No room at the pound.
helters and rescues all over this area are saying that more and more to people wanting to surrender their pets. This is not limited to small city shelters or small animal rescues but more of the bigger shelters and rescues are experiencing overcrowding of animals, lack of trained staff to care for the animals, and a shortage of funds to pay for the necessary medical care of the animals
How bad can it really be? December 22,2011, an animal advocate and lover, Sherry Stinson, contacted Fox channel 23 about Nowata Animal Shelter in Nowata, Ok. According to the news report the shelter was overcrowded with animals and running out of funds to care for these animals. The shelter went so far as to say that if the dogs were not out of the shelter by January 1, 2012, they would be euthanized. Ms. Stinson and a local rescue group, Legacy of Hope, posted a plea and pictures of the dogs on Facebook and other sites and managed to save 13 dogs. The fate of the other dogs is unknown, calls to the shelter have gone unreturned.
The same Facebook that helped save those dogs carries pleas for help to animal lovers that have "friended" local and national rescue groups. Daily, pictures of dogs, cats and horses are posted by rescues that need to raise money to feed, shelter and vet these unwanted animals in their care. Many of the descriptions of these needy animals say the animal was surrendered because the owner could no longer afford to care for it. It is a vicious cycle, shelters and rescues take in these unwanted animals when in reality they themselves do not have the funds to adequately care for the animals. So now rescues and shelters are either turning away pet owners trying to "do the right thing" just to have that animal picked up as a stray, or taking in the animal just to have it euthanized because the shelter could not afford to treat or feed it.
So what can be done in this terrible economy? There are many things people can do to help local rescues in need that will not cost a cent. Most people have some type of social network site. Post pictures and honest descriptions with a contact number to the shelter of animals housed there like Ms. Stenton. You might be shocked to see how far that post travels and who responds! You can also volunteer at the rescues facility if they have one or offer to foster an animal in your home. You could donate unneeded items of your to the rescue for their use. The more ambitious of us could hold a fund raiser of some sort and donate the proceeds to the local shelter.
Ultimately, it is up to all animal lovers to do just one thing everyday and sooner rather than later shelters and rescuers will have more room at the pound.
How bad can it really be? December 22,2011, an animal advocate and lover, Sherry Stinson, contacted Fox channel 23 about Nowata Animal Shelter in Nowata, Ok. According to the news report the shelter was overcrowded with animals and running out of funds to care for these animals. The shelter went so far as to say that if the dogs were not out of the shelter by January 1, 2012, they would be euthanized. Ms. Stinson and a local rescue group, Legacy of Hope, posted a plea and pictures of the dogs on Facebook and other sites and managed to save 13 dogs. The fate of the other dogs is unknown, calls to the shelter have gone unreturned.
The same Facebook that helped save those dogs carries pleas for help to animal lovers that have "friended" local and national rescue groups. Daily, pictures of dogs, cats and horses are posted by rescues that need to raise money to feed, shelter and vet these unwanted animals in their care. Many of the descriptions of these needy animals say the animal was surrendered because the owner could no longer afford to care for it. It is a vicious cycle, shelters and rescues take in these unwanted animals when in reality they themselves do not have the funds to adequately care for the animals. So now rescues and shelters are either turning away pet owners trying to "do the right thing" just to have that animal picked up as a stray, or taking in the animal just to have it euthanized because the shelter could not afford to treat or feed it.
So what can be done in this terrible economy? There are many things people can do to help local rescues in need that will not cost a cent. Most people have some type of social network site. Post pictures and honest descriptions with a contact number to the shelter of animals housed there like Ms. Stenton. You might be shocked to see how far that post travels and who responds! You can also volunteer at the rescues facility if they have one or offer to foster an animal in your home. You could donate unneeded items of your to the rescue for their use. The more ambitious of us could hold a fund raiser of some sort and donate the proceeds to the local shelter.
Ultimately, it is up to all animal lovers to do just one thing everyday and sooner rather than later shelters and rescuers will have more room at the pound.
Don't Shop Adopt!
Pittsburg County Animal Control was opened August 2008. In the three and one half years it has been in existence about 14,000 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens have come through their doors either as owner surrenders or strays. Out of those animals only about 40% have gone on to be adopted or reunited with their owners. To help increase adoptions, the staff welcomes rescue groups from all over the state to adopt dogs and cats. Local groups like PAWS of McAlester and breed groups like Heartland Weimaraner Rescue often come in and adopt. There is also a new Facebook page for the shelter, Pittsburg County Animal Control Adoptable Pets that showcase the dogs and cats looking for homes.
