives of breeding dogs and ending puppy mill cruelty.

Both were created by the team behind Greater Than One and are run by Elizabeth Izard Apelles. You can reach the organization at hello@greaterhoneycomb.org.

Yes, and you should not have to take our word for it.

Honey Paws operates under Greater Honeycomb Inc., EIN 47-4673881. Three independent places to verify us:

  • IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search — search by EIN at irs.gov to confirm current tax-exempt status and classification.
  • New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau — organizations soliciting charitable contributions in New York to register and file there.
  • ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and Candid (GuideStar) — both searchable by the same EIN.

Greater Honeycomb, inc., is Public Charity, a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 47-4673881) and further classified as a section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) in the Internal Revenue Code. Greater Honeycomb, inc was founded in 2015 and the founding name was GTO Greater Good inc. The EIN number was and is the same: 47-4673881. In 2026, the name was changed to Greater Honeycomb to better reflect its’ mission going forward.

Every year we file a 990 with the Internal Revenue Service.

Greater Honeycomb’s mission: Greater Honeycomb is dedicated to giving back to those that have not been helped nearly enough. Please see: https://greaterhoneycomb.org/

Not yet. Charity evaluators generally require several years of filings and a minimum revenue threshold before they will rate an organization, and Honey Paws launched in March 2026. There is no shortcut around that; it takes time.

Puppy Mills & Our Mission

What is a puppy mill?

A puppy mill is a commercial dog breeding facility that prioritizes producing puppies for profit over the health and well-being of the animals. Dogs in puppy mills are kept in overcrowded cages, receive inadequate veterinary care, and are bred repeatedly under poor conditions. Honey Paws works to raise awareness about puppy mills, support stronger protections for breeding dogs, and help families make informed, ethical decisions when bringing a dog into their home.

Stopping puppy mills requires action from individuals, communities, and organizations. You can help by choosing adoption or working with responsible breeders, supporting animal welfare organizations, advocating for stronger animal protection laws, and educating others about the realities of commercial dog breeding. You can also support Honey Paws by donating, volunteering, partnering with us, or sharing our mission to help raise awareness. Every action—big or small—helps improve the lives of breeding dogs and brings us closer to ending puppy mill cruelty.

We launched in March 2026. As of August 2026, we have built our website, our social channels (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit), and our GoFundMe page.

We have over 100K followers on TikTok, over 1K followers on Instagram. Our most recent post on Instagram received 40K views. We have three online stores up and running.

We have sent $1,000 to MBR for the September 2026 March to Marshall BioResources, as well as $1,000 to Finding Shelter.

Through our email platform, Givebutter, we have contacted all the state legislators in Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, and Missouri. The reason we chose these states to start is because they have the most puppy mills in the “Horrible 100 Puppy Mills” report.

We have met with two state legislators in New York. We are part of the March to Abolish Animal Testing in New York State in September 2026 and will be on the march live. We have emailed and called all of the state legislatures along the march route and asked them to join us.

Funding & Donations

Where does the money go?

Any donations or purchases from our stores go directly to funding our mission and the activities we are engaged in. Our infrastructure costs are very low.

For the stores we build for other non profits that support our mission, 75% of profits of the stores that we create for partners that support our mission go directly to that rescue partner, and 25% supports Honey Paws.

The 75% applies to profit, not to the sticker price. Every physical product carries a cost — manufacturing, printing, fulfillment, shipping, payment processing — and that comes out before the split. So, on a $30 shirt, if our cost is $20, then there is $10 of profit. $7.50 we will send to the non profit who we built the store for. $15 stays with Honey Paws to help us with our costs.

We fully vet all partners and spot check that the money is going to its’ intended purpose, which does not include administration. Our money goes to saving breeding dogs.

If your goal is maximum dollars per dollar spent, a direct cash donation either to us if you want to focus on rescuing breeding dogs or to a rescue directly, that takes care of dogs left behind is best. This will always beat buying merchandise from anyone, including us. What merchandise does that a cheque does not: it reaches people who were not going to donate at all; it turns a purchase someone was making anyway into rescue funding, and it promotes our cause.

