Today we’d like to introduce you to Andra Moore
Andra, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Andra Moore, owner of Pets and Moore, has been boarding and grooming pets in San Marcos for over 30 years!
At a young age, I rescued all types of critters, providing homes for them and developing what was to become an enduring love for animals of all types. I competed in barrel racing on the rodeo circuit and continued my passion of helping animals by working as a veterinary technician through high school and college. I attended Texas State University, where I received my Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences. In 1992, I opened Pets and Moore, a trusted facility that people could bring their pets to have their own little vacation while they were away. Over the last 30+ years, Pets and Moore has expanded to include a range of sports, training and private facility and canine pool rentals that the greater San Marcos area can enjoy. I also often work closely with local shelters and rescue organizations to help house and place pets in loving homes. Pets and Moore was even voted Best Kennels of Hays County in 2023 and has had an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau for over 17 years. My mission is to provide quality care to all animals in my community and give local pets a place to call home away from home!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Building up any business is not an easy task. There are many factors that go into turning an idea into a successful operation. When I first started talking about creating Pets and Moore, it was 1989, and my friends and family were skeptical about it, thinking my passion for animal care was more of a hobby, and of how much one must take on to start an operation from the ground up, let alone a single woman during that period of time. However, I knew this was my calling in life. I started working an entry level delivery job and saved up enough money to take out a loan to buy the land that Pets and Moore currently resides. Once I had the land, I had to save up even more to begin the layout for my building design. With the land purchase out of the way, I then had to begin to hire contractors to assist in building my facility. In this era, a single woman attempting to build something of this nature did not garner much respect from her male counterparts, so starting from the ground up proved to be much more difficult than what one would assume a man’s experience would have been. Once my office space and kennels were finished, I had to find staff that had experience working with pets of all sizes and temperaments. For a while, I struggled to find and keep loyal employees, but over the years I found some wonderful people who have been with me for decades now and helped build my client base. Today, Pets and Moore thrives with an all-female staff and has expanded to almost triple its size to include new on-site facilities and services.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Pets and Moore was opened in 1992 with only 12 kennels, a small grooming area and an office. Over the years, I have expanded to include more kennel space, a larger grooming salon, a separate, quieter wing of kennels for senior dogs, special needs dogs and small dogs, an enclosed event center, and opened K9 Water World right next to Pets and Moore.
K9 Water World is now used for local Dock Diving contests, a canine performance sport where dogs are trained to jump the furthest possible distance they can off a dock into a pool of water. I built K9 Water World with the intention of using it only as a simple pool for boarding dogs to swim in during the summertime. I modeled it after canine dock diving pools I’d seen before so my boarding dogs could run and jump off the dock into the pool for fun. Little did I know, the official North America Diving Dogs organization (NADD), reached out to me in 2013 to use our pool as an official local Dock Diving site. I also opened the pool up for private rentals, where clients could rent the pool for just them and their dog to practice or just have fun. Due to high demand for rental space, I opened a second pool, “The Bone Pool”, in 2023. The Bone Pool is an in-ground, dog bone shaped pool with beach access on either side. This pool was built for clients with dogs who may not be used to water, need easier access, or need our Hydrotherapy sessions for sore joints or muscles, as swimming is one of the best exercises for dogs.
Pets and Moore started with 12 kennels. In one year, I doubled the number of kennels we had and in 2018 I added a separate wing to accommodate small dogs, senior dogs and special needs dogs. I now have 47 kennels available to book. All dogs board in a 4’x34′ run, with 24/7 access to both the indoor and outdoor portion of their run. The indoor portion is spacious and climate controlled, and the outdoor portion is partially shaded and cleaned out twice daily. Cats stay in a quiet room in separate kennels and are able to come out and roam the room and explore the attached, enclosed outdoor area. Dogs are able to be taken out for extra playtime in a gated pasture yard or a pool for exercise. On pick up day, clients can have their pet bathed or groomed by our grooming staff, who has over 70 years of combined experience.
I also just opened up our event center which is available to the public for rent for dog training classes, privates, seminars, parties and more! It includes a gated outdoor area and a climate controlled indoor venue.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The general public can support Pets and Moore’s mission by donating cash, toys, food and supplies that we donate to local shelters and rescue organizations. We also attend many local pet events and appreciate people coming out to attend those or support us on social media.
Pricing:
- $50/night/run standard board
- $54/night/run intact males
- $54/night/run females in active heat
- $34/night/run for every dog added to same run
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.petsandmoore.com/ and https://www.k9waterworld.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petsandmoore_/ and https://www.instagram.com/k9waterworld/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petsandmooresm/ and https://www.facebook.com/k9waterworldsm/
