Houston Pets Alive
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Houston Pets Alive!s (HPA!) mission is to save the lives of at-risk companion cats and dogs and find them loving homes.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 63%
- Reserves
- 5.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 84%
- Employees
- 21
- Volunteers
- 750
- Highest pay
- $109,616, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 67 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.7 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 29% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 57% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1563% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 35 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $482,529 spent. HPA!Rescue/Lifesaving: Through our Rescue! program, we partner with local shelters to save dogs & cats most at-risk due to overcrowding, medical needs, or limited resources. Animals entering our program receive veterinary care & are placed into foster homes or our pet store partner locations until adopted. We also support local shelters through our Adopt Together! program by providing on-site adoption counseling & customer service support to reduce adoption barriers, improve the adopter experience, & increase live outcomes. Additionally, our Shelters Save! program is both a training program & a direct lifesaving effort, offering hands-on staff training & mentorship at local shelters, along with collaborative adoption events that directly move animals into homes. Collectively, our programs save the lives of more than 3,000 animals annually.
- $115,542 spent. Community Support Programs: Our community services support pet owners experiencing temporary financial hardship, helping prevent unnecessary shelter intake & keeping animals out of the system whenever possible. Our Pet Food Pantry & low-cost, donation-based Community Store provide pet owners with access to pet food & other essential pet items, helping to ensure the health & well-being of pets. In addition, our weekly low-cost vaccine & microchip clinics provide essential preventative veterinary care to the communitys pets.
- $138,282 spent. Veterinary Services: Our Medical program provides veterinary care-including medications, vaccinations, & surgeries-for approximately 1,200 HPA! animals annually. We also provide low cost spay-and-neuter surgeries for local area shelters & rescue organizations, maximizing the use of our facility & helping to reduce pet overpopulation & shelter overcrowding.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 2014.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.