Janet Franklin was born in Chicago, Illinois and moved to Kansas City as a young adult.

Janet has a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree, and a Master of Public Administration degree with an emphasis in nonprofit leadership from UMKC. She worked many years as a Registered Dental Hygienist in private practices, and currently is teaching clinical dental hygiene.

Janet first became interested in animal rescue 20 years ago when her teenage son needed community service hours for a high school organization. Together, they volunteered at adoption events on the weekends and welcomed many foster dogs and some cats into their home.

After her son’s community service hours were fulfilled, Janet’s passion for the cause lead her to a leadership position as treasurer for HAHS for 9 years. Her dreams for the organization are what led her to pursue the role as President of the organization.

Janet and her husband share some volunteer hours together. They live in Leawood, Kansas with their two very spoiled dogs, Eloise & Ziggy.

 

For the past 24 years, I have been advocating and rescuing homeless and neglected pets in the Kansas City and surrounding areas. I have dedicated my life to those who have no voice.

It started in 1999 when I went into a local Petsmart where I saw some people hosting a bake sale out front with a sign that read “Make a Donation, Get a Treat, Help an Animal”. Naturally, I walked over and made a donation. They thanked me several times and told me that all of the money goes toward spaying/neutering and vaccinating homeless animals within the Heart of America Humane Society program. This made me feel fabulous, so fabulous that I asked if they needed volunteers to help bake treats or stand out front like they were doing. They said “yes”, so it began.

Within a year, I became the events and fundraising coordinator for the organization. I was responsible for leading our yearly 5K Lakewood Run for The Dogs and a large scale of events that drove annual revenue into the organization allowing for tremendous growth and adoptions. Three years after that, I joined the Board of Directors as the fundraising and events chairperson. I also assisted with recruiting new volunteers into the organization promoting additional needed foster homes and donors. Also, during this timeframe, I earned a Bachelor Degree in Business and held a full-time job.

In 2006, I met Britton Hunter and learned about the Kansas City, MO animal shelter called Half Way Home ran under the city of Kansas City, Missouri. I was told that a building located at 4400 Raytown Road sheltered hundreds of dogs and cats and that the dogs got out of their kennels to stretch their legs only a couple of times a week and that very few that went into the shelter system made it out alive. This fueled me to do more so I signed up to be a “dog walker”. I had no idea what the next few years would bring.

Week after week, I walked dogs, most I never saw again. I never knew what happened to them but my gut told me that it wasn’t good. I wanted them to know that someone cared for them and they weren’t just another “number” on the whiteboard. The board on the wall had each dog listed and its respective kennel number. Volunteers started placing “tally marks” after walking each dog so we knew how often they got out. It became our mission to get each dog out at least once a day. I then became the shelter volunteer coordinator and started recruiting people to help walk dogs.

We soon learned that the animals were not getting medical care. I bonded with a dog named Chase one Saturday. I could visibly see that he didn’t feel well. I reported it to management who indicated that they would advise the resident vet who visited several times a week. The next day, I visited Chase again. We went out for a walk, he could hardly walk back to his kennel. His eyes rolling back in his head. I immediately advised the resident vet as I had seen his vehicle pull in. He told me that “he would take care of him”. I later learned that Chase was gone. He was euthanized but why? I needed to know. I had to know. Two days later, I learned that the resident vet reported a group of us to the city and we were no longer allowed to volunteer at the facility. We went onto the local television stations to make these animal’s voices heard. These animals were not given the veterinary care that they deserved and that the city was paying for. Fast forward, KC Pet Project took over the contract from the city and started to turn death into life.

In 2011, Danielle Reno founded Unleashed Pet Rescue and Adoption. She and I met for lunch one day and the rest is history. I joined the Board of Directors as the fundraising and event coordinator. We took this organization and built it from the ground up. This organization continues to save thousands of lives throughout the Kansas City area and around the globe.

In 2014, I founded a 501C3 called The Rescue Project. I had experience on the shelter side and realized that there was a need to bring education, resources and advocacy to people within the community. After a year, we realized that there was a huge need for a foster home program for animals that were relinquished to us. We adjusted and expanded our mission, savings hundreds of lives each year. This organization continues to prosper.

In 2020, I joined forces with The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City and started an outreach program, again from the ground up, serving both Kansas City, KS and Kansas City, MO. I recently left this organization. This organization continues to support animals across the nation.

In 2021, I found myself at dinner with Janet Franklin, President of Heart of America Humane Society talking about future possibilities. If you recall, this is the first organization that I started my rescue work with over 20 years ago. This group historically has been small in scale and that was about to change! I presented my proposal to create an outreach, boots on the ground team under this organization. I got a ‘yes”. We built Kansas and Missouri outreach teams. As a result, the number of foster animals in our program has dramatically increased prompting the organization to enhance and expand foster and adoption processes.

