Kansas City Campus for Animal Care officially opened January 1. Photo KC Pet Project.
KC Pet Project officially opened January 1 in new facility
By John sharp
Kansas City’s new state of the art no-kill animal shelter, the Kansas City Campus for Animal Care at 7077 Elmwood Dr. in Swope Park, opened to the public at noon Wednesday, January 1.
The new 54,000 square foot facility which will be operated by the nonprofit KC Pet Project as a public-private partnership with the city is approximately four times bigger than the terribly antiquated and severely undersized facility at 4400 Raytown Rd. it replaces.
All services including adoption, lost and found pets, and stray and owner-surrender services will be transferred to the new facility January 1. The old facility closed for adoptions December 27-31 to allow the animals to be transferred to the new facility.
To minimize the number of cats and dogs that have to be transferred to the new facility, KC Pet Project sponsored “A New Home for the Holidays” event through Christmas Eve that offers adult dog and cat adoptions for only $25 at all three of its adoption facilities: its old shelter at 4400 Raytown Rd. and its two satellite adoption centers (the Petco facility at 11620 W. 95th St., Overland Park, and its Zona Rosa facility at 8721 N. Stoddard, KCMO).
The new facility on the north side of Gregory Blvd. across from Lakeside Nature Center will have “fear free” housing for animals separated by species, indoor play rooms and outdoor play yards for cats and dogs, outdoor “catios” for cats to have fresh air, a modern and well-equipped veterinary clinic and a coffee shop.
South Kansas City residents will have an opportunity to participate in special guided tours of the facility, sign up to volunteer and apply for jobs there from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, January 6, at the monthly 5th Council District meeting hosted by Councilmembers Ryana Parks-Shaw and Lee Barnes, Jr.
A formal grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at the new facility at 9 a.m. Friday, January 24.