0207: Kansas City Animal Services with April Moore

Chief of Animal Services for the Animal Services Division of Kansas City, Missouri, April Moore discusses the city’s transition from animal control to community engagement.

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Transcript

APRIL  0:05  

If we can help one family, we've helped that community. If we can help two families, great. We've expanded our impact on that community. And we're just going to keep working. We're just going to keep helping family after family after family.

PHIL   0:23  

I'm Phil Hatterman, and this is Dog Words presented by Rosie fund. Today, Chief of Animal Services for the Animal Services Division of Kansas City, Missouri, April Moore discusses the city's transition from animal control to community engagement.

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Next time on dog words we visit with author and founder of Mutual Rescue, Carol Novello. The mission of Rosie Fund is to provide humans with the resources and education they need to give senior and harder to adopt dogs a better life. We thank you for joining our mission.

Today on Dog Words, our guest is Chief of Animal Services with Kansas City, Missouri. April Moore. Welcome to the show, April.

APRIL  2:52  

Thank you. Thanks for having me.

PHIL   2:55  

I'm so excited to have you on not just because I know you'll be a great interview. But also because of what you represent. You are the first Chief of Animal Services for the city of Kansas City. Because previously, we did not have an Animal Services Division, which is kind of a big deal. And we're gonna get into that. But first, and you might end up answering this question anyway, is Animal Services - working with animals - something that you had always wanted to do? How did you find your way from wherever you grew up to now being in charge of Animal Services?

APRIL  3:35  

Well, I think probably early on, I always knew that I had a desire to keep animals close. Right? I know that I gotin a lot of trouble as a about seven year old when a kitten "accidentally" followed me home from the neighbor's house and my parents were none too keen on that. So at an early age, I was certainly always trying to find connections with animals where I could. Fast forward a few years and I began my career officially in animal welfare at around 2003ish. Out of Austin. And at the time, I joined Austin, I was an animal control officer. And Austin was, you know, certainly not in the same sort of place they are now. It was a program that was traditional and in sort of its methodology and philosophy...

PHIL   4:35  

What people think of with animal control and animal catchers the the villain in Disney cartoons that you hide your dog from the officer with a net.

APRIL  4:45  

Yeah, when - certainly when I started, the perception in the community was not always as positive as we would have liked. We spent a lot of time catching dogs, a lot of time, issuing citations, and there's certainly a place for that. But there wasn't initially a lot of focus on connecting to community. And I consider myself quite fortunate to have joined the Austin team when I did because I was afforded the opportunity to be a part of their growth and their transition, which was really cool for me. And being a part of the transition in Austin from a shelter that had a pretty substantial euthanasia rate to one that was really pushing the envelope in terms of innovation and life saving. And then also being a part of the field team that transitioned from that really traditional, punitive sort of focused approach to field services to one that was really focused on building connection and building trust, that engagement based approach.

PHIL   6:01  

Well, what was the impetus for that transition? Was that just the department leadership saying we're gonna do things differently? Or the community or a combination of things? 

APRIL  6:10  

Yeah, so it was really our community that push that, that change and that transition. Our community came together and kind of started looking at - there's some organizations came together and started looking at what was happening in the shelter on this, you know, and I'm certainly paraphrasing here, but there was this, this feeling that, you know, enough was enough. Like we wanted better for our animals and our community. And so...

PHIL   6:36  

It comes back to how do you treat the least of your community really says a lot about who you are as a society as a culture.

APRIL  6:45  

Yeah, and I can't say internally we knew there were better ways. Perhaps, those that, you know, were, were leading us and those that were my co-workers at the time knew better ways. I wasn't there in my path yet. But certainly, there were members of our community, there were advocates that did know that there are better ways. And they weren't afraid to have that conversation. And, you know, thank goodness for them. Right?

PHIL   7:13  

Yes. 

APRIL  7:14  

And so they garnered the support. And that whole movement was what changed the direction of the shelter there in Austin. Which, again, you know, for, for me, in my role at that time, in my sort of place in my path in life, my journey in life, it was such a transformational time It forced, I'll speak personally, it forced me to really think outside of the box in terms of how we were going to build services, work to achieve these goals that we're now set for our shelter. Right. So if our shelter - if we wanted to achieve a higher level of life saving and we wanted to...[howling]

PHIL   8:01  

Oh, yes, Peaches, just as we were starting the interview decided she was gonna join us. And...[barking]

APRIL  8:08  

I know!

