Animal shelter Review report

[deeray]

The HSUS report has confirmed the numerous allegations surrounding the shelter.

Shelter Director Briggs is "retiring" Friday. My opinion for what it is worth, Briggs should be fired and charged with animal cruelty. Garl Willis the Assistant shelter manager, should be next.

I personally sat across from them in both closed and open meetings about the problems at the shelter...2 years ago. What a joke. They just did not care.

This department has always reported to the police. Both Briggs and Willis were transferred from the police department to the shelter.
If this is any indication of how the police operate their departments, we need citizen involvement, audits and accountability.

Research shows that any city that the animal shelter reports to the police, has the same set of problems, just a bit different due to demographics.  Tulsa just proved this observation to be correct again.


Please pay attention to this situation.  GET INVOLVED.

The city says they are going to form a committee.  GET INVOLVED.

This will take a joint effort between the city, the public and non-profits to not only correct the sub standard shelter system, but to build a progressive animal sheltering program that other municipalities will desire.

For more info on proper sheltering programs go to the HSUS.org website and look under sheltering as well as "FIRST STRIKE" program.

[NellieBly]

I agree it's time for new leadership at the animal shelter. Briggs has been there too long and anyone who has ever dealt with him at the shelter knows he is not qualified to handle the enormous pressures of the job. First, the shelter director should put the care of the animals ahead of everything else and that has never been the case. And, they should not be a former cop. They should have training specific to the needs of animals.

It's an overwhelming job due simply due to the number of animals they take in and it has to really do a number to deal day in and day out with people who just don't care about their animals.

Go to the shelter and just hang out for awhile and you will see what I mean. People literally walk in and dump off their pets. It's sickening.

Not only does the shelter need to be overhauled, the city and the mayor need to take a long hard look at enforcing existing codes. I know we have a crime problem in this town, but crimes against animals are often perpertrated by people who commit crimes against people as well.

I am really disturbed by the findings of the report but it's not surprising.

[Wilbur]

The Animal Shelter has always fallen under the direction of the police department, as it is in most cities.  Recently, the animal shelter was moved out from under the police department and put under another department.

Why it may be a surprise to some, most police employees are police officers.  If you don't want police employees to run an animal shelter, which most police departments would beg to get rid of, then don't put the responsibility of the shelter under the police department.  But, most cities do this because it is considered a law enforcement issue, not a dog/cat rescue issue.

If citizens of this town don't want dogs/cats put down at the shelter, then fork out the money, because a no-kill policy means you will need a considerable larger facility to store/house the animals.

If you don't like Larry Briggs, fine.  But I would challenge anyone else to do his job with the limited resources the city gave him.  Lets face it, animal shelters and their budgets rarely make headlines and no one bi!ches to their city councilor about the animal shelter budget.

I agree.  Get involved.  But until thousands of people take responsibility for their pets and thousands more agree to foster animal shelter pets, killings will continue.

If the Humane Society wants to take over the shelter, I say, give it to them.  I'll bet their first complaint is they need more money.

[jne]

Wilber, I think your missing the issue here.  'No Kill' is a whole other matter.  There are ways to implement humane policies that include euthanasia. If an animal is adoptable, it should have chance to find a home and I think its possible to guarantee that it gets that chance.  Animals are going to have to be put down, but they should not suffer unnecessarily.  There seem to be many examples of shelters managed by Humane Societies and other animal welfare groups that take advantage of a strong volunteer force, leveraging their resources to manage shelter populations.  
Seems like some enforcement of current laws (some modifications may be necessary)with appropriate fines levied would pay for itself and would ultimately result in less burden on the shelter.  
I think it is a law enforcement issue when it comes to enforcement and a adoption/care issue when it comes to the shelter.  The police department has no business running the shelter IMO.  There are so many people who would be willing to put their hearts into a job where they could help our animals and the least of their concerns is their paycheck.
I foster a number of animals throughout the year from a private vet practice for adoption.  If I had faith that my time and efforts were not in vain, I would do the same for the shelter and would recruit others as well.

