Tulsa Animal Shelter Provides Legal Alternative To Dumping Pets

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The employees of a local business have been adopting, caring for, and even footing the bill for treatment of animals dumped at their doorstep for years. They want everyone to know there is a legal alternative to dumping unwanted animals.

There is a quiet road that runs in front of the Tulsa Animal Shelter, and employees at nearby businesses know all too well. It has become a popular dumping spot for unwanted animals.

Her name is Rosie; she was abandoned here on the street," said Cheryl Edwards, who has taken photos of some of the many animals who have been abandoned near her place of work. "She had mange so bad, her skin looked like it was on fire."

Edwards contacted The News On 6 for help getting the word out about the dumping problem out near the shelter.

Rosie didn't make it, but others have.

There was one survivor in a box of six kittens dumped along the road. Another dog was dumped; they got her to a vet and then found a home for her.

Edwards, her husband and other employees have chipped in hundreds maybe thousands of dollars in just the last few years.

We care about the animals that are dumped here," said Cheryl Edwards, woman who works near the Tulsa Animal Shelter who helps rescue dumped animals.

We walked over to the shelter which is literally a stone's throw from her office and found Lyle Gwin who'd brought this dog, Coco. His elderly neighbor can't take care of her anymore.

"That way the animal at least has a chance to be cared for," said Jean Letcher Jenkins, director of the Tulsa Animal Shelter.

It's the legal alternative to just dumping an unwanted animal.

She says they get the animals evaluated and treated if they need it. Those that can be are put up for adoption, and people like Cheryl Edwards and her co-workers aren't on the hook for someone else's problem.

We are citizens of the same city; this is Tulsa and we need to be responsible," said Cheryl Edwards, woman who works near the Tulsa Animal Shelter who helps rescue dumped animals.

The animal Shelter accepts animals during normal hours Tuesday through Saturday. The process takes only a few minutes and requires answering only a few basic questions.