Animal Shelter Volunteers Want Changes

First it looked like the city animal shelter in Tulsa would fall victim to the budget ax, but for now Mayor Bill LaFortune is keeping the doors open on Saturdays. <br><br>But one non-profit group is stepping

Sunday, June 16th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

First it looked like the city animal shelter in Tulsa would fall victim to the budget ax, but for now Mayor Bill LaFortune is keeping the doors open on Saturdays.

But one non-profit group is stepping in to help improve services at the shelter and they are asking for more support from city hall.

News On Six Reporter Jenni Monet went to the animal control facility and spoke to the volunteers who give their time to help provide medical care for the animals and help to find them new homes.

More than 15,000 animals pass through the facility every year. Most have been found living off food found in trash cans and on the streets.

But only 2300 of them will be adopted each year, only a fraction of the number which arrive there. About 30 per day are euthanized.

Volunteers say they need some help from the city to cover the cost of the program to spay or neuter the animals. They say that will lower the cost of animal care over the long term.

For now the members of PAWS, The Pet Assistance and Welfare Society, are donating their Saturdays and they spay or neuter about 1000 animals each year.

The Tulsa Animal Shelter is currently operated through the Tulsa Police Department. Members of PAWS would like to see that changed.

They will attend next weekâ€™s city council meeting to address the problems they say plague the local shelter.