Please read through the President’s Impact Report for August 2023 at KC Pet Project. “Solutions, Not Excuses” has been our battle cry for everything we’ve done this summer as our teams continued to address so many challenges head on. We’ve faced capacity issues, staffing shortages, blazing hot weather, and more families than ever before asking for help – and yet we continue to save more lives every month. In the first 8 months of 2023, we’ve already taken in more dogs and cats than we would have received in an entire year pre-COVID. We’ve had 1,071 more stray dogs and cats dropped off by the public – a 25% increase – compared to last year at this time (which has certainly contributed to our capacity challenges).
Here are just some of the metrics you shared regarding the impact our team had across our community last month:
- We received or provided care for 1,424 new dogs and cats that arrived in August (715 dogs, 655 cats, and 54 other animals).
- 965 pets were adopted in August (458 dogs, 487 cats, and 20 other pets). The number of dogs being adopted is 27% higher than in August 2022, due in part to our Waived Fee Wednesdays and other successful adoption campaigns throughout the month.
- Despite the enormous increase in dogs arriving and the length of stay increasing for dogs, we still achieved a 91.8% Live Release Rate in August (92.1% dogs, 91.5% cats) and an overall Live Release Rate of 92.9% for the year.
- Our veterinary team has performed nearly 6,000 spay/neuter and other specialty surgeries so far in 2023 – performing more surgeries than last year at this time.
- In the first 8 months of 2023, we’ve provided low cost spay/neuter surgeries and vaccinations for 512 community cats and 229 free spay/neuter surgeries for impounded dogs that were reclaimed by their owners. In addition, we’ve provided 7 free spay/neuter surgeries to owned pets through our Pets for Life program serving the community in the 64127 zip code.
- Stray pets being brought in from the public are continuing to flood into our shelter — currently up a concerning 121% from 5 years ago – and the number of stray animals that arrived during the month of August was 33% higher than last year at this time.
- Animal Services Officers worked 2,144 case activities in August, travelling a total of 15,300 miles throughout the city, impounding 313 animals, and returning an additional 15 pets back to their homes without having to impound them.
- In August, officers issued fifty-nine (59) criminal citations, with 513 criminal citations for ordinance violations having been issued in the first 8 months through Municipal Court.
- We saw a 275% increase in the number of animals impounded in August as a result of calls for evictions.
- 312 dogs/puppies and 302 cats/kittens were sent to foster homes in August. Mayor Quentin Lucas even took a dog named Playdoh on a Dog Day Out. Playdoh enjoyed hanging out at City Hall and going to meetings – then ended his day by getting adopted upon his return to the shelter!
- Our vet clinic was host to thirty-three (33) of the thousands of veterinarians who were in Kansas City for the annual Fetch DVM 360 veterinary conference in August. Doctors from across the country attended hands-on training at our shelter to learn small animal abdominal ultrasound using some shelter dogs and cats as patients.
- 407 families with 812 pets in KCMO benefited from services we provided through our five Keep ‘Em Together KC programs in August.
- Don’t miss the story of the lifesaving rescue of two dogs suffering from heat stroke and how the fast actions of our vet clinic team saved their lives! We shared so many great stories and newsworthy events last month – we had 458 news stories and broadcast mentions in August for a total reach of 730,262,805 million people.