![]() When Little Buddy was picked up off the streets of Raytown, Missouri, and brought to Midwest Animal ResQ, he looked like most of the other strays. “He was dirty but otherwise healthy,” Erin Morse, founding director of Midwest Animal ResQ, told The Dodo. “He was a little scared at the shelter but quickly melted the hearts of staff and volunteers here.” And whether he knew it or not, Little Buddy also had a secret — he’d been missing for six years. Little Buddy wasn’t at all afraid of the people working at the shelter and was ready to make emotional connections right when he got there. “He would whine and paw at the cage door anytime someone would walk by, wanting to be let out,” Morse said. “He had all the humans here wrapped around his paw pretty quickly.” Prior to arriving at Midwest Animal ResQ, the animal control officers who found Little Buddy realized he was microchipped. They began sending chip alerts to the attached contact information, but those alerts initially went unanswered. “His owners originally thought the email alerts were a scam because so much time had passed,” Morse said. “Once we actually called the prior owner on the phone and told him we had his dog, he was over the moon.” “When we heard he had been missing for nearly six years and he was so far from home, we couldn’t believe it!” she added. Little Buddy was adopted from a rescue organization in 2017 and lived with his dad outside of Springfield, Missouri, until he went missing. According to local news station KMBC, his dad put up fliers and drove around the neighborhood looking for him without any luck — and no one contacted him using Little Buddy’s microchip information, either. So when Midwest Animal ResQ reached out, Little Buddy’s dad immediately hopped in the car and made the four-hour drive to reunite with his long-lost pup. And when the two met again, it was like no time had passed at all. “Little Buddy went straight to his dad, and his little tail wagged so fast!” Morse said. “As soon as he got a good sniff and heard his dad’s voice, he immediately started licking his face. By that point, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.” It’s not often the team at Midwest Animal ResQ gets to be a part of such a positive experience, making this reunion extra special. “It really warmed our hearts to see such a lovely reunion with someone who had never given up hope on finding their Little Buddy,” Morse said. “It made it even better that Buddy’s dad felt so passionate about animal adoption and microchipping. It was almost too good to be true!” Morse said that Little Buddy’s story is the perfect example of why it’s so important to microchip your pets, “and most importantly, to keep your contact information up to date, no matter how long your pet might be missing." And if you’re the parent of a missing pup, Morse thinks that Little Buddy’s story is one of hope and possibility. She said, “Never give up hope that one day your Little Buddy might be found!”
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![]() One of three dogs reported stolen from a Raytown animal shelter over Labor Day weekend was found dead in Leavenworth, the service organization said Wednesday. In a statement on Facebook, the animal shelter, Midwest Animal ResQ, provided the “heartbreaking” update, saying the American Bully had been found dead the night before. Shelter leaders said the case was an incredibly difficult one for its staff and all involved. The three dogs were reported stolen before daybreak Saturday morning after Raytown police responded to a burglary alarm at the shelter to find the back door forced open. All were American Bullies, including one that recently underwent a surgical procedure and needed medical attention. Shelter leaders have pleaded with the public to help get the dogs back by assisting Raytown police. Meanwhile, the rescue shelter is still offering a $5,000 “no questions asked” reward for the safe return of the two surviving animals. “These dogs are truly in danger, and someone must know their whereabouts,” the shelter said in the Facebook post. Anyone with information on the canines’ whereabouts is asked to the Raytown Police Department at 816-737-6020 or the shelter at 816-919-1364. ![]() KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Midwest Animal ResQ of Raytown is asking for the public’s help to recover three dogs that were stolen early Saturday morning. Raytown police report officers were dispatched around 5:35 a.m. to the shelter at 10312 E. 63rd St. The burglary of the dogs resulted in damage to a door, door jam and fence, which the shelter tells KSHB 41 News will be costly to repair. More importantly, the shelter says it is worried about the safety of the dogs, all American Bullies. The two gray dogs recently had surgery and the red dog requires medication for an infection. Midwest Animal ResQ says the shelter’s security cameras captured the incident, telling KSHB 41 the theft was quick and may have lasted around two minutes with police arriving around 10 minutes after the crime occurred Further, the shelter said there is reason to believe a white Hummer was involved. All three