Offering A Ray of Hope

  Posted on October 9, 2010  by Joy of Living  No comments

An initiative known as Ray of Hope is doing a lot to help animals in the Kansas City area.  Ray of Hope was established in January of 2009 to reduce the number of animals euthanized at the Kansas City Kansas Animal Control facility.  The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City (HSGKC) in partnership with the Kansas City Kansas Animal Control saved 2,400 pets in 2009 and the KCK Animal Control’s euthanasia rate decreased from 70% in 2007 to under 1% in 2010.

How Ray of Hope Is Saving Lives:

• Ray of Hope utilizes a network of no-kill shelters, rescue groups and breed rescues.  Each week the HSGKC Humane Services Director goes to KCK Animal Control to select animals to transfer to our shelter or to the many other no-kill groups we work with, who will find permanent homes for these pets.

• All of these dogs and cats are then brought to our clinic to be spayed/neutered and to receive medical examinations and vaccinations. If needed, The Gabriel Fund is used to help meet any other medical needs in order to make the animals healthy and more adoptable.

• To help find homes for the pets remaining at the The KCK Animal Control shelter, Humane Society staff and volunteers help with weekend satellite adoption events. This has dramatically increased the number of adoptions for their shelter.

• To reduce the numbers of animals ending up in the shelter, HSGKC and KCK Animal Control staff distribute spay/neuter coupons and educational materials to Wyandotte County residents for low cost spay/neuter surgery options.

The Humane Society of Greater KC holds weekly satellite adoption events at area Petsmart stores to help find homes for animals in the program.  I’ve worked as a volunteer at these events and it’s great to see these pets find the homes they truly deserve.

For more information on the Ray of Hope program, go to hsgkc.org and click on the Ray of Hope icon.

Information for this post pulled from HSGKC.org