Story by Marilyn King
Cheers to all you pet lovers, and Happy New Year 2008!
Welcome to Volume II, Issue Number 1 of TulsaPets Magazine! We’re kicking off our second year with some great editorial – read about the introduction in Oklahoma of the national Five Saves Lives campaign, and see the beauty and the wonder of the Macaws! (I hate to use a very trite and trendy word, but they truly are AWESOME!) Also, the story of the wonderful rescue of the little Convention Center dog is sure to warm many hearts!
As you may be aware, the Humane Society of the United States was commissioned by the City of Tulsa to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the practices at the Tulsa Animal Shelter. This on-site inspection/ evaluation was done in April of 2007 and took several months to complete. The task force reviewed virtually every section, practice, and condition at the shelter, from a visitor’s impression of the entryway to euthanasia and animal disposal. It’s quite chilling to read, and parts of it made me cry. Let us hope that steps will be taken to follow the recommendations in the report. It’s bad enough to be homeless and possibly injured, let alone be impounded at a shelter. That stay should provide the most comfort possible considering the conditions. Anyone wishing to read the HSUS report in its entirety can find it on our website, tulsapetsmagazine.com.
As I stated in my last letter, one of my goals was to get my magazine in some of the local libraries’ distribution centers, and that goal has been accomplished. Since there are 25 libraries in the greater Tulsa area, I was limited to the biggest five, but TulsaPets Magazine can now be found at the Central Library downtown, and the Hardesty, Martin, Rudsill, and Zarrow Regional Libraries.
I took my boy Sam to the Lab-A-Poolooza event last September, and he had an absolute ball playing with all the other dogs! They were in a secure fenced environment, and it was amazing how they all got along so well! It hit home of how much we need a dog park (or two) in Tulsa. (Coincidentally, I tried to establish one about ten years ago, and the then-Mayor Susan Savage put me on a committee with about seven others with the same interest. Unfortunately, nothing ever materialized, but the idea is not dead. I’ve had several recent calls and emails from people with the same interest.) I’m noodling on ways that interested Tulsans could help make a dog park happen, so stay tuned to my website tulsapetsmagazine.com for developments!
I do hope you enjoy this issue as much as I’ve enjoyed working on it — a huge thanks to my advertisers and to all who contributed! I also want to say a special thank you to Lauren and Joe at Langdon Publishing for making the magazine happen, and to all you passionate pet lovers out there!
Until April,
Marilyn & Sam
