Great Plains SPCA warns of regional "pet crisis," urges Overland Park to ease pet limits and simplify foster rules

Tam Singer, chief executive officer of Great Plains SPCA, briefed the committee on shelter operations and a regional "pet crisis" characterized by rising intakes, a shortage of adopters for certain animals and a growing caseload of neglect and cruelty.

Singer said Great Plains served about 6,800 animals last year and that the shelter took in roughly 2,300 animals in 2024; about 29% of intakes were from municipal animal-control contracts. She said Overland Park accounts for about 39% of the shelter's city-sourced intakes and that 63% of dogs from Overland Park weighed more than 35 pounds. "We exist really to try and improve the life for people and pets in the community," Singer said.

Singer described a structural funding gap: Great Plains' operating budget is about $4.5 million, roughly 80% of which is covered by donations and fundraising; city contract revenue accounted for a small share of intake funding. Singer gave a per-animal average cost of about $1,300 and said average adoption fees are far lower (about $113), noting the math problem that shelters cannot "adopt" their way out of overcapacity.

She urged three specific municipal policy changes for committee consideration: allow members of the public to bring found animals directly to the shelter with city approval at intake (a model Shawnee uses and Singer said several shelters recommend), relax or modernize the city's pet-limit ordinance (currently two dogs and two cats without a special permit), and simplify foster-licensing requirements (proposing a 30-day temporary foster allowance without the full license in urgent cases). Singer said these changes would make it easier for residents to help animals and for the shelter to place animals quickly in foster homes while court or cruelty investigations proceed.

Singer also described operational responses Great Plains has launched: a low-cost spay-and-neuter program (initial clinics filled rapidly), expanded microchip clinics with discounts for residents, trap-and-return for community cats and a spay/neuter collaborative with other shelters. She recommended that the committee consider breeder-permit rules, licensing incentives and partnerships with local veterinarians to expand low-cost surgery capacity.

In Q&A, committee members asked about capacity and funding. Singer said the shelter aims to add kennel capacity through renovation plans and partnerships but that kennels and capital improvements are expensive (she cited approximately $11,000 per kennel as a planning figure). Councilmember Khan suggested exploring increased municipal funding for targeted capacity expansion; Singer said the shelter would welcome additional support and partnership on community awareness and low-cost surgical access.

Ending: the committee's chair said the presentation would feed a discussion item next month where staff will present options and return with pros and cons of ordinance changes and contract updates.