PHIL   8:09  

...and came marching down here. Started doing laps and harumphing. [barking] Peaches, what do you what do you need? Oh, do you have questions? [barking] This is -  is your April, your new friend? [barking] Why don't you go lay down? Yeah, go lay down. Can you go lay down? Do I need to turn on the [howling] fire? I'm gonna start the fire. Dawn is not joining us. Dawn, maybe if you start the fire, I think that's what Peaches wants.

APRIL  8:37  

I thought maybe she was cheering for life saving,

PHIL   8:39  

"Life saving! I'm on board with that!"

APRIL  8:41  

Yeah.

PHIL   8:43  

Well, you were saying it changed your perspective on things. And you were part of that transition. It's really easy for someone who works a nine to five job in an office building or is someone who is volunteering with some sort of animal rescue group to say from the outside, "Hey, Animal Control, there's a better way to do this. I want you to treat animals better." Without knowing [howl] well, here are the resources we have. Here's the responsibilities we have. We have to reconcile all of that. We can't just show up one day and say, "Okay, the old playbook that's out. Here's the way we're doing it now." You're in a position, along with your co workers and your leadership to say, "We agree there's a better way, but we need community support to get there. We need resources to get there. We need everybody on the same page." That doesn't happen overnight.

APRIL  9:44  

It doesn't. And you know, one of the really unique things I think about Austin is as we began our transition, we had a no kill implementation plan. We had an action plan associated with how we were going to achieve our goals. Maybe it would address increase in our foster programming. It was - addressed transitioning to open adoption policy, just as an example. So, in a lot of ways, our community had already done some of the work for us, you know, so we had already gained some significant support from the community, from our local officials and government to move forward and to be successful. So that was, that was a really great experience with Austin. You know, for Field Services, there was certainly some learning we had to do and some reimagining of what our role in the community looked like. And, you know, gone were the days of just going and picking up what you could pick up or going and issuing citations where you saw violations. What we really had to refocus around was building those relationships, repairing what had been broken over the years, and starting to learn from our community, meet them where they're at, and start to learn from our community, what, from their perspective, they may need to be successful in keeping their pet home.

PHIL   11:18  

And that's an investment. Because it takes more time to work with a dog owner and dog owner's neighbor and figure out what is the situation and maybe a citation isn't the best thing to do here. Whereas writing a citation can take five minutes, packing up the dog and hauling them in, and then you move on to the next call. But taking that time to figure out the situation - and maybe a citation is not the best thing to do. Maybe hauling this dog off is not the best thing to do. Figuring out how to educate this dog owner, how to educate this neighbor, how to keep this dog in a healthy home takes more time. But then, hopefully, you don't have to revisit that situation ever again.

APRIL  11:59  

Exactly. So what we tried to do in our role, we did this in Austin, we're doing it here in Kansas City, is we're trying to solve for the long term. Now, sometimes you can do that in a visit. Sometimes it doesn't happen in a visit. Sometimes it is repeat contact. Sometimes it looks like connecting people to resources or information or giving them time to come into compliance with whatever the concern is. You know, if it's a, if it's a broken fence, most people can't fix that in a day. They need a couple of days to get it fixed. If it's a bigger issue that requires maybe getting their pet into the vet, that takes time and...

PHIL   12:46  

And other resources that might not be readily available to that homeowner or dog owner.

APRIL  12:50  

Right. And so what we try to do is, if we know that by giving time, connecting to resource, providing support is going to be in the best interest of that pet and that owner, if that is going to improve the health and the life of that, that pet in that home, then we're going to do what we can to work with them. There are situations where that's not appropriate. And we know that. And we have tools in our toolbox to address those situations. But, for the most part, committing to connect with folks, having a conversation, building rapport, working to bridge gaps and build trust will get us further down the line and get us a greater return in terms of building our community's capacity to care for animals than more traditional methods.

