All of the Kennels Are Empty after Super Bowl Win

The Kansas City Chiefs succeeded in an historic Super Bowl win the first weekend of February this year, but that’s not what is still driving the internet frenzy surrounding the team. Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle, #91 Derrick Nnadi has captured national attention for another reason following his team’s Super Bowl victory.

His love for animals and dedication to helping a shelter in Missouri get animals adopted has been the focus of thousands of internet news stories in the past week, and it’s with good reason! Derrick Nnadi has partnered with a local animal rescue organization, Kansas City Pet Project, to sponsor pet adoptions during the entire 2019 - 2020 football season. He made an even bigger pledge prior to his team’s historic win. Here’s more on the heartwarming story.

Lifetime Love of Animals

Football star Derrick Nnadi has always loved animals, dogs in particular, but was never able to have one as a child growing up. As an adult, Nnadi adopted his first dog, named Rocky, as a senior in college. Remembering how shy and timid his dog was at first inspired him to get involved with a local shelter to help animals find loving homes.

Through his charitable organization, The Derrick Nnadi Foundation, Nnadi partnered with the KC Pet Project all season, pledging to pay for a dog’s adoption fee after every Kansas City Chiefs win. That ended up totaling 15 wins, including the post-season.

Super Bowl Promise

But Nnadi made an even bigger promise once his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, joined the Super Bowl lineup. If the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl, Derrick Nnadi promised to pay all dog adoption fees at KC Pet Project for over 100 dogs at an average adoption fee of $150 dollars each.

Nnadi noted that his promise gave him the motivation to go out and play the best game possible. After winning the game, the joint celebrations of a Super Bowl win and a huge donation to the animal shelter were an incredible way to end his second NFL season.

Incredibly, the Kansas City Chiefs experienced a historic victory that day, with its second Super Bowl win ever and the first one in the past 50 years. And in conjunction, the KC Pet Project experienced another victory for all of its adoptable dogs housed in the shelter.

Following the win and the press surrounding Derrick Nnadi’s public promise to pay all adoption fees for available dogs, international celebrity chef and television personality Rachael Ray reached out to the center. She offered a year of free dog food from her brand, Nourish, to anyone adopting one of the dogs in the week following the historic Super Bowl win.

The KC Pet Project reported that it hopes the story will serve as an inspiration to other shelters and other communities to try and do something amazing to make a difference in the lives of homeless dogs and cats in their areas. Nnadi’s incredible promise and the story behind the shelter was shared and heard by an estimated 2 million or more people following the win.

Empty Kennels

By the end of the week, the KC Pet Project was able to report an incredible victory of its own. Every single available dog had been adopted to a forever home, and every dog kennel in the shelter’s PetCo Adoption Center was completely empty. The unusually quiet center was exactly what workers and volunteers always want to hear!

The KC Pet Project reported that it still does have some dogs available at a few additional locations and in some foster homes, which can be seen on their website at www.kcpetproject.org. Despite this, it is truly an incredible victory for the shelter and a victory for homeless animals in the Kansas City community, particularly because of the positive press and exposure adoption has gotten following this news.

Many shelters, including the KC Pet Project, receive and care for dozens of animals each week, however, so the empty kennels likely won’t be empty for long. But hopefully the positive press surrounding adoptable dogs will help inspire local residents and celebrities to promote the joy that adopted pets can bring into people’s lives.

Adopting a Pet

If you or someone you know is considering bringing home a new pet, consider looking into your local animal shelters to find your perfect fit. Shelter staff are typically extremely knowledgeable about all their available pets and can help you find the dog or cat that will fit your lifestyle best.

Adopting a pet can be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do, and your pet will always return your kindness with all the love and affection you could ever want. Check your local shelter for available adoptable pets today. You might just find the newest member of your family.