Animal Services Division FAQ

During the hours of 7am-7pm, you can call 311 or 816-513-1313 to report any animal control issue. For after-hours and weekend emergency calls, you can dial KC Pet Project’s main phone number at 816-683-1373 .

You can also fill out a report online.

For reports of cruelty or neglect, please fill out this report.

For information on animal permits, click here.

Our Animal Services Division embraces a community-focused, engagement-based approach to service delivery.  This progressive model means that we employ strategies that equip our community with the tools needed to resolve animal-related issues for the long-term.  Our officers empower our community through information sharing, they bridge resource gaps thereby providing pet owners the tools to access services and information they need to improve the lives of their pet and family, and they enhance community safety by working with pet owners to interrupt to cycle of repeated offenses.

A community engagement approach to animal services work is a commitment to meeting our community where they are at, without judgment or assumption.  We believe that everyone within our community is our partner in resolving animal-related issues.  By working together as a community and bridging resource gaps we can improve the lives of the people and pets that live here.

There isn’t a law that prohibits cats from roaming in Kansas City, Missouri.  If you see a cat that appears sick or injured, please do contact our office for help.

Reports of loose dogs can be reported by dialing 311 or calling 816-638-1373.  Please make note of the type of dogs they are, their color, what direction they are heading, and what they are doing.  If you know where the dogs live, please be ready to share that with our call taker.

When you call and speak to a KC Pet Project Dispatch Officer, they can give you a case number.

You can use this form to search our call database and to check on the status of existing reports. This database is currently updated on a monthly basis – it is not updated in real time.

The City of KCMO’s 311 call center and KC Pet Project use two separate software systems for call-taking. We are working with the City’s IT department and 311 Call Center to find a solution so residents can see the call outcomes. For now, you can search our call database by clicking here.

You can contact the City of Kansas City, MO, for records requests prior to December 1, 2020

Neglect is the failure to provide for the basic needs of an animal while cruelty is the act of harming an animal.  The Animal Services Division – Animal Cruelty Investigation Unit investigates reports of both neglect and cruelty in our community.  Their goal is to improve the capacity of care within our community and to bring to justice those who cause intentional harm to animals. 

Reports of animal cruelty and neglect are investigated by members of our Animal Cruelty Investigation Unit who specialize in these types of cases.  When they determine that an animal is in danger or being cruelly treated, they will work with our City Prosecutor’s office to ensure charges a filed and in some cases, the animal is legally seized.  In egregious cases of cruelty or felony cruelty, our officers may work with the State District Attorney’s Office to bring charges forward.

Kansas City, Missouri, pet licenses can be purchased at KC Pet Project at the Kansas City Campus for Animal Care during regular business hours, at authorized veterinarians’ offices, or on the PetData website.

Kansas City, Missouri, pet licenses are managed by PetData. To update your pet’s information, you can do so on PetData’s website or by calling PetData’s customer service center at 1-888-738-3463. If you have additional questions about your pet’s city license, please visit Pet Data’s Common Questions.  

Any dog, cat, or ferret that has bitten a person is required to be quarantined for 10-days, or 240-hours, from the date and time of the bite incident.

Our Field Services Supervisors oversee potentially dangerous and dangerous dog investigations, declarations, and registrations.  To contact someone from our office by dialing 311 or by email at [email protected].

You can find all of the information on applying for an animal permit on our Permits page.

Our officers understand the importance of reconnecting a pet with the family that loves them.  Because we also know that pets often don’t wander too far from home our officers scan every pet they impound for a microchip.  If a pet is wearing a personal identification tag a member of our Animal Services Division will reach out to the contact while our officer is on scene.  If the pet doesn’t have a microchip or a personal identification tag, we ask that our officers spend a little time talking with neighbors to try to locate the owner.  We always prefer to bring your beloved pet back home to you.

No, you are not at risk of receiving a citation when reclaiming your pet at the shelter. 

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 two 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.

There isn’t a law that prohibits cats from roaming in Kansas City, Missouri.  If you see a cat that appears sick or injured, please do contact our office for help.

Reports of loose dogs can be reported by dialing 311 or calling 816-638-1373.  Please make note of the type of dogs they are, their color, what direction they are heading, and what they are doing.  If you know where the dogs live, please be ready to share that with our call taker.

Please see our Found Pet Resources page.

Most stray animals are found within .25 miles from their home. If you find a stray animal, first check for a collar or identification, including having the animal scanned for a microchip at a local veterinary office. The best thing to do for the pet is to try to locate their owner quickly. Post a photo of the animal on Nextdoor app, lost and found groups on Facebook, and your own social channels and post flyers in the area you found the animal. If possible, walk around the block and try to see if anyone in the area recognizes the animal. You can also file a Found Pet Report and create flyers using our Lost or Found Pet Flyer templates online.

If you’ve found a litter of kittens, it’s best to leave them in the area with the mom who is caring with them. We have helpful information on our Found Kittens page, as well as our Kitten Information page. You can check out Alley Cat Allies for resources to care for the litter. If you are interested in getting the kittens spayed or neutered, we recommend searching for low-cost and affordable veterinary care in your area.

