News & Media
Press Releases
- August 22, 2023 - Great Plains SPCA Hosts Beagle Reunion On First Anniversary of Rescue From Envigo Breeding Facility
- July 13, 2023 - Scorching Temperatures Put Outdoor Pets At Extreme Risk
- January 26, 2023 - Kansas City Area Animal Rescues Raise Alarm of Full Shelters
- August 24, 2022 - Great Plains SPCA opens doors to 15 beagles from the Envigo facility in Virginia
- July 18, 2022 - Scorching Temperatures Put Outdoor Pets At Extreme Risk
- February 9, 2021 - Urgent Winter Weather Advisory
An animal shelter has put out an urgent call for help after revealing that one of its dogs has had no interest from potential adopters for more than 260 days. View Full Story
Kansas City Star by Eric Adler
The Kansas City area’s animal shelters are overwhelmed, with hundreds of dogs up for adoption. View Full Story
KCTV5 by Gabe Swartz
MERRIAM, Kan. (KCTV) – The Great Plains SPCA is asking for help after a power outage has significantly impacted its operations.
“We need currently registered fosters to step up and furlough,” the organization urged Saturday morning after power outages hit the Kansas City metro following Friday storms. View Full Story
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For nearly 20,000 people across the metro, the power was still out on Sunday night. For those who’ve had theirs restored, the focus has switched to clean-up.
It’s been three days since severe weather brought plenty of damage across the metro. Evergy says this is the largest restoration job in its five-year history.
The Pitch by AJ Stutzer
Every day solo catchers and group trappers work tirelessly to locate, humanely capture, “fix,” and safely return Kansas City’s loose dogs and cats to proper shelters.
Most of the city’s wily trappers donate their time to ensnaring scared, lost pets, and they do it for their love of animals—and the game. View Full Story
The Pitch by Amanda Hadlock
Local animal activist Scott Poore, who writes The Pitch’s Creature Feature (a weekly column showcasing local adoptable animals) has been named Chief of Advocacy and Media Relations at Great Plains SPCA.
View Full Story
Shanee Mission Post by Kyle Palmer
Prairie Village Police say a resident called, saying an orange tabby cat was trying to get into her home near 75th and Windsor. When animal control officers scanned the cat for an implanted microchip, they discovered it was owned by someone in Miami. View Full Story
Fox 4 KC by Sydnie Savage
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With the Kansas City Chiefs set to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, Great Plains SPCA will be launching a game of its own to help pets in need.
Shelter supporters have the chance to win up to $300 by placing a bet in the Puppy Pooper Bowl. View Full Story
The Pitch by Sarah Moore
Shelters in Kansas City and surrounding areas have run out of room to keep large dogs. Four shelters came together to ask the community for help.
Great Plains SPCA, KCK Animal Services, Melissa’s Second Chances, and Humane Society of Greater Kansas City report that they are having to convert staff offices, training rooms, medical exam rooms, and conference rooms to spaces to hold large dogs because their kennels are overflowing.
View Full StoryFox 4 KC by Karra Small
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Four animal shelters in the Kansas City metro are sounding the alarm, saying they are at crisis capacity.
Great Plains SPCA, KCK Animal Services, Melissa’s Second Chances and Humane Society of Greater Kansas City are all at max capacity with large dogs.
View Full Story
KCUR
Two Kansas City-area animal shelters say their kennels are full, and in one shelter, animals are living in offices and training rooms. Inflation and residual effects of the pandemic have caused an influx of pets arriving to Kansas City’s animal shelters.
“We have no kennel space left,” said Tracy Lewandowski, director of operations at Great Plains SPCA. View Full Story
MERRIAM, Kan. – The bitter cold temperatures could be dangerous, if not deadly to pets left outdoors.
Rae Lindsey and the team at the Pet Resource Center of Kansas City have already been busy going through neighborhoods where they see outdoor pets, hanging door hangers and offering assistance. She’s already seen frozen water bowls and frozen paws. View Full Story
Great Plains SPCA (GPSPCA), a no-kill animal shelter in the Kansas City area serving 4,000 pets annually, has issued an urgent warning to pet owners and animal advocates in the Kansas City metro area about the risk to pets during this life-threatening heat wave. View Full Story
Newsweek
An animal rescue shelter has spoken out about the dangers of tethering animals after a dog lost his leg following an attack by other dogs while tethered in a backyard. Max was tied up on Saturday when he was attacked by two dogs. With no way to escape, he dropped onto his back to submit as the animals mauled him.
SHAWNEE, Kan. — Everyone has a story. Inside a new store in Shawnee, Kansas, 13-year-old Halley Vincent wants to share seven stories with customers each month.
MERRIAM, Kan. — Fifteen beagles arrived in Merriam, Kansas this week, rescues as part of a major animal abuse case out of Virginia.
They’re just a handful of the some 4,000 beagles which were ordered by a federal judge to be taken from an animal research facility in July.
