Tulsa animal shelters strike capacity after pandemic

Some animal shelters in Tulsa are begging the community to adopt pets as they are overrun with people donating their pets now that the COVID-19 pandemic is waning and people are busy again.

Last year we told you stories about the increase in pet adoptions during the pandemic because people wanted a friend during quarantine, but now the Tulsa Humane Society says many of those same animals are entrusted to shelters.

The Tulsa Humane Society said its spaces are filling up quickly as people realize they are now too busy for a pet or move to a new location for other work after the pandemic.

Morgan Littlebear of the Humane Society said they were seeing more surrenders than adoptions, forcing them to turn down some animals because it was a private facility. She said they are fortunate in being able to ship animals to other places where adoptions are in high demand as well, relieving them of the primary burden of full capacity most of the time.

She said on the other hand, there are several shelters in Tulsa that are not private and are overwhelmed by the wave of pets brought in and in desperate need of people to bring the hundreds of dogs and cats to a home. magnet.

“I think it’s important to remember that everyone is going through something, we’ve all been through a lot in the last year, but these animals are part of your family and they should stay with your family if possible,” Littlebear said. .

If you want to adopt a new furry family member, you can check out various options such as the Humanitarian Society of Tulsa, the Tulsa SPCA, or to Animal welfare of Tulsa.

Littlebear said there are adoption fees, but they often attend adoption events that waive or reduce those fees. She said to follow the Tulsa Humane Society on Facebook to stay abreast of future events.