Giving Animals a VOICE
Article by Dave Eckert
The group is called Chain of Hope, and its tagline is “because animals have no voice,” Hence, the headline to this article since that is exactly what Chain of Hope is doing-giving animals a voice. I spoke with the group’s director, Kate Quigley, and learned so much about the great things Chain of Hope has done.
“Judy Kerns and I started Chain of Hope in 2010. At the time, I was working at Spay Neuter KC (currently called Pet Resource Center). I was a vet tech for their low cost, high-volume spay/neuter clinic. I began focusing on the condition of the animals when they came in, the interaction they had with their owners, and other needs they had. If someone needed more help, I would walk out to their car with them, visit with them, and find out what they needed. If their dog didn’t have a doghouse, I’d get their address and bring them one. Whatever they needed, we tried to meet those needs,” Quigley recalled.
Quigley says they got 501C3 not-for-profit status and formed Chain of Hope. The response from the public was immediate.
“Once we began posting our pictures and stories on Facebook, people started supporting the work we were doing. It grew from there. We quickly had to begin addressing the neglect and cruelty that we began witnessing by being on the streets and in the backyards. We were the first animal outreach group in Kansas City. I think the pictures we began posting and the stories we began telling shocked a lot of people who weren’t aware of what was going on in this town with regards to animals,” Quigley shared.
Quigley says the ultimate goal of Chain of Hope is to alleviate the suffering of animals in the urban core of KCMO. “A lot of people are having trouble feeding their families, let alone their animals. Chain of Hope delivers thousands of pounds of dog and cat food every month to needy pet owners. We also put the highest priority on spaying and neutering. Spaying and neutering is the only answer to addressing the overpopulation of animals in KC-particularly of pit bulls and pit-bull mixes. The city shelter is full of them,” Quigley stated.
Quigley says while the group still very much attempts to meet the needs of owners, it also tries to meet the needs of the animals. “Standing up for righteousness is very important to us. Not accepting neglect, which means being brave enough to call people out. It might be the first time someone has ever been challenged on how they’re keeping their animal. It might also be the first time someone has ever been offered assistance to get make things better. Animals living on tow chains in backyards with flies eating their ears don’t have a voice. They have no one to speak for them. That’s why it is our obligation when we come across animal neglect or cruelty, we must intervene. We always start with an offer of assistance. The goal is always to improve the animal’s life,” Quigley said.
I asked Quigley how people could get involved. She shared the group’s website, www.chainofhopekc.org, email is cohadoptions@gmail.com and phone number 816-221-8080. You can also follow them on Instagram @chain_of_hope_kc, and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ChainofHopeKC/.
Come on Kansas City, let’s give all animals a voice!
