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Wichita

Yesterday, we linked over 1,700 collars, each representing a life lost this year at Wichita Animal Shelter, and placed them before City Hall. It was a powerful reminder of the urgency and the heartbreak we face every day. But when we learned that 51 more animals were euthanized in just four days, under new leadership, our resolve grew even stronger.

The fight to save innocent lives continues, and we need your voice, your passion, and your unwavering spirit to make sure these animals are never forgotten. Let us tell you why this moment matters more than ever.

🐶 Together, we stand for those who cannot speak. 🐾

Let us tell you why this moment matters more than ever.

🌿 Yesterday, over 1,700 collars were linked together and placed before the steps of City Hall—each one representing a life lost, a soul taken from Wichita Animal Shelter in 2024. And there are more.

🚨 In just four days under their new executive leader, 51 animals were killed.

This was the City of Wichita’s response to calls for change. Leadership that decided instead of working with rescues who are begging, willing, and able to help — to clear out the shelter. Their response was to kill.

This is why we walked yesterday.
This is why we stood in front of City Hall for hours.
This is why our voices will never be silent.
This is why we swear on the nonexistent graves of all the animals tragically euthanized—we will never give up.

❌ The police should not be running the shelter.
We have shared this over and over and over again.

🚨 The City released a request for proposal (RFP) in 2023 and rescues responded.
Almost a year later, they decided not to pursue it. They left the police in charge and promoted the leader who, when placed in control of the shelter, led it from a 2-4% euth rate for almost nine years to now a 35% euth rate. This was their response — to promote and condone the killing of innocent animals.

😔 Animals that most of the 1,700 didn’t even have a photo share of them or posted ANYWHERE publicly because the public and rescues are not allowed in. Rescues are ONLY allowed to save a life if they sign an agreement that states they will not share anything derogatory about Kansas Humane Society of Wichita or Wichita Animal Shelter OR state that either is a kill shelter or that the animals have a euth rate or are going to die.

💔 Reread what I just wrote.

Rescues are NOT allowed to save a life if they share THE TRUTH publicly. Over 70 rescues could not sign that agreement and have been “pulling” behind the scenes, we are one of them, but we are not allowed in. We are not allowed to take photos or videos, and the public, Wichita taxpayers, the citizens who pay for the salaries of the police that run the shelter and city officials that authorize those to run it are NOT allowed to go inside and take photos or videos to promote and help simply TRY to save the lives of the animals.

This is what Beauties & Beasts did for nine years—advocate with all of their heart and soul for EVERY SINGLE ANIMAL inside Wichita Animal Shelter, and the leader who severed the relationship and whose legacy is now the highest euth rate in a decade was not only brought back to run the shelter but promoted.

🙏 Please, I beg someone in the City to tell me the logic behind this? To bring back a leader who values inventory and spreadsheets over compassion and teamwork. The time to put egos aside is now. We need the City Council’s attention. We cannot wait another year for 1,700 more animals to die in vain.

The time for change is NOW.

I know it may seem impossible.
I know using our voice against the police and the City can be scary, and many people are trying to silence us.
But they do not know us.
They do not know our hearts.
They do not know our unrelenting courage to fight back against a City and Police who would rather euthanize than compromise.

Personally, I’ve begged, pleaded, used logic, and even offered for Always & Furever to take over the entire shelter for free to the City Manager (call me crazy, but I believe to the core of my soul that rescues should be the ones inside the Shelter). We know how to care for the animals best. We know how to advocate for them best, and when rescues WORK TOGETHER with the citizens, then anything, and I mean ANYTHING is possible. We CAN save them. We CAN find a way. We CAN make Wichita Animal Shelter a no-kill shelter again — but we HAVE to work together.

🐾 It’s not the police vs rescues. It’s only for love.
It’s always all about love.
Let us in IN! Let us love them, let us at least try to save them.

We are BEGGING for the ones Kansas Humane Society doesn’t even want… we are not in conflict with anyone except the people who WANT to kill.
I know that sounds crazy because how could anyone want to kill an animal but if for a year and a half a City and their leadership by the police refuse to work with rescues begging to help, someone tell me that that isn’t the case….

Someone explain why photos aren’t allowed?
Someone explain why two of the largest rescues who do the very best job to get the dogs and cats KHS doesn’t want into homes are NOT allowed in?
Someone explain why the new leaders chose to kill 51 animals in four days versus reaching out to those rescues and asking for help?

🚫 There was no ask.
🚫 There was no outreach to the rescues that have over 100 connections with other rescues.
❗ There was a mass euthanization with 51 animals in 4 days.
In 2024 alone, over 1,700 animals have been killed. What was once a no-kill shelter for 9 years now has a 35% euthanasia rate.

