Longtime animal activist Scott Poore supports Kansas City pet shelters and creates visibility for overlooked animals through his nonprofit, On A Mission KC. This year, he received the Spirit of Service award from the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, along with $20,000 to continue his work.
After leaving a corporate life in sales, Poore found himself feeling unfulfilled personally and professionally. He says he casually volunteered at animal shelters around the Kansas City area, but felt he wasn’t making a difference.
That’s when he noticed the dogs at the end of the rows who struggled to get adopted. His marketing mind saw an opportunity for a rebrand. He put himself in these dogs’ paws, and even lived for a week in a kennel with a dog who hadn’t gotten adopted after more than a year.
“I visited that dog every single day for that year and a half,” Poore said. “I finally decided, I gotta do something no one else has ever done, and I gotta do something that draws a lot of attention. That’s exactly what it did.”
Poore discovered a knack for making these underdogs go viral through social media videos. He uses his platforms — Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and more — to find the animals a home and raise support for shelters in need.
Poore also founded Mission Driven Goods, a pet themed apparel brand that gives 100% of its profits to shelters, and plans to launch his own Kansas City-based dog treat company this week.
