Supporters picket for Chain of Hope; group told to vacate KCMO home by end of 2011

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - City leaders were able to see firsthand on Wednesday how much support there is in the community for Chain of Hope .  The urban animal rescue took to the steps of City Hall to prove that point.

Last Friday, the group was handed a 15 day notice to vacate.   Chain of Hope operates out of a home on Kansas City’s east side.

Chain of Hope Vice President Kendra Albert said, “We can't possibly be out of there in ten days.  That's just not do-able. We have nowhere to go right now."

Albert was among 40 other Chain of Hope supporters on Tuesday.  Some were long-time volunteers; others were just community members who felt called to hold a sign.

“We're hoping that we can get City Hall and Animal Control to give us a definite plan of action here on what we have to do to become legal," Albert explained.

She would like written guidance from the city so that there are no discrepancies later.

David Park, of Neighborhood and Community Services, told NBC Action News he would like to help.  He said, “There's no intent to just close them down."

In fact, he said if a land trust property came open, the city would be willing to sell it to chain of hope for a low cost.   However, running a non-profit business out of a residential neighborhood, Park said, is out of the question.

Park continued, “Animal shelters are kind of one of those 'not in my back yard' kind of uses.  Folks are sensitive to that use."

Just like any other Kansas City resident, Chain of Hope is only allowed to have four adult animals in the home at a time.  Leaders admit they'd be able to serve a greater number of city pets in a different location, but the current rent is too good to pass up.