KC Pet Project is dedicated to creating a compassionate and safe community for pets and people. We continue to build on our national reputation as an innovative leader in animal welfare with our progressive, lifesaving programs and support services.
Each year, we care for more than 16,000 animals across 14 adoption locations throughout the Kansas City metro, including the City’s municipal shelter in Swope Park; the KC Pet Project Adoption Center in Zona Rosa; the Petco Adoption Center in Overland Park; and Petco Cat Habitats throughout the region. KC Pet Project also collaborates with local and national animal welfare organizations to amplify our mission and expand our collective lifesaving efforts.
At the heart of our work is the belief that pets belong with their families, not in shelters. Our “Keep ‘Em Together, KC” program assists pet owners facing financial hardship with resources to deter unnecessary pet surrender.
KC Pet Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 2011 by devoted animal advocates who wanted something better for Kansas City’s shelter animals. In 2012, KC Pet Project took over operations of the City’s shelter. Within six months, KC Pet Project reduced euthanasia rates from over 60% to under 10%, earning a “No-Kill” shelter status.
We achieved remarkable results despite operating in an old, converted warehouse building that lacked adequate space. In 2017, Kansas City voters approved a measure to build a new animal shelter. Following a capital campaign, the City’s new shelter opened in Swope Park on Jan. 1, 2020.
KC Pet Project continues leadership of the City’s shelter, the largest and only “open admission” animal shelter in the metro area that accepts animals regardless of health, age, breed, or temperament — providing shelter and care to animals that would otherwise have no safe refuge
