MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee nonprofit that provides free pet food and supplies is expanding its reach to help more animals across southeastern Wisconsin.
Roxz’s Resources and Awareness, founded by Vicky Van Lare in 2023, operates a free pet food and supply pantry. The organization has grown significantly, moving from Van Lare's basement into a dedicated storage unit.
"And welcome to mayhem," Van Lare said as she opened up the storage garage.
The mayhem is due to a continuous influx of donations.
Inside you'll find winter boots, food, toys, crates, and more.
When I first met Van Lare in the spring of 2024, Roxz’s was operating out of her basement. There wasn’t enough space, so the organization got a storage unit to hold more items. Roxz's also bought and customized a trailer to bring to public events out in the co,munity.
"My husband will tell you I overpack it," Van Lare said.
However, it needs to be overpacked. In 2025, the nonprofit serviced 3,887 families and donated more than 25,000 pounds of food, marking a 12.5 percent increase from 2024. The donations included 10,000 pounds of dry dog food, 12,350 pounds of dry cat food, 3,765 cans of wet food for dogs and cats, 2,850 pounds of cat litter, and 100 pounds of small animal items. The organization, which now has 15 volunteers, also offers spay and neuter educational resources.
"So that’s why I’m so passionate about this, because I know the need is out there, and I’m just heartbroken about the animals that are truly suffering," Van Lare said.
What started as appointment-only pickups has turned into a biweekly event at Van Lare's Milwaukee home, where anyone can pick up free food, toys, or other supplies. Those are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 pm - 7 pm.
The nonprofit is named after Van Lare's dog, Roxz. As a lifelong dog lover whose pets outnumber the humans in her house, she is teaming up with more local organizations to help cats, dogs, and other furry friends.
"They call for assistance at MADACC, 'call Roxz'. I think it was just having more community partners has really helped in getting the information out about we are here to help you, and this is who we are," Van Lare said.
For more information about Roxz's go to its website.
Watch the story here to see how much has changed for the organization from 2024 to 2026...
This story was reported on-air by James Groh and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