Great Plains SPCA (GPSPCA), a no-kill animal shelter in the Kansas City area serving 4,000 pets annually, has issued an urgent warning to pet owners and animal advocates in the Kansas City metro area about the risk to pets during this life-threatening heat wave. View Full Story
MERRIAM, Kan. (KCTV) – A growing number of pets are coming into overcrowded shelters in 2022 while the number of adoptions has decreased.
Staff at Great Plains SPCA are making a plea for help from community members to adopt, foster and volunteer to help give animals a break from the shelter.
This week’s “Creature Feature” is thanks to the help of Scott Poore from Mission Driven.
Meet Brad, a six-year-old retriever mix. Brad is a regular dog who just loves to run, play, and hang out with his best friend.
He doesn’t ask a lot out of life. He’s a “work hard, play hard” kind of guy that needs to exercise his body and mind once in a while. He’s definitely at the top of his class and wants a pal who can champion and appreciate that.
JOHNSON COUNTY, KS (KCTV) — Great Plains SPCA is offering their Puppygrams this year to help spread the love on Valentine’s day.
by Emily Rittman
JOHNSON COUNTY, KS (KCTV) — Volunteers for the Shawnee Snow Squad and Great Plains SPCA HERO Team are braving fridge temperatures to help others in need.
by Catherine Hoffman
choffman@flatlandkc.org
Fostering doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment. Fostering for a night, a few nights or even a week can make a huge difference for a pet that is deteriorating in the shelter environment.
by FOX4
Overland Park repealed its ban on pit bulls Monday. The outright breed-specific ban has been in place for 15 years.
by ASPCA
Since 2015, the Nancy Silverman Rescue Ride (NSRR) has helped the ASPCA Animal Relocation program save lives and increase adoptions in shelters throughout the United States.
Together, we’ve moved adoptable cats and dogs from areas of overpopulation to shelters and rescue groups in other parts of the country with a high demand for pets. The NSRR focuses on relocating animals from the Southeast to the Northeast where they have a much better chance at adoption.
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by Jacob Martin
You could already start to hear fireworks in some areas of Johnson County on Thursday evening, ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. And so could your pets.
For humans, Independence Day may be a blast, but local animal shelters urge pet owners to keep their pets in mind when fireworks are going off Sunday (or on Friday and Saturday, too.)
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by Travis Meier
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Animal and art lovers are coming together to support a good cause in Kansas City’s Midtown area. “Art for the Animals” is showcasing pieces featuring animals of all shapes, sizes and breeds. Held at the Buttonwood Art Space near 30th and Main streets, artists are dealing depictions of dogs, elephants, birds, bugs, cats and more to support Great Plains SPCA.
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by Sofie Misle
Animals of all walks of life are featured in the “Art for the Animals” exhibit to benefit Great Plains SPCA. Original artwork of household pets, safari animals, birds, farm animals, insects, reptiles, and more are available for purchase in a variety of mediums.
Fifty percent of each art sale compensates the artists and the other half goes to Great Plains SPCA as a charitable contribution.
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by Roxie Hammill
The kids were at home when animal control and police arrived at Kristi Bond’s Leawood residence two years ago.
The order was direct and to the point. The family would have to remove Lucy, the Bonds’ dog especially beloved by their 10-year-old daughter, from the city. Lucy’s crime: resembling a pit bull, a breed outlawed within Leawood city limits.
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by KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Great Plains SPCA is one of several animal rescue agencies taking part in a national pet adoption event. From Monday through Sunday, Great Plains SPCA is offering 50% off adoption fees at its Merriam location. The discount does not apply to kittens, puppies or high-profile breeds, according to a news release.
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by Clarence Dennis
Sunday, Feb. 21, 2 – 5 p.m. Drinking beer with best friends for a good cause? Sign up for Transport Brewery’s four rounds of Best Friend Bingo this Sunday afternoon, 11113 Johnson Drive. The dog friendly event will raise money for Great Plains SPCA and dish out local prizes for each game’s winner.
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by Andres Gutierrez
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Animal advocates have increased their work in recent days to keep pets safe from the extreme cold the Kansas City metro is experiencing.
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by Sharifa Jackson
MERRIAM, Kan.— It’s another desperate plea for pet owners to bring their animals inside. Animal rescue groups like Great Plains SPCA in Merriam are working overtime to get dogs out of the dangerous and abnormally low temperatures.
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by Chris Oberholtz
MERRIAM, KS (KCTV) — Throughout the month of February, puppy love can be delivered across the Kansas City area. Great Plains SPCA volunteers will deliver puppygrams to recipients to play with, smooch and snuggle for 15-30 minutes. They can be delivered to businesses or residences.
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Lenexa police team up with Great Plains SPCA to promote pet adoptions
by Jay Senter, Shawnee Mission Post
Great Plains SPCA and the Holidays Go Hand-In-Hand, er, Paw-In-Hand!
by Michael Mackie, INKansasCity
Queen Gets A New Roomate!
Earlier this year, Scott Poore of Mission Driven Goods, made it his mission to find Queen a home. Scott decided to move in with Queen and be her 24/7 advocate until she finally found a home. Word got out via social media and now Queen has not only made the local news, but national & even international news! See all the coverage of Scott’s and Queen’s story below!