Kansas shelter drastically reduces length of stay for pets

The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City recently underwent a complete overhaul of its operations, which reduced the average length of stay for pets in their care from 257 days to just 12.

“We acknowledged that we need to be doing better for the people and pets in our city. So, we asked for help,” said HSGKC President and CEO Sydney Mollentine.

Abby Dodge

Multiple organizations visited the shelter and proposed solutions to break down barriers in the adoption process.

“You are going to have somebody else coming in and telling you, ‘You’re doing this wrong.’ That’s never easy. Never fun,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s not about you. It’s not a personal attack on you. It’s how do you make it better for the people and pets in your city?”

Abby Dodge

In this year’s 'State of Pet Adoption Report’ produced by Hills, which is a supporter of the shelter, 32% of people said they’d be more likely to adopt without an application.

38% of people who identify as Hispanic believe the adoption process in general is difficult.

Mollentine said the organization now has Spanish-speaking staff. They have eliminated the need for an appointment, allow potential adopters to walk through their facility, and do not ask adopters to fill out any official paperwork in order to take home a pet.

Abby Dodge

“The reality is that we are not in a place where we can do judgment,” she said. “That’s not our goal here. Our goal is to help these animals get out and get homes.”

Earlier this year, Becky Reeves was able to adopt her best friend, a Great Dane named Ronan, during her lunch break. It’s a moment she still laughs about and is grateful for today.

Abby Dodge

“I felt lucky that the process was easy and Ronan and I got to be together,” Reeves said.

Ronan was rescued from deplorable conditions in Topeka, where he was left in a room with other large dogs without any food. The floors were covered in feces when Human Society of the United States members arrived at the property.

Abby Dodge

Now, he enjoys afternoons on the couch while Reeves works from home.

“He wants all the love and snuggles that anyone would give him and I am going to make sure that he gets all the love he can get for as long as I get to keep him,” she said.

KSHB 41 reporter Abby Dodge covers consumer issues, personal budgeting and everyday spending. Share your story idea with Abby .