By Keith Purtell
April Rogers of Rentiesville recently adopted a dog from the Muskogee Animal Shelter.
She does animal rescue and first thought she would find a new home for Tonka, a huge husky or malamute mix.
She’s found that new home — in her home. Rogers said she’s had Tonka for a week, and the family is already attached to him.
If Rogers or someone else had not rescued Tonka from the shelter, he could have become one of the 40 animals euthanized at the shelter last week and one of three to four million animals euthanized each year throughout the nation, according to statistics from the Humane Society of the United States. According to shelter records, of the 2,333 animals picked up in Muskogee in 2006, 1,715 dogs and cats were euthanized, 328 were reclaimed and 298 were adopted.
The HSUS calls pet overpopulation in America a crisis.
The problem forces communities to spend millions of taxpayer dollars trying to cope with the consequences of the pet surplus, an article on the HSUS Web site. These costs include investigating animal cruelty, humanely capturing stray animals, and sheltering lost and homeless animals.
Coins 4 Critters, a local volunteer group that helps with animal rescue, has a good relationship with the Muskogee Animal Shelter, said Jackie Mabe, Coins volunteer.
“Adoptions are up, and euthanizations are down,” she said. “Even if the animals are unadoptable, they will get two meals a day and treated with respect before they are euthanized. The shelter is trustworthy and getting more so every day.”
City Clerk Pam Bush, who oversees the city animal shelter, said improvements are planned at the facility.
“We are going to make some outside runs where the dogs can get fresh air and sunshine while we are cleaning and disinfecting their cages,” she said. “We’re planning eight runs with each one being about 20 feet long. We’ll let them out two or three times a day.”
Bush said she and the shelter staff have both long-term and short-term goals.
“Our ultimate goal is a no-kill facility, but there will probably always be a few animals that are too sick or injured to help,” she said. “We’re educating the public on neutering and spaying, and asking them not to let their animals run loose.”
Another part of the plan is to show the public how many desirable pets are waiting for a good home.
“On the city’s Channel 14, we’re trying to get photos of the dogs and cats up there so the public can see which ones are available for adoption,” Bush said. “There are some beautiful, gorgeous dogs and cats out there.”
Animal Control Officer Ron Mayes said he thinks lack of education is the main reason animals are abandoned.
“Some people are not educated in the care of animals,” he said. “You can’t know what to do if no one has ever taught you. One of the things we try to do as animal control officers is to educate the whole community.”
Mayes said he has been on the job for six months. His training included a two-day session with the Animal Control Officers Association, field training with Muskogee Animal Control Officer Larry Phelps, and state certification in how to properly euthanize an animal.
“I think we’re doing good for what we have,” he said. “We do need a larger facility; we have 21 cages for dogs and 16 cages for cats.”
People who do not take responsibility for their dogs or cats may face a hefty penalty. Whether it is failure to give the animal a rabies shot, lack of city tags, or running loose, each fine is $244, Mayes said. On the other hand, the cost to reclaim a lost animal from the shelter is only $5 plus $3 per day.
Mayes said the shelter staff tries to get each animal as healthy as possible to make them good candidates for adoption. They also work with Coins 4 Critters to find foster homes.
“To adopt one is a $25 fee,” he said. “But if they get them spayed or neutered within several months and bring some documentation from the veterinarian, they can get that money back.”
Ideally, the process will move quickly, because there are too many stray animals to keep them all in the shelter.
“The rule is that we are supposed to euthanize them after three days,” Mayes said. “If they look really good we try to keep them longer, but if they are in bad shape we euthanize them. Last week we had to put down 40 animals.”
Father Kirk Woodliff at Grace Episcopal Church said there is a moral dimension to the relationship between people and animals.
“I believe that they are created in God’s image, too,” he said. “I think that taking care of all creation includes taking care of animals. When we ignore the animal kingdom, doing so will only get us into trouble. Compassion extends to all living creatures.”
Mabe said our area communities have not achieved an acceptable minimum standard for humane treatment of animals.
“We don’t have a passing score,” she said. “That’s why education is so important. You’ve got to start young, that’s why we’ve been working with Tony Goetz Elementary.”
How to help
Three important things to do for your dog or cat:
• Get them spayed or neutered. It will lessen the chance of sickness and also reduce aggression.
• Learn how to take better care of your dog or cat. Sources of information are your veterinarian, the public library or the Web.
• Observe the leash law when you take your pet outside. If it’s running loose, it may be picked up by Animal Control or struck by a vehicle.
Source: Ron Mayes, animal control officer for the city of Muskogee.
Groups that help
• Coins 4 Critters — On the Web at www.coins4critters.org. For information about their low-income spay and neuter program, call Jackie at 685-0938. For adoptions, call Jeanette at 781-1930.
• PAWS — Promoting Animal Welfare Society, a no-kill facility. Adopt a pet or make a donation; 686-7297.
• Muskogee Animal Shelter — Adoptions, look for your lost pet, report stray animals; 684-6285.