dogs came to the shelter on Aug. 25. Since then, the shelter says one person tried to reclaim them but did not want to pay the associated animal control fees. At this time, no persons are in custody. Anyone with information is asked to call the shelter at 816-919-1364, TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477 and/or Raytown police at 816-737-6020. ![]() JOHNSON COUNTY, Mo. (KCTV) - A woman is facing animal abuse and neglect charges after 53 dogs were rescued from a property in northwest Johnson County, Missouri. Midwest Animal ResQ, Old Drum Animal Shelter and Risen from the Ashes are caring for the dogs that were removed from the property. “They were living in deplorable conditions,” said Midwest Animal ResQ Founding Director Erin Morse. “When you’ve got 50-some-odd animals coming out of one location, it’s a big undertaking.” According to court records, investigators received an anonymous call about neglected animals at Merna Scarborough’s property in Pleasant Hill. When investigators went to the property, they say they found severely ill dogs outside of the home and could hear dogs barking inside of the house. “When you see them living in squalor, it is heartbreaking. There were a lot of dead animals on the property that we didn’t get there soon enough to help,” Morse said. “To somebody who has dedicated their life to animal welfare, it takes a toll.” Court records state several dogs were diagnosed with sarcoptic mange and were in severe conditions with hair loss, open wounds, scabs and scarring. One German Shepherd was emaciated to the point it could not stand properly and had one-inch wide, deep wounds on its hind limbs consistent with being in a kennel for long periods of time. “A lot of them had communicable diseases. Zoonotic diseases so those are contagious to humans, not just to other dogs,” Morse said. “They had different types of mange and parasites.” A search warrant was executed at the property. According to charging documents, the home was covered in dog feces and urine, and the living conditions were not sanitary or safe for animals or humans. Scarborough is charged with two counts of animal abuse and two counts of animal neglect or abandonment. The dozens of dogs are being cared for by Midwest Animal ResQ, Old Drum Animal Shelter and Risen From the Ashes until the animals can be cleared for foster and adoption. “All three of us are in the same boat needing donations, adoptions and fosters,” Morse said. “The need is everywhere. We will absolutely need forever homes once our goal of getting them healthy and happy is reached.” Animal rescue advocates hope additional charges will be filed. They say animal abuse and neglect are far too common in Missouri. “As certain breeds become more popular, there are unscrupulous people out there trying to make a quick dollar at the expense of the animals,” Morse said. “My preference is that everyone is able to adopt but, if you are going to purchase a pup, there are reputable breeders out there. If they won’t let you come to their house or meet the parents, those are all big red flags.” Raytown animal shelter out $30K due to stolen check By: Andres Gutierrez Posted at 9:21 PM, Jun 15, 2022 and last updated 10:13 PM, Jun 15, 2022 RAYTOWN, Mo. — An animal shelter in Raytown is trying to figure out how to cover expenses after thieves targeted them. Erin Morse wears many hats at "Midwest Animal ResQ." The shelter's founding director's latest challenge is to come up with almost $30,000 stolen from the nonprofit's bank account. "We don't even make that at one of our largest fundraisers of the year," Morse said. She recently dropped off a check at one of the mail collection boxes at the USPS Post Office located at 10501 E 63rd St. "Rather than leaving it in a normal mailbox where people can just open it," Morse said. "That's why we take the extra step to put our mail at the post office assuming that those are safe." But the check never reached its final destination, so she did a "stop payment" on it. Then, Morse learned this week that someone wrote three fraudulent checks in the amount of $9,400 each, using the animal shelter's routing and bank account number. "For the last two days, I've been scrambling, trying to figure out how we're going to cover payroll, how we are going to cover vet bills, how we are going to get our account closed and reopened," Morse said. When she filed a police report, the Raytown Police Department's records clerk wrote to her that they've taken a few reports for stolen checks from that post office. On social media there are similar tales. Robyn Burky believes her missing check is in the wrong hands. "I’m really concerned with the fact that somebody could still create fraudulent checks that would hit my account," Burky said. KSHB 41 News reached out to USPS, who connected us to Paul Shade, a postal inspector out of Overland Park. He said that USPS is aware of the thefts happening at their 63rd street branch in Raytown. According to Shade, there's a team of about a dozen postal inspectors looking into such cases across the Kansas City area. People can report mail theft to USPS by calling 