Both help, and if you are already committed to giving, give directly — we will say that out loud. That includes us or any animal rescue that you think does great work and applies your money directly to the dogs.

Honey Paws exists for a different problem; we focus upstream to improve the lives of breeding dogs and stem the flow of sick puppies. Rescues take care of dogs left behind, rehabilitate them, and find them homes. They have large infrastructure costs and also must spend enormous staff time and energy on fundraising instead of on animals; most cannot build, stock, market, or run an e-commerce operation.

We do all of that at no cost to them, and we bring the demand too, so the storefront actually sells. The result is a recurring revenue stream for a rescue who supports our mission, did not have to build and does not have to maintain.

Our aim is not a one-time donation, but a recurring revenue stream that goes directly to the dogs in need.

At no cost, and with no setup work on their side:

  • A fully managed online store — designed, built, hosted, and maintained by us
  • Custom products created specifically for their audience and brand
  • Assistance in social community management, promotions, and contests
  • Ongoing optimization, updates, and support
  • 75% of profits from the purchase of the product returned directly to the organization

The point is that a storefront on its own does not raise money — demand does. We supply both.

Greater Honeycomb Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization, so cash donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Keep your receipt or confirmation email.

Merchandise works differently, and it is worth understanding the difference. When you receive goods in exchange for a payment, only the amount you pay above the fair market value of those goods is generally deductible — so buying a $30 shirt is not the same as giving $30. The deductible portion of a cash gift can also depend on the recipient organization’s classification and on your own circumstances, so check with your tax advisor for anything significant.

Honey Paws is an initiative of Greater Honeycomb Inc.:

  • Legal Name: Greater Honeycomb, Inc.
  • EIN: 47-4673881
  • IRS Status: 501(c)(3) Public Charity / Private Foundation

Greater Honeycomb Inc. files with the IRS under EIN 47-4673881, and its returns are public. You can find whatever has been processed to date through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer, or Candid (GuideStar), and through the New York Attorney General’s Charities Bureau.

As of July 2026, our latest tax filings are from 2025.

Partners & Storefronts

Where does the money go?

Any donations or purchases from our stores go directly to funding our mission and the activities we are engaged in. Our infrastructure costs are very low.

For the stores we build for other non profits that support our mission, 75% of profits of the stores that we create for partners that support our mission go directly to that rescue partner, and 25% supports Honey Paws.

The 75% applies to profit, not to the sticker price. Every physical product carries a cost — manufacturing, printing, fulfillment, shipping, payment processing — and that comes out before the split. So, on a $30 shirt, if our cost is $20, then there is $10 of profit. $7.50 we will send to the non profit who we built the store for. $15 stays with Honey Paws to help us with our costs.

We fully vet all partners and spot check that the money is going to its’ intended purpose, which does not include administration. Our money goes to saving breeding dogs.

If your goal is maximum dollars per dollar spent, a direct cash donation either to us if you want to focus on rescuing breeding dogs or to a rescue directly, that takes care of dogs left behind is best. This will always beat buying merchandise from anyone, including us. What merchandise does that a cheque does not: it reaches people who were not going to donate at all; it turns a purchase someone was making anyway into rescue funding, and it promotes our cause.

Both help, and if you are already committed to giving, give directly — we will say that out loud. That includes us or any animal rescue that you think does great work and applies your money directly to the dogs.

Honey Paws exists for a different problem; we focus upstream to improve the lives of breeding dogs and stem the flow of sick puppies. Rescues take care of dogs left behind, rehabilitate them, and find them homes. They have large infrastructure costs and also must spend enormous staff time and energy on fundraising instead of on animals; most cannot build, stock, market, or run an e-commerce operation.

We do all of that at no cost to them, and we bring the demand too, so the storefront actually sells. The result is a recurring revenue stream for a rescue who supports our mission, did not have to build and does not have to maintain.

