Kansas City has a new dog playground for shelter pups. See KC Pet Project spot
KC Pet Project, in partnership with Westlake Ace Hardware, celebrated the grand opening Tuesday of the “Barks & Rec” Playground with a leash-cutting ceremony at their Swope Park shelter.
New walkways wind around a small lake, leading to the southeast corner of the KC Pet Project campus, where the “Barks & Rec” Playground awaits. There, staff and volunteers with leashes in hand guided shelter dogs, some sporting festive Thanksgiving attire, onto the brand new wooden play structure.
“This playground equipment is going to allow our dogs to get much needed exercise, enrichment and playtime, which is really what they need until they can find their forever homes,” said Kate Meghji, chief executive officer of KC Pet Project.
She explained that larger breeds need far more than daily walks to burn off their boundless energy and stay happy while they wait for adoption. The shelter is currently over-capacity for dogs, which are now two to a kennel.
This new outdoor playground is designed to the shelter dogs a place to climb, play and explore, promoting the dogs’ physical and mental well-being while they await adoption.
The playground features ramps, steps and platforms for agility training. It marks the beginning of a larger vision to provide more enrichment opportunities for rescue dogs on the shelter’s grounds.
“It definitely inspired us to think about what else we could develop on this campus to make our dogs have way more fun,” Meghji said.
Meghji said they hope to continue installing different activities for the dogs, explaining, “We’re planning on a sensory garden and some larger play yards where the dogs can really run and enjoy more enrichment activities on Saturdays and beyond.”
To ensure the emotional and mental well-being of every dog in their care, Meghji emphasized the importance of providing more than just basic shelter — introducing new experiences and enrichment is key.
“Even the nicest shelter in the world is still stressful. It’s still the cages… they get lots of love, they get lots of attention and want,“ she said. “But dogs’ brains are like human brains, they need engagement, they need things to do and think about.
“And so the more we can introduce novel things for them to do and engage with, the happier they’re going to be.’”
Darius Phillips, on staff at KC Pet Project, walked Frank, a large Mastiff at the opening. He said he is excited about the new playground, expressing hope that it will give the dogs more opportunities to experience enrichment beyond their usual walks.
“It’s very exciting because I personally would love to see more of the dogs having the opportunity to get out of their kennel and do something more enriching than just a walk around the property and everything,” Phillips said.
KC Pet Project, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, has managed Kansas City’s animal shelter in Swope Park since 2012.
But earlier this year, the City Council voted unanimously to take back animal control services from KC Pet Project. The city’s Neighborhood Services Department has overseen operations through the new Animal Services Division since July 30.
This story includes reporting from The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee.
This story was originally published November 25, 2025 at 6:03 PM.
