September President’s Impact Report

Teresa Johnson - CEO / Executive Director / Chief Lifesaving Officer

 We had another incredible month of lifesaving in September. You should be SO proud of the incredible work our teams are doing right now under such difficult circumstances.  When I see it all in one report it is so easy to see the incredible, positive impact we are making in our community!

Attached is your President’s Impact Report for September 2022 activities at KC Pet Project.  We received or provided care for 1,475 new dogs and cats that arrived in September (667 dogs, 808 cats) – bringing our total to 11,666 animals received in the first 9 months of 2022.  It’s been a tough year for our shelter and for families in KCMO with pets – with record-breaking numbers of dogs and cats arriving each month. The primary reason for surrendering a pet so far in 2022 continues to be lack of resources and the inability for families to afford pet-related care.  In the first 9 months of 2022, our Pet Care Assistance Program has provided $44,489.08 in financial assistance to 194 families in KCMO with 230 pets.   

Here are just a few more notable accomplishments in this month’s community impact report:

  • Our veterinary team performed 879 spay/neuter and specialty surgeries in September.  We provided emergency medical care to 20 seriously injured animals that arrived (hit by vehicles, gunshot wounds, paralysis, traumatic brain injury, pelvic fractures, etc.). 
  • Our shelter’s veterinary clinic has been recognized as having one of the most successful, progressive ringworm treatment protocols in the nation.
  • In September, 982 pets were adopted.  Numbers of pets being adopted is at the highest level in our 10-year history – up nearly 10% over last year.  Nearly 72% of all cat adoptions are happening at one of our thirteen offsite locations (11 Petco stores, Zona Rosa Adoption Center, Whiskers Cat Café).
  • We’ve provided spay/neuter surgeries and vaccinations to 672 owned pets and community cats so far in 2022.  Veterinary surgery/wellness services for community cats are up 58% in 2022.
  • Our Year-to-Date save rate for the first nine months of 2022 is an impressive 96.3%, despite continuing to take in the highest number of animals in our city’s history.
  • Our foster program coordinators sent 158 dogs/puppies and 316 cats/kittens to foster homes in September.
  • Animal Services Officers were dispatched to 1,125 calls for service in September, with the most frequent calls being stray/roaming dogs, reports of cruelty and neglect, and providing assistance to the KC Police Department/MAST/KCFD on cases involving animals.
  • We launched our community partnerships with Charlie Hustle (new t-shirts to benefit KCPP) and Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Tackle Derrick Nnadi (sponsoring dog adoption fees after every Chiefs win).
  • In September, 463 volunteers gave 3,558 hours of service to KCPP – the equivalent of 21 full-time employees.  We currently have 2,237 active volunteers supporting our organization.
  • Don’t miss the lifesaving stories (and photos) this month featuring Blanche, CoCo, Iris, and Kirk – and how our Keep ‘Em Together KC program helped Bella the dog return home following her owner’s surgery.

Have a great day!

Teresa Johnson

President/CEO of KC Pet Project