Animal Shelter study

[NellieBly]

The Humane Society of America is asking for feedback about the city of Tulsa Animal Shelter prior to a study of the facility and its workings. Mail comments before March 30 to HSUS Animal Services Consultations, RE The City of Tulsa, 700 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879 or fax 301-258-3081. Email comments to asc@hsus.org.

For anyone on this forum who is concerned about how the shelter is run, this is an excellent opportunity to express your opinion. This study is long overdue. One of the issues I have with the shelter is that it is run by former police officers and falls under the police department's purview. I think this is problematic. Sometimes I don't think the officers even like animals. One of the functions of an animal shelter is education. People need to be reminded constantly about the importance of spaying and neutering their pets. Animal control officers rarely ticket anyone who is not in compliance with our pet laws. The shelter staff needs to be more proactive about our animal laws. Tulsa euthanizes 15,000 animals every year. That is an abomination. I know Tulsa has a lot of other problems and animals are not a priority to some but how we treat our unwanted pets says a lot about us as a city.
Take a second and send the humane society an email about how you think the shelter should be run.

[deeray]

Anyone that has had an experience with the Tulsa Animal shelter should definitely respond to this review.  

Everyone should be interested in this review and the report that will be delivered.  Many will be shocked with the results the rest of us know now what it will say and have been through this process before.

November of 05 the city gave permission to get a review team in here.  Almost 18 months later it may happen.  Around 18,000 animals were killed at the shelter since then,

The shelter is under the police department.  There have been major complaints made for numerous years by many upstanding law abiding knowledgeable citizens, rescue groups, past city employees, volunteers, etc about the shelter, their policies, management and direction.

These complaints have included concerns and personal knowledge on Training, management, cruelty to the animals, attitude to volunteers, lack of educational programs, attitude of adoption, gas chamber, budgets etc etc....

Chief Been stated in June of 05 that he had an excellent animal control department and that there were not any problems.

There have also been major concerns on the Veterinarian contract awarded 6 months early on a closed bid.  Only one vet responded....mmm  This was over 150K  This is all public record.

It is time to get this in the publics' eye, cleaned out and cleaned up. The Animal shelter is the bottom of the barrel and reports to the Police.  Gee what runs down hill?....

As a certified animal control officer, business owner, political activist. Seeker of truth and pursuer of accountability in especially local government.   PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE SHELTER. Call your council person.

Remember-  

THE 3 POLICE OFFICERS THAT ARE "certified" AND  HAVE APPLIED FOR THE CHIEF OF POLICE POSITION ARE PART OF THE CURRENT system.

I believe we need A new chief that is not part of the "network" understands progressive programs and demands accountability, both processes and financially.

Any city that has a progressive animal sheltering, educational, spay/neuter, cruelty prevention programs are paying attention and doing things right even down to the bottom of the barrel.
Get Involved...this is our city

[TeeDub]

If unwanted pets were fed to the homeless wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?  

By the animals giving their own lives, real humans would be able to live.   And let's be honest, isn't that the true dream of any animal?   To give its life for its master?

I mean if it is good enough for regular people in SE Asia, Europe, the Middle East...  Who are you  to say it isn't good enough for our own unwashed masses.

[Conan71]

"...November of 05 the city gave permission to get a review team in here. Almost 18 months later it may happen. Around 18,000 animals were killed at the shelter since then,..."

So is the city hedging on letting the inspectors in?

I think we should go up there and start carpet bombing, send ground troops in... wait I think I've heard this scenario before. [:O]

My wife says any pet she ever has from now on will be a rescue pet.  I'm all for it.  I told her she's on her own picking it out, otherwise we might leave with an extra one or two pets.  I have to admit I'm one of those who doesn't think about the pound too much, just too sad for me.

[Hawkins]

It's very sad, indeed.

The shelter may not be run properly, but there are a lot of irresponsible people out there that help create this mess.