If you are a Kansas City, Missouri, resident, KC Pet Project can help you find the right home for your pet through our supported rehoming services.  If you are seeking help so that you may be able to keep your pet or looking for resources to give up your pet, please call the shelter’s Pet Helpline at 816-683-1383 or visit our website for more information.

When you call and speak to a KC Pet Project Dispatch Officer, they can give you a case number.

You can use this form to search our call database and to check on the status of existing reports. This database is currently updated on a monthly basis – it is not updated in real time.

The City of KCMO’s 311 call center and KC Pet Project use two separate software systems for call-taking. We are working with the City’s IT department and 311 Call Center to find a solution so residents can see the call outcomes. For now, you can search our call database by clicking here.

The first step on resolving a barking dog concern is to talk with your neighbor. Dogs can bark for a variety of reasons, from boredom to alerting to a danger and often a pet owner may not be fully aware of the impact their dog’s behavior is having on you or the neighborhood.  Information and resources that may help address a barking dog issue can be found here.  If you are unable to resolve the issue by working with your neighbor you can also reach out to our office. 

We will first send information and resources to the pet owner but if the barking persists you may elect to submit a signed complaint.  It will be important to keep track of the dates and times the dog is barking and that information should be submitted along with your signed complaint.  The signed complaint and barking dog log will be submitted to the City Prosecutor for prosecution.

• Barking Dog Incident Report
• Signed Complaint Form

If your animal is attacked by a dog, you can call to report the incident by dialing 311 or calling 816-683-1373.If the attacking animal is still endangering the public or engaged in an attack an animal services officer will be dispatched to address that issue.  A Field Services Supervisor will contact you within 72 hours to further discuss your case and to continue an investigation into the incident.  You may be asked to submit a signed complaint form in order to move forward with a public nuisance violation or potentially dangerous/dangerous dog investigation. 

If you are bitten by an animal, please immediately take steps to get safe and clean the wound in accordance with a medical professional’s recommendation.  As soon as is reasonable contact our office to report the incident.  If you are able, please provide the following:

• a description of the biting animal,
• name of the animal owner and their location/address
• if the animal was stray, please provide the animal’s last known location and direction of travel

All domestic dogs, cats, and ferrets who have been involved in bite incident are required to complete a rabies quarantine period in accordance with state and local law.  All other biting animals are quarantined or tested for rabies in accordance with state and local law. 

Rabies is a virus that is transmitted through saliva, mucous membrane or spinal fluid contact with an open wound on a person.  For more information about rabies and how it’s transmitted please refer to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website: https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/about.html

Deceased animals are picked up by the City of Kansas City, Missouri’s solid waste department.  You can report a deceased animal and request a pick up by dialing 311.

You can contact the City of Kansas City, MO, for records requests prior to December 1, 2020

A warning may be issued verbally or in written form; the written form of a warning is called a Notice to Correct.  This is one tool our officers use to gain compliance, particularly for pet owners who are trying to do the right thing to be in compliance but need additional time to do so.  When issuing a Notice to Correct our officers assign a reasonable time frame in which the issue or concern must be corrected by, without causing harm or suffering to the animal.  Failure to meet that deadline may result in fines or impoundment of an animal.

Yes! KC Pet Project Animal Services Officers can issue citations for class C misdemeanors as defined in the City of Kansas City, MO Code of Ordinances.

Our officers can legally remove an animal from a private property under the following circumstances:

1. The officer witnessed the dog running loose off the property of the owner.
2. The officer has obtained a warrant to seize an animal from a court of competent jurisdiction.
3. The officer has determined that exigent circumstances, imminent danger, exists and without immediate intervention the animal will suffer grave harm or death.

Our officers understand the importance of reconnecting a pet with the family that loves them.  Because we also know that pets often don’t wander too far from home our officers scan every pet they impound for a microchip.  If a pet is wearing a personal identification tag a member of our Animal Services Division will reach out to the contact while our officer is on scene.  If the pet doesn’t have a microchip or a personal identification tag, we ask that our officers spend a little time talking with neighbors to try to locate the owner.  We always prefer to bring your beloved pet back home to you.

Animal Services Officers are on duty 24-hours a day, year-round.  They respond to all types of calls for service during normal business hours, Monday – Friday, 7am – 7pm.  Outside of normal business hours officers will respond primarily to urgent or emergent, high priority calls for service.

Animal Services Dispatch Specialists receive all animal-related calls for service 7-days a week, year-round.  They will collect information from the caller and through that process make a determination regarding what degree of urgency should be assigned to the call.  All calls for service are assigned a priority level; priority levels range from a Priority 1 which requires a response in two hours or less up to a Priority 5 which requires a response in 72 hours or less. Reports of incidents that are actively putting a person or animal’s life in danger are consider urgent and will be responded to accordingly.

If you have a raccoon, skunk, bat, fox or coyote in a living space of your home our animal services team will be happy to come assist with the removal.  For all other native wildlife please contact your local pest control company. 

Visit Lakeside Nature Center’s website for additional information on wildlife resources.

Our officers will pick up sick or injured wildlife of all types.  For wild animals inside a home, our animal services team will be happy to assist with the removal of raccoon, skunks, bats, foxes, and coyotes in a living space.  Animals in attics, crawl spaces, underneath sheds, or in any other non-living space will be referred to pest control for assistance.   

We work collaboratively with Lakeside Nature Center on all wildlife cases.