[Breadburner]

I have only had good experiences at the shelter....Could not have been happier with the whole process...Had to retrieve my own dogs twice...They found me and were a lil wild for the first few weeks and had to go to doggy jail a couple of times....They had been running the neighborhood for a month or so and were well known by animal control.....I thought the place was clean and well run....

[Rico]

quote:Originally posted by jne

Wilber, I think your missing the issue here.  'No Kill' is a whole other matter.  There are ways to implement humane policies that include euthanasia. If an animal is adoptable, it should have chance to find a home and I think its possible to guarantee that it gets that chance.  Animals are going to have to be put down, but they should not suffer unnecessarily.  There seem to be many examples of shelters managed by Humane Societies and other animal welfare groups that take advantage of a strong volunteer force, leveraging their resources to manage shelter populations.  
Seems like some enforcement of current laws (some modifications may be necessary)with appropriate fines levied would pay for itself and would ultimately result in less burden on the shelter.  
I think it is a law enforcement issue when it comes to enforcement and a adoption/care issue when it comes to the shelter.  The police department has no business running the shelter IMO.  There are so many people who would be willing to put their hearts into a job where they could help our animals and the least of their concerns is their paycheck.
I foster a number of animals throughout the year from a private vet practice for adoption.  If I had faith that my time and efforts were not in vain, I would do the same for the shelter and would recruit others as well.

Thank You for putting this matter in it's true perspective.

"God gave names to all the animals..."

[Wilbur]

quote:Originally posted by jne

Wilber, I think your missing the issue here.  'No Kill' is a whole other matter.  There are ways to implement humane policies that include euthanasia. If an animal is adoptable, it should have chance to find a home and I think its possible to guarantee that it gets that chance.  Animals are going to have to be put down, but they should not suffer unnecessarily.  There seem to be many examples of shelters managed by Humane Societies and other animal welfare groups that take advantage of a strong volunteer force, leveraging their resources to manage shelter populations.  
Seems like some enforcement of current laws (some modifications may be necessary)with appropriate fines levied would pay for itself and would ultimately result in less burden on the shelter.  
I think it is a law enforcement issue when it comes to enforcement and a adoption/care issue when it comes to the shelter.  The police department has no business running the shelter IMO.  There are so many people who would be willing to put their hearts into a job where they could help our animals and the least of their concerns is their paycheck.
I foster a number of animals throughout the year from a private vet practice for adoption.  If I had faith that my time and efforts were not in vain, I would do the same for the shelter and would recruit others as well.

I do understand what no-kill means and I, like everyone else, would love to see each animal adopted out.  But, there will be no fine line as to what animals are adoptable and which ones are not.  But again, the problem is one of space.  Space it not unlimited at the Tulsa Animal Shelter.  You make one small change to what animals you keep and which ones you don't, and the shelter immediately overflows.

As I mentioned before, police hate running animal shelters.  It is a no win and a royal pain in the a$$.  But again, most shelters are viewed as a law enforcement issue, that is why most cities across the US put shelters under the purview of police/sheriff.

And I believe it was implied (maybe I'm wrong) that the animal shelter employees hate animals.  Do a little survey and find out how many cats/dogs each of those employees have at home.  It will amaze you, because they hate seeing all those animals put down as well.

Forcing to rely on volunteers for anything is always difficult at best.  You never know when a volunteer will show up, so you must depend on a skeleton crew in case no volunteers show.  If there is a non-profit group out there who wishes to take of Tulsa's Animal Shelter, I say, bring 'em on.  I'd even recommend Tulsa give them the same amount of money out of the budget they currently give the government run facility, but not a penny more.  Then watch how little difference it will make.

I also foster - but there aren't nearly enough foster homes for pets.  My house has been overrun by cats in the past because, once you volunteer, you get taken advantage of, and I now have cats nobody wants.