February 2015 by Brent Toellner

Audience: Executive Leadership, Shelter/Rescue Staff & Volunteers

Video Length: 53 minutes

In 2011, the city of Kansas City, MO put out an RFP for private organizations to run the city shelter; a shelter with a long history of being a high-kill shelter. When the deadline for bids passed, there were no bidders to take on the project. So a small group of advocates used the city's 3-week extension to build a business plan to successfully bid on, and take over, the city shelter contract. They took over operations in January 2012, and in just six months, transformed the high-kill shelter into one that was saving more than 90% of the animals in their care. Learn what steps they took, and what lessons they learned along the way in transforming the shelter.

About Brent Toellner

Brent Toellner is the president and co-founder of the Kansas City Pet Project and author of the KC Dog Blog. Brent started his work for animals doing rescue and advocacy work fighting breed-specific legislation. Previously, he was the legislative chair for Kansas City Dog Advocates, a group that focused on pet-friendly legislation on the local level.

In July 2011, he and several others formed Kansas City Pet Project to bid on the contract to run the Kansas City, MO pound – a place where for decades more animals died there than were saved. Since KC Project took over in January 2012, adoptions have increased by more than 100%. In 2014, KCPP celebrated its second consecutive year with a 90%+ live release rate -- and with an intake of more than 10,000 animals, makes KCPP the third largest open admission, no kill shelter in the US.

Brent writes KCDogBlog.com, to share new information about fighting breed-specific legislation and the shelter’s ongoing no-kill journey.