The shelter has an open admissions policy, meaning that they take in all animals that come to their attention. If you are an owner that needs to surrender a dog from out of Pittsburg co there is a $10 relinquishment fee. They also have trucks that pick up strays in and around McAlester.
Adoptions are quick and easy. A caring staff member signs you in and leads you to the kennels. There you see dogs of all shapes, sizes, and colors. You are greeted by a chorus of barks, wet noses and wagging tails as each brave dog vies for your attention. The not so brave ones sit or lay in their kennels, their eyes pleading for you to choose them. Once you pick your new fur kid, there is a room for you and the dog to get acquainted. Hopefully, it is a match made in Heaven and you move on to the paperwork. You read and sign a few sheets and pay the extremely low adoption fee of $20 for your vaccinated, micro chipped and altered new pet. Then you are on your way home!
By no means is this shelter a no-kill facility. This staff tries to give each adoptable dog and cat as much time as possible to find that perfect new home. Most animals get an average of 2 to 4 weeks to be adopted. This is a vast improvement over some shelters that only give the animals’ days to find new homes.
Another way the staff tries to unite pets with people is through lost and found reports. If you lose your pet in Pittsburg co. you can contact the shelter and they will take a report. They also advise owners to come in frequently to check and see if their pet is there. There will be a boarding fee of $10 a day to reclaim your pet. For strays found by caring people, they have a choice of turning the animal over to the shelter and the shelter will hold the pet for three days before putting it up for adoption to give the owner a chance to reclaim it or they can keep the animal and file a found report so the staff can contact them if the owner should call looking for the pet.
Daily, this dedicated staff works hard to care for up to 90 dogs and puppies and 40 cats and kittens. Theirrewards are the happy stories of animals being reunited with family or stories like the lonely lady that adopted an elderly dog that no one thought was going to get adopted or the woman that decided that the dachshund that was burned over 70% of its body was really the ONE for her and took a chance and saved that dog’s life. That is what makes their work worth it.
Pittsburg Co. Animal Control is located at 1206 North West Street, McAlester Ok. Their hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm and 10 to 2 on Saturdays. Their phone number is 918 423-7803. So the next time you are in the market for new fur kids please stop in and check out the animals!
The shelter has an open admissions policy, meaning that they take in all animals that come to their attention. If you are an owner that needs to surrender a dog from out of Pittsburg co there is a $10 relinquishment fee. They also have trucks that pick up strays in and around McAlester.
Adoptions are quick and easy. A caring staff member signs you in and leads you to the kennels. There you see dogs of all shapes, sizes, and colors. You are greeted by a chorus of barks, wet noses and wagging tails as each brave dog vies for your attention. The not so brave ones sit or lay in their kennels, their eyes pleading for you to choose them. Once you pick your new fur kid, there is a room for you and the dog to get acquainted. Hopefully, it is a match made in Heaven and you move on to the paperwork. You read and sign a few sheets and pay the extremely low adoption fee of $20 for your vaccinated, micro chipped and altered new pet. Then you are on your way home!
By no means is this shelter a no-kill facility. This staff tries to give each adoptable dog and cat as much time as possible to find that perfect new home. Most animals get an average of 2 to 4 weeks to be adopted. This is a vast improvement over some shelters that only give the animals’ days to find new homes.
Another way the staff tries to unite pets with people is through lost and found reports. If you lose your pet in Pittsburg co. you can contact the shelter and they will take a report. They also advise owners to come in frequently to check and see if their pet is there. There will be a boarding fee of $10 a day to reclaim your pet. For strays found by caring people, they have a choice of turning the animal over to the shelter and the shelter will hold the pet for three days before putting it up for adoption to give the owner a chance to reclaim it or they can keep the animal and file a found report so the staff can contact them if the owner should call looking for the pet.
Daily, this dedicated staff works hard to care for up to 90 dogs and puppies and 40 cats and kittens. Theirrewards are the happy stories of animals being reunited with family or stories like the lonely lady that adopted an elderly dog that no one thought was going to get adopted or the woman that decided that the dachshund that was burned over 70% of its body was really the ONE for her and took a chance and saved that dog’s life. That is what makes their work worth it.
Pittsburg Co. Animal Control is located at 1206 North West Street, McAlester Ok. Their hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm and 10 to 2 on Saturdays. Their phone number is 918 423-7803. So the next time you are in the market for new fur kids please stop in and check out the animals!