Kerrville Pets Alive! pet food pantry strained by flood surge, seeks donations

Kerrville Pets Alive! is asking for community support as its free pet food pantry runs low on supplies, a strain the nonprofit attributes to increased demand following the July flood.

The organization has added 200 residents to its pantry program through an application process since the disaster, Executive Director Karen Guerriero said.

“Since the July flood, we have been inundated with new visitors,” Guerriero said. “We rely entirely on donated pet food, and our supply has dwindled. We do not have the resources to purchase food for the pantry.”

Kerrville Pets Alive!, commonly known as KPA!, has operated the free pantry since 2020 for Kerr County residents facing financial hardship. The pantry is designed to help pet owners care for their animals without surrendering them to the shelter system.

“We are the only organization that has kept our pantry open, and we do not want to have to close it,” Guerriero said.

Beyond the pantry, the nonprofit provides more than $100,000 annually in medical care for animals at Kerr County Animal Control, the county’s only open-intake shelter. That funding covers vaccinations, spay/neuter surgeries, adoption assistance and transportation.

In 2025, KPA! said it spent more than $361,000 assisting local pet owners with medical needs including trauma care, heartworm treatment and euthanasia. The organization has budgeted more than $300,000 for its Pet Emergency Medical Assistance program in 2026.

KPA! also hosts monthly low-cost spay/neuter, vaccine and microchip clinics. Guerriero said all donor funds stay in Kerr County.

“KPA! rescues Kerr County pets only,” she said. “Taking on problems from outside areas weakens our ability to make a difference here at home.”

The organization is accepting pet food donations at its office at 2102 Memorial Blvd., Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Amazon and Chewy wish lists are available at kerrvillepetsalive.org. Gift cards from HEB, Walmart, Chewy, Amazon, Tractor Supply and local retailers are also accepted.

Monetary donations can be made online at kerrvillepetsalive.org, by Venmo at @kerrvillePetsAlive, by phone at 844-572-7387 or by mail to KPA!, 317 Sidney Baker S., Ste. 400, PMB 345, Kerrville, TX 78028. The organization also accepts donations of property, stocks and vehicles.