It is quite upsetting to think about all the pain innocent, loving creatures like dogs and cats suffer at our hands.

We have two rescue animals in our home. All you can do to cope with the mistake that is this world we live in is to try and create your own little slice of heaven. And our two dogs are just that. Full of love.

[RecycleMichael]

There sure are lots of complaints about the animal shelter. I haven't been out there since  we rescued a dog a couple of years ago, but I have a co-worker who rants about the conditions and I talked to DeeRay last year and she convinced me something should be done.

Why is the animal shelter part of the police department? It doesn't make sense to me, but I can't think of any department that is a perfect match.

[Rowdy]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

There sure are lots of complaints about the animal shelter. I haven't been out there since  we rescued a dog a couple of years ago, but I have a co-worker who rants about the conditions and I talked to DeeRay last year and she convinced me something should be done.

Why is the animal shelter part of the police department? It doesn't make sense to me, but I can't think of any department that is a perfect match.

I think it's this way in Jenks too.

[TheArtist]

It sounds like some are suggesting that.. The large number of animals being euthanized is the result of a poorly run animal shelter?

If so, (and I really wish someone would just state that as a fact and not suggest it in a round about way) what specifically are they  not doing correctly that they should be?  Are those specific things part of what the shelter is supposed to be doing?  As in its part of their rules or mandate, there are measurable dictates saying "do this", this is your job.

If this is run and paid for by the city and the employees are not following the rules or laws and not doing the things they are supposed to be doing, this should be reported and and those people who are not doing so should be fired or punished. There should also be performance reviews or some type of record that would show that they are or are not doing what they are supposed to be doing.

If there are not measurable regulations  written down for the things you think that these employees should be doing, then that is the problem.

Do they not have the time or manpower to do those things perhaps?  Do they have the proper funds?  

The fact that the shelter is killing 15,000 or 18,000 animals a year is not enough SPECIFIC information for me to say.... This, specifically,is what needs to be done or is not being done. This specific regulation is not being followed or implemented. etc.

Btw, What would be the expected average number of euthanized animals for a city the size of Tulsa?  Just how bad is our shelter on this compared to other shelters?

[NellieBly]

Colorado Springs -- 390
Clark County (las vegas area) 24,000
Merced CA -- 1400
Salinas CA -- 1400
Monterey County CA 5000

[Wilbur]

quote:Originally posted by TheArtist

It sounds like some are suggesting that.. The large number of animals being euthanized is the result of a poorly run animal shelter?

If so, (and I really wish someone would just state that as a fact and not suggest it in a round about way) what specifically are they  not doing correctly that they should be?  Are those specific things part of what the shelter is supposed to be doing?  As in its part of their rules or mandate, there are measurable dictates saying "do this", this is your job.

If this is run and paid for by the city and the employees are not following the rules or laws and not doing the things they are supposed to be doing, this should be reported and and those people who are not doing so should be fired or punished. There should also be performance reviews or some type of record that would show that they are or are not doing what they are supposed to be doing.

If there are not measurable regulations  written down for the things you think that these employees should be doing, then that is the problem.

Do they not have the time or manpower to do those things perhaps?  Do they have the proper funds?  

The fact that the shelter is killing 15,000 or 18,000 animals a year is not enough SPECIFIC information for me to say.... This, specifically,is what needs to be done or is not being done. This specific regulation is not being followed or implemented. etc.

Btw, What would be the expected average number of euthanized animals for a city the size of Tulsa?  Just how bad is our shelter on this compared to other shelters?

I agree.  Don't just throw out generalities.  Give some specifics.

I know several rescue groups work with the animal shelter and that the shelter strives to meet standards set down by the Humane Society, although I'm not sure there is any law (I haven't looked it up, so I may be wrong) that requires a shelter to meet Humane Society standards.

Most of those employees love animals, but surely we don't expect them to take 15,000 animals home!  I'm confident they'd love to see 15,000 people come up there and rescue the animals.

