Passing of the leash' celebration

Passing of the leash' celebration and open house rescheduled for May 2



Pets and their owners are invited to come to Halfway Home Pet Adoptions (the City of Kansas City, Mo., animal shelter) on May 2 to celebrate recent shelter changes with a ceremonial "passing of the leash." The event was originally scheduled for March 28, but was canceled due to rain.

At this celebration, tours of the updated facility will be available, as will dog baths for $15, pet caricature drawings for $10-15, microchipping for $20, vaccinations for $10 each, licenses for $12 (altered) $35 (unaltered), and volunteer sign-up.
The shelter is located at 4400 Raytown Road.

The celebration begins at 8 a.m. and will conclude at noon. The passing of the leash at 10 a.m. will feature Councilwoman Cindy Circo, 5th District at large, and Dr. R. Wayne Steckelberg, founder of the Veterinary Management Corp. Circo was the leader of the effort to create a new partnership at the shelter. Since March 1, Veterinary Management Corp. has managed the operation of the City's animal shelter. Shelter operations include caring for animals that have been picked up and serving as an adoption center. Licenses are available at the shelter.

The employees in the Animal Health and Public Safety Division of the Neighborhood and Community Services Department who formerly worked in the shelter now provide pickup service of stray, sick and injured animals. The division staff continues to enforce animal and fowl ordinances, and conduct investigations and inspections. These employees now have offices at 4900 Swope Parkway.

For more information about this event, call Halfway Home Pet Adoptions, (816) 513-9850.

To file a complaint or concern about an animal, residents are asked to call the 3-1-1 Action Center, (816) 513-1313 or 311.