Please post this plea on your blogs/sites, link to it on your social net-working sites, and/or forward this email far and wide. Melody and The Pet Connection have saved tens of thousands of dogs (and cats) including Wesley's and my two pit bulls, Lexi and Chico'..

Also, please make a monetary donation, no matter how small--.every dollar counts!

Help Keep No-Kill in KC Alive!

A personal plea for the animals from the founding director of The Pet Connection -- Melody Kelso (pictured above)The Pet Connection, Inc. is a no-kill, non-profit animal shelter located in the Kansas City metro area. It's our intention to form a no-kill coalition by educating the public, providing pet owner services and to find homes for unwanted and abandoned animals.

Please make TAX DEDUCTIBLE donations online: www.thepetconnection.net , snail mail to The Pet Connection 5918 Broadmoor, Mission, KS. 66202 and/or in person at same address. Check the website for updated ways that you can help be a part of the funding solution

Friends of the animals:

I have been blessed to be able to surround myself with a family of 4-legged creatures all with amazing and unique personalities. I have been so grateful to this community for their contributions towards our mission. However, trouble has been sent to us this year and additional financial support is needed or everything we worked for could be compromised. Worse yet, the pets that I currently care for are in danger. I am overcome with tears to say that they are in danger of being homeless, they are in danger of being euthanized.

For over a year, I have been falsely accused by an unknown party regarding my care of the pets. Over 200 complaints have been logged against me of various natures including unsanitary conditions, child and animal abuse, child and animal neglect etc. The complaints started with a group of disgruntled employees and volunteers who were relieved from their duties due to a performance problem. Getting even with me by getting to the animals and my children is a vial act. After 16 years of serving this communities not for profit, I am now faced with the possibilities of losing my home, have faced the possibility of losing my adopted children, and now the charity that I dreamed of putting together since I was 9 years old may be forced to close. This attack is definitely personal in nature, time consuming, and frivolous.

My little girl, who I adopted in 2006, was placed in temporary foster care so our case could be reviewed. It was later thrown out as a false accusation. I hope that the remainder of this battle has as positive of an outcome. The time these complaints have taken from our daily routine, have caused us to delay in meeting our funding needs. Our attempts to downsize and to quickly fundraise have not been unsuccessful, they have just fallen short. Because the alternative is that hundreds of animals will go without homes or care, this is an unacceptable outcome. Because the animals that we are talking about are a part of my family, makes this outcome unbearable and devastating.

We are asking your family to send my family a donation to change our path. We need you so that we can overcome this challenging and potentially tragic road block. We have over $29,000 in pledges that just have not arrived quickly enough for the deadlines required. We aren't just fundraisers here, when the animals are injured or sick, we stay up all night to take care of them. We are in danger of being evicted from our space or having our utilities shut off. Our employees have went without pay for several weeks. Even though some have had utilities shut off at their personal residences, they still keep showing to work on time for free because we still have animals who rely on us for care.

This seems like an avoidable tragedy that folks who have visited and been connected to our facility may feel compelled to change. This is not about me, this is about the lives of innocent pets. Let's not let the bad guy have the last word when it comes to their future. We just need a little more time to be successful in overcoming this road block that was thrust upon us.

Our goal to reduce our numbers, reduce our building capacity, and continue working towards the goal where Kansas City metro kills no dogs or cats for space or time constraints will continue to be pursued. Regardless of my personal short falls in popularity, my contribution to the animal community has been significant. I have dedicated my entire life to learning and living a life that is solely dedicated to this cause. If I am given the appropriate tools that I need I will be indebted to you for allowing me to keep my promise to love, provide quality care for, and to rehome the beautiful dogs and cats that are living in our sanctuary.

My family has pledged to do this:

1. To care for the animals daily from early morning to late evening making sure that their needs are met

2. To not take any additional compensation from TPC so that all funds can be used to put animal safety measures in place

3. To give $100 a month cash donation

4. To not cry too much when they get adopted to go to their forever home

5. To come through this as better, stronger, people who have the capacity to make more of an impact because of the learning process that the experience provided

Thank-you for your past support and contributions. If possible, please have your family make their pledge today. Tomorrow will be a harder day without you.

Please make TAX DEDUCTIBLE donations online: www.thepetconnection.net , snail mail to The Pet Connection 5918 Broadmoor, Mission, KS. 66202 and/or in person at same address. Check the website for updated ways that you can help be a part of the funding solution

Our 2010 accomplishments:

1. Helped reduce KCK ACO euthanasia rate from 73% to .4% and are currently being reviewed for long term national support for program involvement;

2. Helped an average of 400 pets per month on an estimated $55,000 budget, causing each animal helped to cost us $137.00 per month;

3. Our pets eat a quality food, get daily exercise and training, live in a virtually cageless environment after they transition in;

4. Attention to their individual personal needs were evaluated and met;

5. Animals are only euthanized if they are deemed dangerous by a unanimous vote from those on the dangerous evaluation team or if they are medically untreatable and are in pain, less than 10 pets per year.

Melody Kelso is one of the original founders of The Pet Connection, Inc. She has been training dogs for over 15 years. After doing a 3-month internship with Anne Mackey in 1993, she completed a one-year internship with Westwood Animal Hospital and was hired as one of the primary dog trainers for their clinic. She has trained in various animal hospitals and provided educational seminars for various organizations including Animal Haven, Companion Animals, Johnson County Community College, Johnson County Mental Health, Longview Community College and Ranchmart.

In 1996, she operated a day care, pet sitting and dog training service for a little over a year before she closed the doors to be the executive director of Animal Haven. Through her work with Heart of America Humane Society, Abandoned Animal Rescue, Border Collie Rescue and Animal Haven, she has fostered hundreds and hundreds of dogs. Many dogs rescued by Melody are considered special needs requiring work with aggression, separation anxiety, fears, basic training, deaf, blind, etc.

Melody is the proud owner of Sasha, a Chow/Shep champion, abused. Ali, 9 years old, trained to herd and play Frisbee, brain damaged. Hannah, 7 years old, trained to be herself. McD, a 7 year old feral. Herd, 15 years old, certified to work with the elderly and children. Diamond, 12 years old, a local Frisbee champion.