Rising Stars: Meet Andrea Knobbe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Knobbe.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
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 later, 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.

In 2006, I 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 animal 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. This is where I met Danielle Reno.

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, it is a boots on the ground community outreach program. I had experienced the shelter side and realized that there was a need to bring education, resources and advocacy to people within the community. The Rescue Project provides essential needs-food, water, shelter, straw, flea preventative, etc. and assists with veterinary resources for spay and neuter to reduce the over pet population. After a year, we realized that there was a 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.

What’s Next?

For the next ten years, I will continue my boots on the ground mission. I might start another 501C3 however need the funding for a van and other resources.

After that, my partner and I plan to retire and sail around the globe to provide spay and neuter services in underserved countries. We are very excited about this new venture.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not!

All of my work has been 100% volunteerism. I have worked a full-time job with a Fortune 500 Company (Sprint, now T-Mobile) for the last 27 years. Time management is critical and most often, I forget “self care” which is essential to growth in all areas of life.

Aside that, I find that the “people part” of rescue can be exhausting. Lots of politics, lots of personality clashes, different viewpoints, egos. All of these are consistent challenges in this industry.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I will attach my “rescue resume” that really outlines all I have done for the past few decades.

I am most proud of the thousands of lives that I have personally changed and/or saved.

I am known for “seeing something and DOING something”. This is my mantra in all I do. See something, DO something!

My level of dedication and passion for what I do sets me apart from others.

How do you think about happiness?
Animals make me happy.

Why? They show unconditional love regardless.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]