Kansas City numbers improving, still a ways to go

On January 1, our group, the KC Pet Project, took over control of the Kansas City, MO Animal Shelter.  I'll talk more about that in a minute, but first, I wanted to discuss the evolution and improvements at the shelter over the years.

Here are the numbers over the past 6 years at the KCMO shelter:

                                2006       2007         2008        2009       2010       2011

Intake:                 10,441     10,949      8,273       7,202      7,251    6,128

Adopted/trans:  2,144        2,269       2,182       3,069      3,464    3,335

RTO:                     1,040        1,397         939           879          931        695

Euthanized:        6,958        6,769        4,912       3,101      2,722     1,975

Live Release Rate: 34%          38%            40%          57%          63%        68%

Here are some notes that will help some of the numbers make sense:

1) I've combined Adopted/Transferred because over the past 6 years there have been 3 different managers - and some have called transfers to rescues "transfers" and some have included them as "adoptions" -- so I just grouped them for easier comparison.

2) In 2006 and 2007 intake was VERY high in large part due to the city's passing Mandatory Spay/Neuter for Pit bulls (which increased their impounds and euthanasia) and because they had a large number of animal control officers on the streets.

3) In 2008, the city cut the number of animal control officers significantly and intake decreased.

4) In 2009, the city hired a private contractor to run the city shelter -- which they did for most of 2009, all of 2010, and the first quarter of 2011.  Under the private management, adoptioins and transfers increased dramatically.

5) Throughout the entire time, aggressive low cost spay/neuter programs and owner retention programs.

When KC Pet Project took over, we also got a firm commmitment from the city to include other things that would lower intake. Pit bulls can no longer be confiscated for not being spayed or neutered and animals are not to be confiscated for being over the pet limit.  There will also no longer be Animal Control Quotas for minimum number of impounds that existed for many parts of the past 5 years.

These are all great things to help keep animals out of the shelter in the first place. However, this is still a city with 500,000 residents, so some animals will continue to make their way to our 40 year old, outdated shelter. As the new management of the shelter, we're committed to finding ways to get new homes for all of these animals.

We started off with a lot of fanfare last week. On January 1, we had a small ribbon cutting ceremony and many adoptions. But more adoptions were needed. We opened that first day with 277 animal at the shelter -- 207 dogs (with a "real" shelter capacity for dogs of about 120).  Even with a solid first day, we needed animals out. So we extended our $20.12 adoption special all week long.

The public responded. In our first 8 days, we were able to find 181 animals new homes.

Success is short lived though as we take in enough animals every 10 days to fill up the entire shelter. This will be an adventure as we try to take a shelter that has a reputation as being a high kill shelter (which, until recently it was), to one that people consider coming to adopt their pets. The shelter is in a horrible location, so we will be continuing to find new places for people to see our adoptable pets. It may be a painful road at times, but success is eminent.

Comments

[Fido Fetch Photography]

I look forward to hearing many more successful stories with this facility. Thank you for the statistics and update.

[PoochesForPeace (&Anna)]

It is so encouraging to see the positive impact u are having. Keep it up :)

[Karen F]

Some days back there was a TV piece about your group assuming management of the shelter and I remember being impressed with two things: (1) the shelter was much less noisy than most are in these kinds of pieces, and (2) the kennels were not only clean, but neat. Maybe these seem like details, but I thought they were telling. Congratulations on all your hard work and success.

[Alana]

Brent, it there any movement on the city increasing it's maximum # of pets a family can legally licence? We are one over the limit due to a friend being deployed in the military. It's good to hear we don't have to live in fear of him being taken away, but I really wish we could just be legal (& I know the shelter needs all the licensing revenue it can get!) Thanks for all your hard work!!!

[Brent]

Not yet Alana -- but it is on the list of things we want to ask for.