WINDSOR, Mo. — Rural animal shelters struggle with high intake rates and low adoptions, according to Shelter Animals Count data from 2024. These shelters also often work on limited resources and budgets.
"Everything you do to help a shelter, it means a lot," said Windsor, Mo., Dog Pound employee Marla Anderson.
It’s bigger than what you think it is," Anderson said.
She works in the rural Missouri community about 90 minutes southeast of Kansas City, Missouri.
The Windsor city pound recently underwent some changes thanks to the help of of a Kansas City man and his nonprofit.
The pound has a new coat of paint, an HVAC system and a large, fenced dog run.
This was the exact goal Scott Poore said he had in mind when he started helping rural rescues.
"My heart is in rescue," Poore said. "I was put on earth to help animals."
He founded the nonprofit On A Mission KC with his clothing company, Mission Driven, backing the nonprofit's work.
"I started visiting rural animal shelters because I knew there wasn’t really anybody doing that," said Poore.
He told KSHB 41 reporter Braden Bates there were already organizations tackling overpopulation and problems in urban areas like Kansas City.
Anderson said Poore was instrumental in helping with the dogs well-being. She said in past years the shelter didn't have air conditioning or heat.
She said this winter the dogs she houses will be warm.
She said the community raised $5,000 for shelter improvements which Poore matched.
Without those funds, she said she doesn't think the shelter would have made it.
"I can’t even say that maybe we would even be a shelter or a pound anymore because it was, it’s not fair to an animal just to leave him in here and not provide adequate care for him," said Anderson.
While Poore was successful in his work, he said the clothing brand never recovered after the COVID-19 pandemic took them out of 80% of the stores they were in.
In a Facebook post he announced that he was closing the clothing brand.
He said this will impact the amount of outreach he can provide to rural shelters.
The nonprofit will stay open and active, but he's figuring out how to fund his outreach.
Poore said he’s not done in the rescue world and says he’s finding his next open door now that the last one’s closing.
He thinks that will come with new dogs treats he plans on selling.
