Royals starter Danny Duffy ‘stoked’ about new Kansas City animal shelter project
Royals starter Danny Duffy said he was “stoked” after the passage Tuesday of Question 3, a $50 million bond proposal that included $14 million for a new Kansas City animal shelter in Swope Park.
Duffy had campaigned for the project all spring after becoming active with the KC Pet Project in recent years. It passed on Tuesday, along with two other bond questions, as Kansas City voters said yes to a massive, $800 million infrastructure package.
Duffy, an admitted dog lover, said he was happy for his friends at the KC Pet Project, including Tori Fugate, who had facilitated his involvement with the organization.
Kansas City’s current animal shelter is located at 4400 Raytown Road. Duffy and other supporters of Question 3 noted the facility was in need of an upgrade. The new building and facility will also draw millions in private donations.
“All you got to do is spend an hour over there and you see how hard they work,” Duffy told The Star on Wednesday morning. “This will hopefully ease their work schedule and give them more time with the animals, face to face. I’m stoked for them.”
Election day came one day after Duffy allowed just one run in six innings against the Minnesota Twins in his first Opening Day start. The day ended with a 7-1 loss. But for Duffy, Tuesday provided some better news.
Duffy says he has been a dog lover since childhood. His family usually had at least two dogs in the house, he said. There were also rabbits, birds and cats.
“My house growing up was literally like a zoo,” Duffy said.
The new shelter is set to be 60,000 square feet and will potentially house as many as 15,000 animals a year. Duffy said he will be a routine visitor.
“I’m a dog guy,” he said earlier this spring, “and I’m a huge advocate for no-kill shelters. You want to adopt a rescue, man.
“Sadie, my dog, I got her kind of by default, because I went to the pet store for 30 straight days without any intention to buy her. But all my other dogs have been rescues since I was little. They need homes.”
Rustin Dodd: 816-234-4937, @rustindodd. Download True Blue, The Star’s free Royals app.
This story was originally published April 5, 2017 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Royals starter Danny Duffy ‘stoked’ about new Kansas City animal shelter project."