KC Pet Project could lose control of city’s animal shelter over doubts in leadership
On the verge of possibly losing its contract to provide citywide animal control services, the nonprofit Kansas City Pet Project is now facing an even bigger setback.
The organization’s days of running the city-owned animal shelter in Swope Park might also be coming to an end, The Star has learned.
A separate, private nonprofit corporation that raised $8 million of the $26 million construction cost for the Kansas City Campus for Animal Care wants out of its contract with the city to run the shelter.
KC Pet Project works for that nonprofit. And if it is to continue operating the shelter, KC Pet Project would need to work out its own, new arrangement with the city, without that nonprofit intermediary in the mix.
The surprise development came this week in a letter to City Manager Brian Platt from board members of the corporation with the same name as the shelter. The Kansas City Campus for Animal Care (KCCAC) board said it wants to cancel the shelter management contract with the city because the board had lost faith in the current leadership at KC Pet Project. KC Pet Project was not copied on the letter.
“As we have discussed, and very sadly,” the letter to Platt begins, “...KCCAC is stepping away from our contract, effective April 8, 2025. Should the City arrange for an alternative contractor prior to April 5, we will certainly relinquish our duties sooner.”
The letter signed by founding board chair Roshann Parris, current chair Kristi Wyatt and vice chair John McGurk said KCCAC would also give the city control of the $3 million capital maintenance endowment fund that was raised along with the private construction dollars nearly a decade ago to build the shelter facility.
The main reasons the board cited were recent personnel changes at KC Pet Project and an alleged lack of transparency by the KC Pet Project board of directors concerning unspecified financial issues.
KCCAC board members said they believe the city government is better equipped than KC Pet Project to run the shelter.
“We have come to the pained conclusion — because we have lost all faith and trust in the KC Pet Project Board — that the best way to bring their efforts into accountability and transparency is to return control to the City, their primary funding source,” said the letter to Platt with Monday’s date on it that The Star obtained on Tuesday.
“In so doing, we want to make it clear to you, the Mayor, the City Council and City leadership that the Kansas City Campus for Animal Care Board remains passionately committed to the broad mission on which we were founded. To that end, we are here for any strategic support we can provide the City as you take back the municipal function of animal welfare.”
Two different contracts, services at risk
This new development was a surprise to KC Pet Project, which has been focusing on convincing city officials that its separate animal control contract should be renewed.
An ordinance is set to be introduced next week that would end that arrangement and make the city responsible once again for picking up stray animals and responding to dog bite complaints and animal welfare calls, the press secretary for Mayor Quinton Lucas confirmed on Tuesday.
The proposed insourcing of animal control comes after years of complaints from residents and animal rescue groups that KC Pet Project was doing a poor job in its animal control role.
But there has been almost no public discussion or serious complaints at City Hall or within the animal welfare community about KC Pet Project’s operation of the shelter. Under the group’s management, Kansas City’s animal shelter has earned a positive national reputation for its care of pets, high adoption rates and low number of animals that are euthanized.
KC Pet Project board chair Anthony Mittan said in a prepared statement on Tuesday evening that the group is eager to continue managing the animal shelter after KCCAC ends its contract.
“KCPP remains committed to the welfare of animals and the community. We also welcome the opportunity to work directly with the City of Kansas City, as eliminating a third-party intermediary would create a more direct and efficient partnership,” he said.
“This would allow us to better address the needs of the operations of the animal shelter and focus on delivering the highest standard of care for Kansas City’s animals.”
Track record of outsourced animal services
Were the city to retake control, it would be the first time that city government has run its municipal animal shelter since the council outsourced management of a previous facility to a private veterinarian in 2009.
Kansas City voters approved a $50 million bond issue in 2017, of which $18 million was designated for replacing the city’s dilapidated animal shelter at 4400 Raytown Road. During construction, KCCAC hired KC Pet Project to run the new shelter to replace a rundown facility that was originally built to store material used in the construction of the Truman Sports Complex.
KC Pet Project was incorporated in July 2011 by local animal welfare advocates and took over management of the Raytown Road shelter that October.
That next year, Teresa Johnson was hired to replace KC Pet Project’s original executive director and served in that capacity until she was “summarily fired,” according to the letter from KCAC, by the KC Pet Project board this past December.
No reason was given for her dismissal, which came the day after a City Council discussion of the animal control contract.
Leadership in tumult
KCCAC was not a party to that city contract for animal control, only the shelter contract. The letter from KCCAC’s 21-member board was effusive in praising Johnson and her leadership team with their management of the shelter.
“For five years, their lifesaving efforts exceeded national standards by multiple metrics, attracting passionate philanthropic support both locally and nationally,” the letter said.
Her “surprise” firing by the current KC Pet Project board, the letter went on to say, helped precipitate the decision by the Kansas City Campus for Animal Care board to end its city contract and sever ties with KC Pet Project.
The four-page letter faults the KC Pet Project board for refusing to provide KCCAC with their reasons for seeking Johnson’s resignation.
“Having worked closely with the KCPP CEO for 14 years, approximately a decade longer than any of the current KCPP Board members — our Board of seasoned business, civic and philanthropic leaders have deep reservations about the efficacy of their allegations and the motive for their actions,” it said.
Johnson has not commented publicly since she left the organization.
When her departure was announced, KC Pet Project board chair Mittan issued a public statement wishing her well.
“Teresa has been instrumental in helping establish and grow the philosophy of animal sheltering in Kansas City to one focused on lifesaving,” Mittan said. “The important work she has led for the people and pets of Kansas City, and nationally, has provided great momentum for animal welfare. We wish her well in her future pursuits.”
Two of her top lieutenants resigned soon afterwards, Chad Ackerman, the chief operating officer, and communications director Tori Fugate.
In a Facebook post last month, Ackerman said he was concerned that Mittan and the three other current KC Pet Project board members had pushed out Johnson and installed new management.
“The elected members of the Kansas City Pet Project Board of Directors, along with the interim Chief Executive Officer are in the process of dismantling a nationally recognized, award-winning organization jeopardizing everything we have accomplished in our community over 12 years in only a matter of days,” Ackerman wrote.
In his written statement Tuesday, Mittan said KC Pet Project has launched a nationwide search for a new CEO that has already attracted impressive candidates.
“We remain focused on our mission and will continue working to implement best practices that ensure the highest quality animal care and services for the community,” he said.
This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 6:34 PM.