PHIL   13:50  

Well, some of this is just a general philosophical approach to animal services. And you've made specific references, certainly to Austin and a little bit to Kansas City, which is why I was so excited - and I mentioned at the beginning of the interview - that Kansas City is now an animal services municipality instead of an animal control municipality. And I think based on what you've said, so far, people have an understanding of, "Okay, here's the difference." Coming to Kansas City, KC Pet Project had been here has been here for several years. The creation of Animal Services, that transition from animal control was something that the city voted on. So it's obviously supported by the community. Do you see similarities to Austin? Or is Kansas City in a different place than what Austin was in making that transition? Are we ahead, behind?

APRIL  14:49  

I think you could certainly draw some parallels. Right? Kansas City, like Austin garnered a lot of community support to move this transition forward. And certainly, you know, without community support, without local government support, without strong leadership in place, you're hard pressed to be as successful in transitioning these types of programs. Not to say you can't, but...

PHIL   15:16  

Yeah. Because you need cooperation from other departments like family services and a variety of other, not only government offices, but local community charities and rescue groups. And with Kansas City, you also have so many municipalities, not just the state line, but so many large suburbs that you have to coordinate with. With Austin, as I understand it, it's a more unified municipality, geographically, not necessarily, from a political mindset, but from a how many municipalities there are and there's not a state line running through the middle of the city that may have a different approach than what you have on your side of the state line or your side of the river.

APRIL  16:05  

Yeah, Austin certainly was not, it's not split, like Kansas City is. We did have a river and big highway that goes through it, but that's not the same. But yeah, Austin was a dual jurisdictional program. So the Field Services Unit oversaw Animal Control services for unincorporated areas of Travis County, as well as the city of Austin. So all of the incorporated little towns and cities within Travis County, we didn't necessarily provide support to, at least not full support, you know. Of course, provide support here and there if they needed it around rabies control and such. But to your point, though, the dynamic is different. And, as you probably know, I'm fairly new to Kansas City. And so getting to know some of these larger municipalities, and smaller as well, and getting to know sort of the different agencies is - that's part of our learning, that's part of our growth is working to build out positive relationships, learn how to coordinate, perhaps more efficiently, and really try to work towards one goal. You know, what we want is for, and I would, I would argue that, for the most part, most Animal Control agencies, regardless of where you fall in philosophy, want something similar. We want to save community. We want a community where pets are healthy. And while philosophically, we may have different approaches, we can at least find common ground there. And so right now in our path, it's about relationship building, it's about really working to make sure that our processes are sound. Making sure that we're meeting our community's needs. And the coming months and years, it's going to be about growth, it's going to be about continuing to build out those relationships with all the different organizations and groups that provide service to our community and figuring out ways that we can better integrate with social services and our government services so that we can, hopefully, provide a more holistic approach to resolving community concerns.

PHIL   18:28  

What are some of the programs or services that are offered through Animal Services or KC Pet Project that you would offer as examples of how it's serving the community more than maybe what a strict Animal Control approach might have been?

APRIL  18:46  

Let's talk about our most recent cold snap. It's easy to go and respond to a call and say, "Your dog perhaps needs a better dog house, I'm going to issue a citation for poor shelter, right or inadequate shelter." But it may also be that to resolve that concern, and to help keep that pet safe, it may look like, "Hey, we're going to have a conversation, can you bring your pup inside he's going to is going to be mighty cold out here for the next couple of days. Can we get you a crate to help you be successful in that? Can we maybe get you a better dog house and we'll get you some straw so when he does need to be out here, he's gonna be warm when he's tucked into his dog house."

PHIL   19:28  

And if someone's paying a fine, that goes into the city coffers, but that's also money that could be spent on a crate, a dog house, any number of things that would actually benefit the dog, which is ultimately what we would kind of like to have happen.

APRIL  19:44  

Precisely. Yeah. So again, in most cases, having that conversation, getting to a point where we can identify and we can empower our pet owner to be a part of the solution and we can identify what the root cause of, you know, whatever concern we're looking at, what the root cause of that is, and seeing if we can apply anything, whether it's resource or information or time. If that's going to improve that life for that pet, then that's what we need to do. We need to commit to providing that resource that information that time. If by providing one of those three things, or all oof those three things, if that's not going to improve the life of that pet, then we go a different route. Right? Because the end goal is we want healthier, safer community. And so...

