KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Raytown, Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
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Raytown is preparing to open its first city-operated animal shelter, marking a significant shift from contracting animal care services to an outside company.
The city purchased and is renovating the former Midwest Animal ResQ building to create the new Raytown Animal Services facility. The shelter will house up to 25 dogs and 12 cats in newly designed kennel spaces.
"We put panels so they don't react to one another, so they can be calm. We're going to have a light, and like a night light, for them, and they're also going to have a radio so that they can hear stuff, because a lot of these dogs have been through some really tough times, and we want to make sure that this facility can calm them for the adoption process and just give them a nice space to stay while they're waiting for their forever home," Diane Egger said.
Egger is Raytown's city administrator. She said the city handles approximately 400 animal impounds each year, with 40% of those animals being reclaimed by their owners.
The new facility will allow Raytown Animal Services to add two new staff positions and streamline the process for handling stray animals. Currently, the city contracts with another company, Laurel Pet Resort, to board stray animals. The city said in a press release it still plans to work with Laurel Pet Resort for overflow.
Improvements to the building include resealing the parking lot, adding signage, upgrading the flooring and security system, and making the building ADA compliant.
The shelter does not have a set opening date yet, but city officials expect it to open in this fall. The city plans to announce the grand opening on its social media channels.
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