Owner Kent Stevens said his in-laws opened the first Pet Ranch in downtown Humble in 1978 before opening a second store in Kingwood in 1984. Pet Ranch opened its third location on FM 1960 in Humble in 1985, and then opened its current location at the intersection of West Lake Houston Parkway and Kingwood Drive in 1990.
The other three stores have since closed, but Stevens said he and his wife took ownership of the current Kingwood store after his in-laws retired. He said his family was then able to make the sole Kingwood store a community favorite.
Although the rise of online shopping and big-chain pet stores have created challenges, Stevens said the value of having a person to be held accountable for customers’ pets is something patrons value.
“Here, you get the satisfaction of talking to someone who’s very knowledgeable,” Stevens said. “When you can actually discuss something with somebody and show them why you should not use this toy, ... the advice is invaluable.”
When Hurricane Harvey hit the area in August 2017, Pet Ranch took on 3 ½ feet of water. Stevens said the storm destroyed up to 22,000 pounds of pet food and supplies.
Although Stevens considered closing the store after Harvey, he and his wife reinvested their savings after customers asked them to come back. He said both customers and strangers came around them to help support their recovery.
“They unloaded wheelbarrows and shovels and asked, ‘What do you need?’” Stevens said. “My wife and I just cried seeing it all; it was really a salvation.”
It took two weeks to put the store back together, during which Stevens said he provided free pet food for Kingwood residents who were not able to get supplies for their pets.
Two years later, Stevens said he hopes to expand the store in the near future, but no matter how he expands, the Kingwood community will always be what drives the store’s mission.
“We consider every customer as a member of our family, and we treat them as such,” he said.
Pet Ranch
4411 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood
281-361-4300
www.petranchinc.com
Hours: Tue.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m., •Sat. and Mon. 9 a.m.-7 p.m.•, •Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
