Kearney Area Animal Shelter's mission is to be a leader in enhancing the human-animal bond by providing pet owner support and homeless animal care for the citizens of Buffalo County and the surrounding region. Kearney Area Animal Shelter operates as a limited admission, private shelter. This means KAAS is not owned nor controlled by any local government agency. We are a non-profit organization started and ran entirely by private donations. Limited admission means that KAAS has the right to refuse pets being surrendered by their owners when we are at full capacity. Instead, shelter personnel will aid those waiting to relinquish their pets in other ways. We are contracted with the City of Kearney and Buffalo County Animal Control to take in stray animals. Kearney Area Animal Shelter assumes all sheltering and medical costs associated with each animal after a 72 hour holding period for strays and immediately for relinquished pets. This contract is only a very small portion of our total operating budget, therefore KAAS needs support from our sponsors and donors.