Our aim is not a one-time donation, but a recurring revenue stream that goes directly to the dogs in need.

At no cost, and with no setup work on their side:

  • A fully managed online store — designed, built, hosted, and maintained by us
  • Custom products created specifically for their audience and brand
  • Assistance in social community management, promotions, and contests
  • Ongoing optimization, updates, and support
  • 75% of profits from the purchase of the product returned directly to the organization

The point is that a storefront on its own does not raise money — demand does. We supply both.

Greater Honeycomb Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization, so cash donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Keep your receipt or confirmation email.

Merchandise works differently, and it is worth understanding the difference. When you receive goods in exchange for a payment, only the amount you pay above the fair market value of those goods is generally deductible — so buying a $30 shirt is not the same as giving $30. The deductible portion of a cash gift can also depend on the recipient organization’s classification and on your own circumstances, so check with your tax advisor for anything significant.

Honey Paws is an initiative of Greater Honeycomb Inc.:

  • Legal Name: Greater Honeycomb, Inc.
  • EIN: 47-4673881
  • IRS Status: 501(c)(3) Public Charity / Private Foundation

Greater Honeycomb Inc. files with the IRS under EIN 47-4673881, and its returns are public. You can find whatever has been processed to date through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer, or Candid (GuideStar), and through the New York Attorney General’s Charities Bureau.

As of July 2026, our latest tax filings are from 2025.

Two partner storefronts are live today:

  • Finding Shelter Animal Rescue — a 501(c)(3), no-kill, volunteer-supported animal rescue, featured in the documentary Dogspiracy. Profits from the Finding Shelter collection go to supporting their rescue work.
  • March to Abolish Animal Testing — profits from the MBR March collection fund the September 2026 march from Albany to Marshall BioResources, a campaign against the breeding of dogs for laboratory testing.

Beyond the storefronts, the 15% advocacy share funds our work with state legislators and the USDA on breeding regulation and enforcement.

Partner organizations are animal welfare and rescue nonprofits whose work aligns with our mission: ending the cruelty of commercial breeding and supporting the dogs it harms.

We carefully vet all of our partner organizations. There is a form on our website that they must fill out. They must have an EIN number that ensures they are nonprofits. We ask them to verify that the money we send them gets to the intended purpose.

Get in touch through the Connect with Us page and tell us you are interested in a partnership storefront. There is no cost and no setup work on your end: we design the store, create the products, run the marketing, handle fulfillment, and return 75% of profits to you.

The form they fill out includes name, address, EIN number, and purpose of the organization. Once we confirm all of the information is correct, we do the following:

  • Set up a call or a meeting with their leadership team and ask for references.
  • If possible, set up an onsite visit.
  • We ask for any creative assets they have.
  • We begin to build their store.
  • All in, this process takes about a month.

They reach out, we review and meet, and their store launches in about one month.

You can also reach us directly at hello@greaterhoneycomb.org.

Getting Involved

How can I help besides buying or donating?
  • Following and sharing us on social media helps more than it might sound like it does: it extends our outreach to people we could never reach on our own, and most of them genuinely do not know where pet store puppies come from.
  • Do not shop in puppy stores.
  • Adopt an older dog from a reputable rescue organization.
  • Purchase your dog from a breeder and meet the mother of your dog to ensure the conditions she lives in are suitable. Encourage the people around you to do the same.
  • Engage your local state legislator and ask them to help us. Support humane pet sale legislation in your state. This is an attention economy, so help us keep this topic current. If you know someone at the USDA, do the same — it is their job to regulate puppy mills and enforce existing laws.
  • If you see breeding conditions that look unsafe or inhumane, report them to your state attorney general or local animal welfare authority.
  • Sign up for our newsletter, which includes our puppy mill history series, to learn more about the industry and stay engaged with what we are working on.
  • Volunteer. We can always use the help; there is no age limit, either older or younger. We can find something for you to do.

Email hello@greaterhoneycomb.org, use the Connect form, or find us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.