KC Pet Project finds homes for dogs and cats by discounting fees

Waltz. Blitz. Rigby, Sneaky and Tux — all friendly older dogs adopted Saturday during KC Pet Project’s weekend special.

The organization that operates Kansas City’s animal shelter is offering discounted adoption fees on dogs and cats through the Memorial Day weekend. KC Pet Project said the discount began because the shelter reached full capacity in the last full week of May after taking in 170 animals, some of them strays, others neglected or given up by previous owners.

“It’s really nice to see the old animals adopted,” said Deborah Baska, a KC Pet Project volunteer. “They have so much love.”

Through Monday, the shelter fees are $40 for dogs and $25 for cats, discounting by half or better the usual rates.

The promotion seemed to be working for the adoption center at 7351 Northwest 87th Terrace in the Zona Rosa district on Saturday. Afternoon adopters left behind many empty cages.

The Memorial Day rush is only the start of the animal shelter’s busy time of year, said Tori Fugate, a spokeswoman for KC Pet Project.

More people bring in cats and dogs during the spring and summer months than other times of the year, and the influx topped out at 40 in a single day before the long weekend. It was about as much as the shelter can take.

“Right now space is really, really critical,” Fugate said.

Many of the week’s new arrivals were large dogs. The shelter also took in a litter of kittens whose mother had died defending them from a dog.

As always, there were the occasional oddballs: a stray sheep, two chickens, a pot-bellied pig and a bearded dragon lizard.

All three KC Pet Project locations will be open Sunday and Memorial Day: 4400 Raytown Road, Petco at 11620 W. 95th St. in Overland Park and Zona Rosa in the Northland. The shelter adopts out cats through Petco stores in Grandview, Independence, Kansas City and Olathe.

To deal with the large number of kittens expected to arrive at the shelter in coming days, KC Pet Project asks for donations of cat litter, kitten formula and cat food.

For more information about KC Pet Project, go to kcpetproject.org.

This story was originally published May 28, 2016 at 7:03 PM with the headline "KC Pet Project finds homes for dogs and cats by discounting fees."