We are a Kansas City-based non-profit organization that assists homeless people with the health needs of their pets.
Our Vision:
To bring awareness of the number of homeless men & women living in camps or under bridges with their dogs & cats that are in need of basic medical care. In the near future to be able to house their dogs & cats from the extreme cold and heat. This allows the homeless men & women to enter a shelter knowing that their pets are being cared for.
Our Mission:
By assisting homeless pet owners with their pets’ health-related needs, including spay and neuter procedures, veterinary treatments, pet food, and pet supplies, we improve the overall health of those animals, and also help control the animal population.
What We Do:
We seek out the homeless in the places they stay, and work to establish their trust. We approach each case on an individual basis, and work with the pet owner to assess their animal’s needs. To be eligible for assistance, pet owners must agree to have their animal altered (if the animal is not already altered).
Our program assists the homeless with the following animal care needs:
- Spay and neuter
- Vaccinations, heartworm testing & dewormer
- Flea and heartworm preventative
- Pet food
- Proper collars, leashes, and tie outs
- Education on caring for their animals
Who?
3.5 million* Americans are homeless, and between 10% and 25% of homeless people own pets. There is great bond between homeless people and their pets. Their dogs and cats provide love and hope, warmth and protection, and help them endure the difficult life they face every day.
Why?
By assisting the homeless with their pets, we can ensure that more of these pets have the basic medical care, food and supplies for their dog or cat. To be eligible for assistance they must agree to have their dog or cat spayed or neutered. Spay & neutering their dogs & cats extends their health and life expectancy. It stops the overpopulation of thousands of dogs & cats that are born in Kansas City unwanted that either die on the streets or end up in area shelters. It also reduces the risk of them getting various forms of cancer.
In males, neutering decreases the chances of developing prostatic disease and hernias, and eliminates the chances of developing testicular cancer. It also reduces problems with territorial and sexual aggression, inappropriate urination (spraying) and other undesirable male behaviors.
In females, spaying decreases the incidence of breast cancer (the rate goes down to almost zero if the spaying is done before the first heat cycle!). It eliminates the chance of developing a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus experienced by many mature unspayed animals (pyometra). Spay surgery also eliminates the heat cycle and associated mood swings and undesirable behaviors, messy spotting (in dogs) and the attraction of all available males.
Where?
We are working in the downtown Kansas City, Mo. area and in some areas in Kansas City, Kansas where there are homeless men & women that are living with their dogs & cats under bridges, camps in the woods, or in stairways at night.