City Of Tulsa Announces Partnership To Save Animal Lives

News on 6 is learning more about a historic effort to make Tulsa’s animal shelter a no-kill shelter.

Three animal welfare organizations are teaming up to create a plan to lower the number the of euthanizations. Right now, the live-release rate is at 65 percent, but the goal is 90 percent.

“We have to make decision. They are heart breaking decision. But we’ve got to be open the next day to receive the next group of animals,” says Jean Letcher, with Tulsa Animal Welfare.

Last year, the shelter took in nearly 9,000 animals. Animal Welfare says due to space, 35 percent of those animals were euthanized.

“It is having 162 dog kennels and 78 cat kennels. Adopting or transferring maybe 20 that day, but taking in 40 to 60,” says Letcher.

For the first time ever, Tulsa’s shelter, Tulsa Humane Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are teaming together to increase the live-release rate.

“Transport right now will alleviate the burden, so we don’t have healthy, adoptable animals being euthanized just before space,” says Gina Gardner, with Tulsa Humane Society.

The Humane Society says the goal is to move 3,000 animals across state lines next year. Its also planning to open mobile and low-cost clinics.

“We are building a brand-new clinic, triple the size of our current clinic, so we will be able to offer a lot more spay/neuter services, low-cost veterinary services,” says Mindy Tiner, with Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The hope is to fight overpopulation and to keep 90 percent of the animals alive.

“We’re never going to be 100 percent, because technically there are always going to be either victims of trauma, hit by a car, so severely ill, Parvo – that we aren’t able to save,” says Letcher.

The Tulsa shelter also has to euthanize animals that have severe behavioral problems.

The coalition has been planning for four month and hopes to start work in the new year.