In 2022, Britton Hunter and I along with a diverse Board of Directors founded Fix’em KC. Our mission is to reduce the homeless animal population in the Greater Kansas City area by subsidizing spay/neuter surgery for pet owners who cannot afford the cost of surgery, financially assisting community animal caretakers and trappers with the cost of spay/neuter for trap, neuter-spay, and return (TNR), and creating more accessibility to area veterinarians for low-income pet owners through the establishment of a vet network.

Chris Fielder wasn’t born in Kansas City, but after moving here at 11 years old, he’s proud to call KC home.

After graduating from Rockhurst High School in 2012, Chris spent the next nine years attending school and working in New York and New Jersey. There, he found his calling: elevating communities and speaking on behalf of those who cannot.

Chris holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Seton Hall University and a masters in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. As an undergraduate student, Chris coached and traveled with high school speech and debate students to tournaments across the country. He taught 9th grade writing and 12th grade U.S. History for a year.

From there, Chris studied labor organizing, policy, and collective bargaining as a graduate student—where, most importantly, he met his life partner. Today, Chris works as a communications consultant translating health, welfare, and retirement benefit jargon into plain language.

Chris and his wife, Alyssa, both became HAHS volunteers after adopting Gandalf the Cat at a HAHS adoption event. He happily blames Alyssa and her background working in veterinary clinics for his involvement in animal rescue. They live in Kansas City, KS with two senior dogs, three demanding cats, six chickens, and a rotating crowd of foster animals. Chris and Alyssa beg you to spay/neuter your pets.

Meet Amanda Kafton, a dynamic force dedicated to animal welfare and a proud board member of the Heart of America Humane Society. A partner and mother of two, Amanda’s journey, shaped by resilience and resourcefulness, began in Joplin and Chicago, where her diverse skill set took root out of necessity. Starting adulthood homeless after being raised in foster care, she found her strength through these challenges, landing her first job at the age of 12 and launching a seamstress business from her car in 2009.

Amanda’s passions for fostering cats, sustainability, and community service naturally led her to the Heart of America Humane Society, where she now channels her energy into supporting foster programs, animal rescue initiatives, and volunteer coordination. Her expertise spans from hands-on animal care to strategic planning for the organization’s growth and outreach.

In her downtime, Amanda finds solace riding and building motorcycles, horseback riding, strumming tunes on her guitar, and delving into languages and new instruments. She crafts short stories and art pieces, embracing creativity in every form.

Amanda Kafton embodies versatility, resilience, and a boundless spirit of innovation—a testament to turning life’s challenges into triumphs and passions into professions. Her love for animals and advocacy for sustainability thread through both her personal and professional life, reflecting her commitment to the causes she serves.

Dr. Melissa Inman has dedicated her entire career and personal life to the welfare and advocacy of animals. With her profound academic background and extensive professional experience, she has become a leading figure in the realm of animal health and well-being.

Born in New England, Melissa’s deep-seated love for animals has been a guiding force throughout her life. Her mother helped foster Melissa’s passion for “saving” animals by allowing her to bring inside any animal in need from snakes to dogs. After obtaining her undergraduate degree in Pre-Veterinary and Pathobiology, she pursued a Master’s degree in Immunology and Virology at the University of Connecticut. Her academic pursuits were complemented by her work at the USDA, providing her with invaluable real-world experience in animal health and welfare. Melissa then pursued her doctoral studies at the University of Nebraska, focusing on animal diseases and molecular virology.

Currently employed at Merck Animal Health, Melissa has dedicated herself to researching and developing new vaccines for ruminants for the advancement of veterinary medicine and the well-being of livestock.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Melissa has always been a passionate advocate for animal welfare, exemplified by her continuous companionship with at least one dog and one cat throughout her life. Her involvement with the Hearts of America Humane Society further illustrates her unwavering commitment to assisting and protecting animals in need. Melissa’s recent tenure on the board, in addition to her Kansas and Missouri rescue licensing, reflects her dedication to advocating for animals and providing them with a voice.

Melissa’s deep-seated love for animals is further evidenced by her cohabitation with two rescue dogs and three rescue cats. Her dream to win the lottery and establish a rescue location for animals of all kinds showcases her enduring passion for animal welfare and reflects her dedication to making a lasting impact. Melissa in now a proud Midwesterner and with her husband, Sam, three cats and two dogs, live in Olathe.

As a member of the board of directors, Dr. Inman brings a level of expertise, dedication, and vision for animal welfare. Her profound background, extensive experience, and unwavering passion for the well-being of animals make her a valuable member of the board, ensuring that the voices of those in need are heard and advocated for. Melissa’s commitment to animal welfare and her aspiration to create a haven for rescue animals exemplify her extraordinary dedication to the cause.