April was another record-setting month at KC Pet Project, and May shows no signs of slowing down. We’ve taken in nearly 500 more animals than last year at this time, receiving and providing care for 1,179 dogs and cats in April (598 dogs, 549 cats), plus 6 chickens, 3 guinea pigs, 9 rabbits, 4 pet rats and 1 turtle.
Pet adoptions were up 18% in April, with 767 pets being adopted last month (409 dogs, 341 cats, and 17 other pets). We achieved an incredible 97.5% save rate for pets (97.5% dogs, 97.4% cats) despite taking in the highest number of animals ever to arrive at our shelter in the month of April.
Here are a few more impressive highlights that our team reported from last month:
- Our veterinary team performed 579 spay/neuter and specialty surgeries in April and provided emergency medical care to 53 seriously injured animals that arrived (gunshot wounds, emaciated, fractured limbs, hit by vehicles, seizures, etc.).
- Our Return-to-Home team reunited an impressive 196 lost dogs and cats with their families in April. That was a 51% increase over last April and a 26% increase in animals reunited so far this year.
- We provided veterinary services for 65 owned or community cats in April, which included a 29% increase in the number of outdoor community cats that received spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and microchips.
- Animal Services Officers responded to 1,272 calls for service in April, and we spoke at the Southtown Council’s Community Safety Meeting about how Animal Services and our Keep ‘Em Together Programs are helping families in their neighborhoods.
- Eighty-seven (87) students visited our Campus in April for our Youth Enrichment Programs.
- We assisted staff at Lakeside Nature Center by providing radiographs on a Red-Tail Hawk that had been shot, a Bald Eagle with arthritis, and a rare species of bird – a Purple Gallinule, a South American migratory bird.
- Our Pet Support Center team assisted 632 KCMO residents with in-person services including pet relinquishment, microchipping, stray animal impounds, lost and found/return to home, pet licensing, taking in sick or injured pets, pets being reclaimed, and providing resources to pet owners.
- 167 local families with pets in KCMO benefited from our four Keep ‘Em Together, KC programs (Pet Vet Care Assistance, Crisis Boarding, Pet Resource Assistance, and Reclaim Fee Forgiveness) – a 27% increase over last month. More than 100 KCMO families with 114 pets had $10,540.00 in fees forgiven last month through our Reclaim Fee Forgiveness Program.
- Our new partnership with Unity Southeast Kansas City for our Community Food Pantry Program is focused on getting pet food into more established human food pantries around the Kansas City area and is our largest food pantry partner to date.
- Every underage kitten that arrived in April – all 173 of them – were placed into foster homes in less than 24 hours after their arrival, including kittens with ringworm, diarrhea, and those needing bottle feeding and daily medications.
- We had a total of 172 media stories and news mentions during the month of April. Estimated media reach for our animal services and sheltering stories was an incredible 398,395,844 million people!
Don’t miss the lifesaving stories shared this month about Bullwinkle, Vivian, Damien the cat and his feline blood donor Scooter, and all the other incredible, innovative work being done for people and pets in every department/program across KCPP. You are all heroes for this community, and you should be so proud of what you are accomplishing each month.
Teresa Johnson
President/CEO of KC Pet Project