KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A local nonprofit is left hanging and out thousands of dollars after a contracting company didn’t finish the job.
It’s a problem that seems to be affecting more than just the animal rescue.
Furry Kids Refuge just started renting a new space in Kansas City to house pets waiting to be adopted, but they can’t quite help their furry friends until it’s cleaned up.
After a contractor who was supposed to remove trees left them high and dry, they’re at a standstill.
“To take advantage of a nonprofit that’s trying to save animals — that’s just insane,” Furry Kids’ Refuge Board Treasurer Patty Carman said.
“It’s one of those ‘It has to be done before we can officially move in,'” Kennel Manager Stephanie Eiken said.
While their one employee and volunteers are hard at work inside, cleanup outside has come to a halt.
“It was supposed to be completely cleaned up, cut down and hauled away is what the agreement was,”
Carman said they hired Pacific Contracting, LLC, in late May to take down seven trees and top off three. The registered agents for that company are Curt Johnson and Michelle Bailey, according to the State of Missouri.
Carman said Johnson stopped showing up to complete the work.
“There were promises to return on certain days, and it just never happened,” Carman said.
Three months later, the job still isn’t done, and someone signed the name “Michelle Bailey,” cashing the check Carman wrote for $2,875 — donor dollars.
“This affects us tremendously because we are solely a foster-based group, and we rely on foster families to take care of our animals, and we have no regular income that comes in except donations,” Carman said.
FOX4 did some digging and found Pacific Contracting LLC is being sued by someone else in Kansas City, Missouri, over a “Breach of Contract” that was filed July 29, 2019. State records show the company has only held a business license since May 28, 2019.
“We reached out to the attorney involved, and he gave us some information showing that this was not new,” Carman said. “This was a pattern with this company.”
“Maybe some truthful upright people will come step in and help us out,” Eiken said.
Although it’s been a “ruff” start at their new space, the Furry Kids’ Refuge is hoping to be open by the end of this year, a couple months later than they initially planned.
“We have so much support for this new facility, so we want to do the right thing by our donors and get our money back or get the job done,” Carman said.
Carman said the board is discussing legal options but hasn’t made any moves yet.
If you would like to donate to help get the nonprofit’s new space off the ground, visit the Furry Kids Refuge’s Facebook page.
FOX4 reached out to Pacific Contracting several times by phone, Facebook, email and knocked on the door at the business’ listed address.
On Tuesday evening, we got a response via Facebook, saying the company plans to give Furry Kids a full refund — along with sending a crew to volunteer company time and get things done.