When I heard this, I’m not going to lie, I was defeated.
I felt like all we had prayed for and all of the hope we had for change in our hearts was gone, but we have to fight through this with all of our strength, with all of our spirit, with all of our soul, and say NOT ONE MORE ANIMAL needs to die under this leadership.

Right now, we need YOU!
The animals need YOU!
We are one voice alone and an army to be reckoned with together.
We are a force, a force of love but we can only do that when we stand, unite, and fight back.

🖊️ Write your city councilman today.
🖊️ Write your city councilman EVERY single day, citizens of Wichita.
And if you’re not from Wichita, like me, write them anyway.
Write them and ask why.

❓ Why is the public not allowed in?
❓ Why would you bring back the man who pushed out rescues?
❓ Why is KHS allowed to block out any licensed rescue willing to save a life they don’t want because they choose for us not to?

This is your TAX FUNDED SHELTER.
Why, when you had a single-digit euthanasia rate for almost a decade, would you force out the people who are the only ones willing to take the fearful, the pit bulls, the kittens, the dying, the old, the shut down, the imperfect?

We are all souls. We are all worthy of love.
Let us love them. Let us at least try to save them.

We know in our hearts that this must change, and we will do whatever it takes.
We will sacrifice like no others, and we will never stop fighting for these innocent souls.
Together, we are their only voice, and we will never back down.

HERE IS WHO YOU SHOULD WRITE:

🙏 Please know that we have the utmost respect, gratitude, and admiration for the police, in their capacity as police officers, and while we say that there are the wrong people running the Shelter and leadership at WAS and KHS, it doesn’t mean there aren’t good people that do good things at either place.

💖 We are safe, and our freedom is protected by the police, and we are grateful for them every single day.

But I don’t know a single police officer who went to the police academy to become the operator of an animal shelter.

Where are they taught there how to care for an animal?
How to love an animal?
How to promote an animal?
Where are they taught about animal behaviors and body language so that when they make life and death judgments, they can understand fear and environment?

The police should not be running the shelter.
They are trained to protect and serve, and we support and respect them in that capacity. But running a shelter requires a different kind of expertise — one focused on love, compassion, and a deep understanding of animal behavior.

Let us work together, city and citizens, police and rescue groups, to save lives instead of ending them.
Let the people trained and dedicated to rescuing animals do what they do best.

🌟 Together, we can create real change, but only if we use our voices to speak up for the ones who were never seen or heard.
You are their voice. We are their only hope.

Hope changes things.
Hope is everything.
Hope does not exist inside the walls of Wichita Animal Shelter, and that is what needs to change.

🙏 Thank you Sunflower State Animal Guardians for never giving up, and Beauties and Beasts, Inc. for ALL you have done and continue to do. We stand with you today and always.


Read our full Request for Proposal (RFP) for the care of animals at Wichita Animal Shelter:
RFP-Animal-Shelter-Services-by-Always-and-FureverOPTIMIZED

The city of Wichita has a HUGE animal problem. The main shelter there, Wichita Animal Shelter (WAS) is drowning in overpopulation, strays, illnesses, and euthanasia. The animals there NEED help, they need people to be their voice and shout for change in the city of Wichita. Please help join our team of Wichita volunteers who are pioneering a new wave of help for these animals in need.

Volunteering

We have ALL kinds of volunteer opportunities for our Wichita base! Read below and please help where you can.

  • Short-Distance Transporting: help drive dogs and cats around the city, whether you are picking up from WAS to assist with a jail-break mission the moment before euthanasia, or helping shuffle animals between vets in Wichita (VESH, Wellspring, etc)
  • Long-Distance Transporting: we always need help getting animals from Wichita to Kansas City! Wichita volunteers generally do the first half of the drive and meet a Kansas City volunteer in Emporia where the dog(s) or cat(s) change cars and finish the second half of their journey.
  • Cat Volunteering: we now have cats at TWO different PetSmarts in the Wichita area – the one on N Rock and the one on S Tracy! We desperately need more volunteers to help clean, feed, and play with the kitties in those 2 locations.
  • Adoption Events: because we are trying to increase our footprint in Wichita, it would be SO great if we could get more exposure in the community by having more tables or booths at events around the city! Please let us know if you would be interested in joining other volunteers to spread the word about A&F and the crisis at WAS. Although we don’t have a physical shelter in Wichita (yet), we do often have several dogs at Wichita fosters that can come out to these adoption events too!
  • Hospital Volunteering: if you know A&F, you know we try to help the terribly sick or injured animals. We would love to have more volunteers that can visit these animals while they are at Wichita vets getting treatment, serving stray holds, or waiting transport. You can help get crucial photos of these animals for social media and our website to promote them for homes and raise funds, simply interact with them and show them love, or provide care and comfort to these animals at the end of their life if they are called home before coming to KC.
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Ready to help?

Email miranda@alwaysandfurever.org and I will add you to our Wichita Volunteers Facebook group where you can dive right into helping the cause!