1-877-876-2455 and clicking option #3. They can also do so online at usps.com/postal inspectors, or on the Postal Inspection Service website. In addition, they'll also want to reach out to local authorities. Victims believe USPS isn't doing enough to solve the problem and is failing its customers. "I certainly think so. I mean, if we're giving them directly to the post office, and those checks are somehow getting put in the hands of criminals, then I would say absolutely," Morse said. Burky agreed with Morse. "It doesn't seem like a solution is taking place and so yeah, they're certainly letting us down," she said. "You know, residents want to be able to trust the postal service and rely on them." "Frankly, I don't know the safest way to send mail at this point," Morse said. Shade also shared this statement with KSHB 41 News: "The U.S. Postal Service delivers almost 130 billion pieces of mail a year to over 163 million customers at some of the most affordable postal rates in the world. Postal Inspectors are the federal law enforcement branch that is in place to investigate reports of Mail Theft and other crimes that are related to the mail." ![]() KANSAS CITY, Aug. 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Companion Protect, a leading pet health insurance company based in Kansas City, today presented a check for $130,510.09 to eight local animal shelters and the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation. The check represents proceeds from the sold-out 2020 Kansas City Pet Calendar. The Pet Calendar project was the first in a partnership with Companion Protect brand ambassador Brittany Matthews and featured 14 members of the NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs, as well as 14 local shelter dogs. “The project was a touchdown from the beginning,” said Companion Protect CEO Casey Masters. “We wanted to ensure our donation had a significant impact on the lives of shelter animals in our hometown. A big thanks to everyone who purchased the calendar and supported this effort, I’m confident we succeeded.” Matthews and her boyfriend Patrick Mahomes were featured on the cover of the calendar along with their dogs Silver and Steel. All proceeds from the calendar were earmarked to bring awareness to local shelters and the pets that need homes. Matthews is a fitness trainer, business owner and a former professional soccer player, and a proud advocate for animal rights and safety. “Companion Protect shares my passion as an advocate for animals,” said Matthews. “This donation is just the beginning of what we can do together in this community to make animals' lives better.” The proceeds from the calendar are being distributed to eight local animal shelters: KC Pet Project, Wayside Waifs, Great Plains SPCA, the Greater Humane Society of Kansas City, Midwest Animal ResQ, Central Missouri Humane Society, Mission Driven and Melissa's Second Chances, along with the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation. Local animal shelters have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Adapting to a virtual environment has meant increased costs and fewer funds available as shelters address the challenges of caring for and placing pets into loving homes durgin the pandemic. “We hope this donation will make a real difference for local shelters,” Masters continued. “We’re grateful for our team’s work, our ambassador, Brittany, and all those who supported the project and purchased calendars. Your donations mean more than you know.” Pet adoptions high at local shelters during pandemic but surrenders growing, too by: Sharifa Jackson5/26/2020
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — People in quarantine are fostering and adopting more pets during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But many people are also having trouble with the cost of upkeep for their pets. On Tuesday, workers at Midwest Animal ResQ took in 25 new dogs. “We are starting to see an uptick in owner requested releases, meaning somebody who’s had a dog, a period of time, sometime’s it’s years on end,” said Erin Morse, Midwest Animal ResQ’s founder and director. “Right now it’s because they have been laid off. We are hearing the same story over and over again.” It’s something Morse said is becoming increasingly more common as unemployment numbers rise and pet care becomes increasingly difficult for some people. At Midwest Animal ResQ, they’re also seeing more requests for veterinary care, pet supplies and food from pet owners. “It’s a heartbreaking situation and a difficult choice when you have to think about feeding your family or feed the pet,” Morse said. “I think I would advise folks who want to open their home to foster animals, which is wonderful, to be honest with themselves about what their commitment looks like and be honest to that shelter, too.” But people around the metro are still adopting and fostering at high numbers. At KC Pet Project, a nearly empty shelter is beginning to be the new norm. “We had nearly 900 people sign up to foster animals, which is just incredible. Cleared out our shelter,” spokeswoman Tori Fugate said. “At one point we only had 