KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Raytown, Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
—Raytown is preparing to open its first city-operated animal shelter, marking a significant shift from contracting animal care services to an outside company.
Raytown prepares to open first city-run animal shelter to better serve stray pets
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…