By Marilyn King

TulsaPets Magazine attended a press conference this morning about new changes at the City of Tulsa Animal Welfare Shelter.   Mayor Dewey Barlett kicked off the conference stating that he is “tired of using euthanasia as a means of animal control,” and he wants to “change our present situation to make animal euthanasia, as a means of animal control, a last resort.”

He stated that in June of 2011 the City and the Shelter sent out a “request for information” to various local animal organizations, asking for suggestions on how to lower the pet overpopulation problem in Tulsa.  He received three responses:  one each from the Humane Society of Tulsa, the Tulsa SPCA, and the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals.

After evaluation, the City chose the Humane Society of Tulsa (HST) to partner with as its future “exclusive” adoption service for the Tulsa shelter animals, stating HST was the only entity that could show they could accomplish these goals with no cost to the city.  He added that by moving the adoption activities to HST the city will actually save $600,000 year.

Mayor Bartlett further expanded and said there will be a six month transition period in moving all adoption services to HST.  And he added that there are three main goals for this move:

1.  To increase homeless animal adoptions in Tulsa by a significant degree.
2.  To decrease animal euthanasia rates in Tulsa by a significant degree, and
3.  To allow the Tulsa shelter to become more involved in public education about spay and neuter      and responsible pet ownership.

HST President Gina Gardner then took the floor and said that their plans are to now focus their many years of experience on those animals that are in the most critical need of saving, those at the City Shelter.  She said their main goal will be to increase local adoptions and develop a very user-friendly network for our local rescue organizations to be actively involved in the program, and she also wants to expand the transfer program of sending local homeless animals to other states for adoption.

TulsaPets Magazine thinks that anything that can be done to help decrease animal euthanasia rates due to overpopulation, by placing animals into adoptive homes, and by increasing spay & neuter awareness to help prevent the problem in the first place, and by enforcing existing City ordinances, will be a very positive step in the right direction.  We wish only the best for the Humane Society of Tulsa as they begin their Herculean task.  We’ll be keeping a watchful eye on the progress and will assist in any way that we can.  We will be sure to keep you updated as the transition progresses.