PHIL   20:34  

You're also changing a mindset, this person is seeing Animal Services and the city of Kansas City as an entity that is serving the community and not just funding the government, because you write a ticket, and whether it's a speeding ticket, or a non-moving violation or something that police officers, right, it's really easy to look at that as, "You're just trying to pay the bills." Instead of having a conversation with, "What's going on here. How can I help this not happen again?" Because it's less important to get defined for the speeding ticket than it is to get everyone driving at the appropriate speed so that that thoroughfare is safe. We want the community be safe. And you also change the mindset to get people in a neighborhood thinking about, "How can we solve problems? How can we help each other?" So that the neighbor who sees the dog that's out there on a chain, maybe they call Animal Services. And maybe they talk to their neighbor and say, "I see your dog on a chain? I know you don't want your dog on a chain? Can I help you build a fence? Can I help people the dog house? What can we do as neighbors to be good to each other?"

APRIL  21:53  

Yeah, that's definitely a goal. We want to get to a point where - and you know, we recognize it's not realistic for all communities. I suppose that's a fair statement to make. But we know that we can commit our services to trying to find solutions. And we know that seeking out long term solutions is going to improve the health and the safety of that community. So if we can help one family, we've helped that community. If we can help two families, great. We've expanded our impact on that community. And we're just gonna to keep working. We're just gonna to keep helping family after family after family. And we'll do that until, hopefully, there's not a family to help. Right? 

PHIL   22:47  

Yeah. Obsolescence is the goal. Make yourself obsolete. I don't think you'd have any problem with that.

APRIL  22:52  

That's the dream, right? Yes. But we want for this community to feel safe. We want the pets to be safe. We want for our community to be a healthy community. We know that pets are such an important part of families. And we want to keep pets and families together when we can. And part of keeping pets and families together is committing to being that connecting piece, being that bridge that helps them overcome the barriers that they face to connect to do services. And so you know, you asked me a bit ago about some of the services we offer. Well, in Field Services and our Animal Services Division, every day we can commit to having a conversation. We can commit to building rapport. We can commit to trying to build trust. We can commit to problem solving. We can commit to approaching each and every community member without judgment, without bias, with empathy. We can commit to all of that. And then we can also commit to developing programs that are going to help people work through some of their barriers. So we just launched the Keep 'Em Together, KC program.

PHIL   23:01  

It's a wonderful program.

APRIL  24:17  

A phenomenal program. And we have a Director of Community Outreach that is brilliant in what she does,and is really working to expand the programming capacity so that we can help even more families than what we've already helped. You know, that program came to be because our community expressed a need and we committed to filling that gap ,to developing that programming so that we could keep those families together.

PHIL   24:49  

Last year - time distortion. This could have been in December or this could have been last March. I can check and I'll put a link to the interview in the description. But Tori Fugate from KC Pet Project was on talking about this coming change. And she mentioned Keep 'Em Together, KC. And we didn't get in it too much because the program was just starting. Yeah, so briefly explain what that is for our listeners.

APRIL  25:19  

The Keep 'Em Together, KC program is a program that seeks to connect families that are challenged with affordable vet care to help connect families that are undergoing some sort of housing crisis with temporary boarding. And to also connect families with basic resources they might need to help get them through the month. So it may be that a family needs help with some dog food, or they might need help with some flea medication, or they need a new leash or what have you. This program is intended to provide some of that resource to help families stay together, help them get past whatever acute barrier they're facing, and continue on their their path.

PHIL   26:09  

And it's important that you noted it's an acute barrier. It's something that can probably be addressed. But if it isn't, then that can snowball into a minor injury or illness for the dog not being treated, becoming worse, becoming more expensive, and becoming a greater burden on that family.

APRIL  26:30  

Right.

PHIL   26:30  

But if we can address this acute need, then the family can move on with a normal, healthy, regular relationship with that dog, and not have to give it up because they can't afford to take care of it. Or worse, not give it up and just neglect it.

APRIL  26:47  

Right.

PHIL   26:47  

If we can take this small step and keep that family and that pet together - I keep saying "dog" because this is Dog Words - but whatever that pet might be, then that dog isn't taking up a space in KC Pet Project for the stray that has nowhere else to go. That there's room at KC Pet Project for the dogs that have no other place to be, for the other pets, the other animals in our community that have no other place to be and keep the pets that could be with their family with their family. That's that's a better use of resources.

