Clear Communications for the KC Pet Project
For 10 years, the KC Pet Project, a 501c3, nonprofit charitable organization in Kansas City, MO, US, has been building a compassionate, safe community for pets and caring for 15,000 animals per year.
Municipal shelters across the United States, including KC Pet Project, are seeing record numbers of animals arriving daily. KC Pet Project sees between 40-50 new dogs and cats into its shelter every day, and it expects to take in nearly 15,000 pets in need in 2023, with a limited amount of funding. It relies upon many individual and group volunteers to perform lifesaving tasks each day.
It offers several services to animals and pet owners, such as its Keep ‘Em Together KC programs, which helps local families with pets by assisting them with veterinary care, supplies, emergency boarding, and reclaim fee forgiveness. It also has pet safety initiatives like microchipping, pet identification, and more. It has one of the most progressive Dog Behavior and Enrichment programs in the country. The facility’s Behavior and Enrichment team members at the KC Pet Project have expertise in dog training and handling and strive to cultivate relationships with dogs in its shelter, enriching their lives while they’re at the shelter, and preparing them for the next phase of their life in a new home.
Some of the important veterinary care performed at KC Pet Care includes surgeries, exams, spay/neuter procedures, and parvovirus treatments for puppies.
Mission
The KC Pet Project did not have a way to communicate to visitors and guests at its front and rear gates, front entrance, medical clinic, loading dock, or within its canine parvovirus isolation ward.
One particular communication challenge was in the canine parvovirus ward, which is a sterile environment, where the medical team had to write instructions and notes on the windows in order to communicate with the team outside of the room.
Zenitel Americas, in conjunction with Convergint – a global leader in service-based systems integration – recently donated and installed intercoms and IP speakers at the KC Pet Project facilities as part of Convergint’s 2023 Convergint Social Responsibility Day. Convergint’s annual event was launched in 2002 to reinforce the company’s ongoing commitment to service and to support the local communities where its colleagues live and work. This is the first year that Zenitel Americas has participated in the event.
To help the team achieve clear communications inside and outside of its facility, the Zenitel Americas and Convergint teams installed intercoms and IP speakers at:
- the facility’s front and back gates
- front entrance
- loading dock
- animal intake/veterinary hospital entrance
- parvovirus ward
Zenitel’s IP-CROR cleanroom stations were installed in the facility’s canine parvovirus ward to help the facility’s veterinary medical team to communicate to staff outside of the sterile room without leaving it (which it previously had to do).
Result
The KC Pet Project team of medical professionals, trainers, administrative staff, logistics, and more now has the ability to easily communicate throughout the entire facility.
"The installation of Zenitel’s intercoms will greatly assist our team’s ability to communicate throughout our facility," said Chad Ackerman, Chief Operations Officer for the KC Pet Project. "We are grateful to the Zenitel and Convergint teams for their donation, and we look forward to working with them on additional projects as we expand our operations throughout Kansas City."
“A genuine commitment to caring in our local communities, especially animals who need care until they find their ‘forever home’, is at the core of who we are at Zenitel Americas,” added Dan Rothrock, President of Zenitel Americas. “We were proud to join our partner Convergint for its annual Social Responsibility Day, and we look forward to working on future social responsibility projects with their team.”
"I am extremely proud of the new cameras and mass communication technology we have been able to deploy for KC Pet Project. Being a non-profit, it is difficult to find time and resources to dedicate to facility improvements such as this,” said Shawn Murphy, Operations Manager at Convergint KS/MO. “Teaming with Zenitel, we were able to listen to their unique challenges to design solutions that will provide tremendous value daily. Convergint is committed to giving back to Kansas City for everything that have done by giving us a great place to grow. I hope others can see this as a starting point and help KC Pet Project by volunteering their time or by giving a small donation."
Products and Solutions
Zenitel’s donated and installed solutions at the KC Pet Project included:
• 6, ITSV-3 Desktop Video stations
• 3, TCIV-3 video door stations
• 2, TCIV-2+ video door stations
• 2, ELSIR–10 ceiling mount speakers
• 1, TKIS-2 for use as an Edge server
About the KC Pet Project
The KC Pet Project is a 501c3, nonprofit charitable organization operating the KC Campus for Animal Care, Kansas City, Missouri’s, Animal Shelter. They care for more than 15,000 animals a year and now have 14 locations in Missouri and Kansas to adopt out pets. They focus on progressive programs to help people keep their pets through Lost and Found services, our Keep ‘Em Together, KC program, and pet safety initiatives like microchipping, pet identification, and more. KC Pet Project also performs all animal control operations for Kansas City, MO, through its Animal Services Division.
About Convergint
Convergint is a $2.3 billion global, industry-leading systems integrator that designs, installs, and services electronic security, cybersecurity, fire and life safety, building automation, and audio-visual systems. Listed as the #1 systems integrator in SDM Magazine’s Top Systems Integrators Report for the past 5 years, Convergint leads with over 9,000 colleagues and more than 200 locations worldwide. To learn more about Convergint, visit www.convergint.com.
About Zenitel
Zenitel is well positioned to drive the future of intelligent critical-communication solutions. Through Zenitel portfolio of IP products & solutions, with built-in intelligence and a focus on cybersecurity, we provide organizations with superior, scalable security and flexibility. Zenitel is the proven, preferred choice for environments requiring crystal-clear audio to ensure the protection of human life, property, assets, and the management of critical activities. With interoperability at all levels, we seamlessly integrate with access control, video management and security platforms.