30 animals in the building.” KC Pet Project workers are getting creative and adjusting during the pandemic, even offering virtual adoptions. Eighty-nine dogs were adopted last week. If you need help caring for your pet, you’re urged to contact a local shelter. Midwest Animal ResQ is one of many sites offering special resources for families. Call 816-919-1364 for more information and assistance. ![]() By: Cat Reid Posted at 12:17 PM, Mar 17, 2020 RAYTOWN, Mo. — A van used by Midwest Animal ResQ to transport pets and supplies was stolen Tuesday morning and later found destroyed, according to the organization. According to a Facebook post from the group, security cameras captured a black Pontiac pulling into the shelter's parking lot on 63rd Street in Raytown around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday. Several people got out, broke the windows of the 2014 Ford van, hotwired the vehicle and drove off, the post said. Midwest Animal ResQ (MARQ) posted around 11 a.m. Tuesday that the van had been found, but it was set on fire and is a total loss. The vehicle was located at 12th Street and Ball Lane in Kansas City, Kansas. "I don't know how we will get much-needed pet supplies out to our community, I don't know how we will transport pets in need, I don't know how we will afford a replacement when we are already struggling with no fundraising and adoption events," wrote MARQ founder and director Erin Morse. "All I can say is I'm heartbroken." According to the group, the van was insured, but the monetary value won't cover the actual replacement amount, and the deductible is high. This is the second rescue group to have a vehicle stolen this year. In February,someone stole Unleashed Pet Rescue's van from the shelter's parking lot in Mission. Four dogs were inside at the time. The van was later found in KCK with all of the dogs still inside. Erin Morse joins us from the Midwest Animal ResQ, located in Raytown, Missouri. Her passion for animals is evident in our discussion. She shares with us the problems they have in their community and what they’ve been able to accomplish in the last 10 years. Her dedication to not only the animals but the people in the surrounding community is inspiring. Erin also talks with us about the breeding facilities located in the state of Missouri.
https://doobert.com/animal-rescue-of-the-week-episode-7-midwest-animal-resq-in-missouri/ By: Cat Reid Posted at 10:27 PM, Jul 08, 2019 and last updated 6:44 AM, Jul 09, 2019 RAYTOWN, Mo. — Midwest Animal ResQ finds homes for stray cats and dogs in Raytown, Missouri. The group has a contract with the city to handle the adoption aspect of animal control, but its staff members are sounding the alarm about another city contractor. "We have a huge heart for these animals, so to see them suffer needlessly is just devastating for all of us," ResQ Founder and Director Erin Morse said. Last Monday was especially difficult. WATCH MOREKansas City group works to course-correct peoplein paths of violence That's when a ResQ employee went across the street to Raytown Animal Hospital, a city contractor that impounds strays until they can be released for fostering and adoption. ResQ's Foster Care Coordinator Tarah Stewart found a veterinary technician in tears. "She was like, 'There's this dog in the back and he's dying, and I feel so bad and there's nothing I can do,'" Stewart said. She followed the vet tech into the back, where she took pictures of an emaciated male pit bull. Staff at a local emergency clinic later determined the dog was 40 pounds underweight. "It was horrifying," Stewart said. "He was cold and wet, covered in feces and urine." She also observed live maggots in the pads of the dog's paws and parasites visible elsewhere. The dog did not lift his head as she examined him. "His gums were just sheet white, just sheet white," Stewart said. Eventually, "Butch," as they named him, was released to Midwest Animal ResQ, which rushed him to the BluePearl Pet Hospital in Lee's Summit. Staff there note that Butch's heart rate, which should have hovered in the 100s, was only 20 beats per minute. His temperature was so low that it wouldn't register on a thermometer. "He had no fight left," Stewart said. Veterinarians also determined that Butch suffered from sepsis and shock. The decision was made that he had to be put down. Butch was released to ResQ at 5 p.m. on Monday, but the city confirmed to 41 Action News the dog spent 15 hours at Raytown Animal Hospital. The city administrator said the initial assessment for impounded animals takes at least 24 hours. "No dog should have to sit there and suffer in that condition," Morse said. KSHB 41 Action News obtained a copy of the contract between the city and Raytown Animal Hospital, which was entered into in 2015. "No dog should have to sit there and suffer in that condition," Morse said. KSHB 41 Action News obtained a copy of the contract between the city and Raytown Animal Hospital, which was entered into in 2015. Midwest Animal ResQ, which is contracted by Raytown to adopt out the city's stray animals, is concerned about a dog's treatment at another city contractor. |