APRIL  27:23  

Absolutely.

PHIL   27:24  

It seems like, "Oh, that's that's generous. But can we really afford as a city and a community to be that generous?" If you look at it strictly from an economic perspective, it's smart economics.

APRIL  27:35  

Absolutely. Yep. Yeah, by keeping pets with their families we're reserving our limited resources for those pets that are in absolute need and native sheltering and services through the shelter. So...

PHIL   27:49  

Unfortunately, there are enough of those to fill the shelter. We don't need to have space occupied by a dog that has a nice place to stay at home, if only it got its flea medication, or it got its dog food, or it just had the acute need addressed. So Keep 'Em Together, KC is one of many programs that through KC Pet Project through Animal Services through other community organizations is changing the way Kansas City deals with animal care. Likewise, Austin and more and more cities more and more municipalities are recognizing this isn't just a an ethical way to approach animal care, it's a smart way to approach animal care. So I'm glad Kansas City is a part of this. I would encourage our listeners to perhaps consider their own mindset. And certainly call Animal Services when they need to, but also look at, "What can I do to help my neighbor rather than just report my neighbor?" Or if you're not comfortable, if it feels like, "Well, that would be a confrontation, that's not my responsibility," having the mindset when you do call Animal Services, to not rail about your irresponsible neighbor, but to call Animal Services, explain the problem and ask, "What can we do to make this better"? And be part of that solution.

APRIL  29:12  

Absolutely.

PHIL   29:14  

April, I'm so glad that you took time out of your day to share this exciting new direction that we're going in Kansas City. That we've been on this path for a while, but this is a huge step forward. And I'm glad that you are part of the leadership that's taking us forward. Anything else you want to share with our listeners before we we let you get on with your day.

APRIL  29:36  

This is just as you said, it's an exciting time. We have so much opportunity ahead of us. Kansas City is a great community. And I'm just really excited to be a part of this team, be a part of this community, and I can't wait to see where all this leads us.

PHIL   29:56  

Wherever it leads us is I think going to be a wonderful place to be because we, again, are going in the right direction. Thank you, April Moore, Chief of Animal Services for Kansas City, Missouri. Keep up the good work.

APRIL  30:07  

Thank you and thank you so much for having me.

PHIL   30:14  

I'm Phil Hatterman and you've been listening to Dog Words presented by Rosie Fund thank you to Chief of Animal Services for the Animal Services Division of Kansas City Missouri April Moore a link to Keep 'Em Together, KC and other programs is in the description as is a link to our interview with KC Pet Project Chief Communications officer Tory Fugate.

Next time on Dog Words we visit with author and founder of Mutual Rescue Carol Novello.

Support Rosie Fund by following us on social media and please subscribe to the free Rosie Fund YouTube channel. Our latest social media posts feature four year old brindle Pit Bull Mastiff mix Martha at Sunflower Rescue Group in DeSoto, Kansas, go to sunflowerRescueGroup.org if you'd like to set up a meet and greet

A big thank you to alternative string duel The Wires featuring cellist Sascha Groshang and violinist Laurel Morgan Parks for playing the wonderful music you've heard on today's and previous episodes of Dog Words. Supporting The Wires supports our mission. Learn more about The Wires at TheWires.info and download their music on iTunes. Check out FiddleLife.com and learn to play the fiddle and cello fiddle online from Laurel and Sascha even if you've never played before.

Celebrate five years of Rosie Fund by supporting our campaign to sponsor 50 dogs. You can donate on our website or Facebook page. You can also contribute by making a purchase from the store on our website or buying a t-shirt at Bonfire.com. The links are in the description.

As always, please download subscribe, rate and share Dog Words. This helps us with sponsorships then Rosie Fund can help more dogs. Send us your comments, questions and suggestions at Rosie fund.org. And let us know if you would like to be a sponsor of the Dog Words podcast.

Thank you for listening and remember, we save each other.

DISCLAIMER: This document is a transcription obtained through a third party. There is no claim to accuracy on the content provided in this document and divergence from the audio file is to be expected. Some content may be omitted, particularly when there is crosstalk.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai