Through our Reclaim Fee Forgiveness Program, all pet owners will have the opportunity to reclaim their pets from the shelter for no cost in the first three days after their arrival at the KC Campus for Animal Care. All lost and found pets for Kansas City, MO, either found by a member of the public or picked up by KC Pet Project’s Animal Services Division, are held at the KC Campus for Animal Care at 7077 Elmwood Avenue in Swope Park for five days to give an owner a chance to reclaim their pet.
Per current KCMO City Ordinances, all pets that are reclaimed are subject to fees paid for by the owner in order to take home. Fees are determined by factors including if the pet is spayed or neutered and how long the pet has been at the shelter. This new program gives owners a three-day amnesty period to reclaim the pet and those initial fees will be waived. The pet owner would still be responsible for purchasing the pet’s rabies vaccination for $15 (unless there is proof of a current vaccination) as well as a Kansas City MO, City License for $12. KC Pet Project will also offer a discounted microchip insertion for pet owners for $10; normal retail cost for this is $25.
There will not be any tickets or citations associated with picking up stray pets from the Campus given to pet owners. This is part of our new approach to animal services in Kansas City, which looks at minor violations that can be remedied by quickly achieving compliance, instead of punitive measures. Punitive actions, such citations for pets who were roaming and have been reclaimed, can result in distrust, traps residents in a vicious cycle of fees and fines, or the owner leaves the pet at the shelter for fear of having to pay these fines.
If a pet becomes missing, it is important to come to the KC Campus for Animal Care as quick as possible to see if your pet is here. If you have lost your pet and you do not have transportation, please call KC Pet Project at 816-683-1383.
The Reclaim Fee Forgiveness Program is part of KC Pet Project’s Keep ‘Em Together, KC initiative. Currently, the shelter is subsidizing approximately $10,000 per month in grants and assistance to pet owners to help them keep their pets. Donations to the Keep ‘Em Together, KC program go directly toward programs like this to support theses families and their pets.