[RecycleMichael]

How do we find 15,000 new people to care about animals enough to get one from the shelter? Good question. It sounds like something that could be attempted out of a metro region our size though. We have some smart PR people on this forum.

I have to say I don't know how they market their services, work with the rescue groups or even accept their animals. I don't know enough to have a strong opinion.

I do think that there is something wrong with euthanizing 300 animals a week.

[NellieBly]

A lot of the rescue groups who "work" with the shelter are welcoming this study. From what I have heard, they are uncooperative at best a lot of the times. These groups are struggling themselves. They are being overrun by rescues. They need volunteers and foster homes badly.

As for humane society standards, I believe humane treatment of animals at the shelter would be the bare minimum requirements. Don't you? Do we want less? These animals have already been abused by their "owner" once. They deserve to be treated humanely in life and death from euthanisia at a shelter.

What I see is a lack of enforcement. Dogs having puppies over and over. Dogs running loose, unspayed or unneutered. When I call to complain, the "owners" get a letter. No ticket, nothing. No follow-ups. There is also no public information campaign about local pet laws.

I know the shelter is underfunded and understaffed, but it is also being overrun by animals due to lack of education and enforcement, which is the shelter's and the city's responsibility. You made your bed... now lie in it type of situation. Do they ticket people at Admiral and Memorial for selling puppies out of the back of a truck? Do they check to see if these people have a breeder's license as required by law.

The city also requires all pets be tagged at the tune of $3 a pop. Does anyone actually register their pets?

Hopefully this study and the problems it uncovers (or doesn't uncover), will give city leaders an idea of what is going on at the shelter and how to improve it. I suggest everyone visit the shelter. It's not bad, but it's sad. Sit in the lobby for an hour and watch what goes on. See how many people bring their pets in because they are moving or can't keep it anymore. I have seen it first hand more than once and I have to bite my tongue.

It's a hard job, no doubt.

[NellieBly]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

How do we find 15,000 new people to care about animals enough to get one from the shelter? Good question. It sounds like something that could be attempted out of a metro region our size though. We have some smart PR people on this forum.

I have to say I don't know how they market their services, work with the rescue groups or even accept their animals. I don't know enough to have a strong opinion.

I do think that there is something wrong with euthanizing 300 animals a week.

It's not about finding 15,000 people to adopt dogs from the shelter, it's about getting 15,000 pet owners to spay or nueter their pet. Stop allowing pets to breed.

Also, people should stop buying dogs. Last time I was at the shelter I saw a English bulldog ($2,000 plus), a Labradoodle ($1500) and countless small lap dogs (priceless). Before you buy check out local groups and find something for free or at a low cost. Rescued pets make the best pet. I should know.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

How do we find 15,000 new people to care about animals enough to get one from the shelter? Good question. It sounds like something that could be attempted out of a metro region our size though. We have some smart PR people on this forum.

I have to say I don't know how they market their services, work with the rescue groups or even accept their animals. I don't know enough to have a strong opinion.

I do think that there is something wrong with euthanizing 300 animals a week.

Just think how much new sales tax revenue would be generated at Petsmart and vets. []

[TheArtist]

quote:Originally posted by NellieBly



What I see is a lack of enforcement. Dogs having puppies over and over. Dogs running loose, unspayed or unneutered. When I call to complain, the "owners" get a letter. No ticket, nothing. No follow-ups. There is also no public information campaign about local pet laws.

The city also requires all pets be tagged at the tune of $3 a pop. Does anyone actually register their pets?

If its a problem of law enforcement and the laws not being enforced.  Then the city or the shelter is breaking the law and there should be a way to hold them accountable.  If someone at the shelter breaks the law by not enforcing it as they are supposed to, then they should pay for that or go to jail. If those rescue groups are tired of people not enforcing the law, then they should get an attourney and make some heads roll. Start fining people for breaking the law, make them pay up.