Oklahoma City Partners with ASPCA to Save Animals

Oklahoma City animal welfare officials are thrilled that the city has been chosen by the ASPCA as its next partner community.

Wednesday, April 15th 2009, 1:35 pm

By: News 9


By Alex Cameron, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City animal welfare officials are thrilled that the city has been chosen by the ASPCA as its next partner community.

"They'll come down here and we'll work together as a team, the Humane Society, the shelter and the ASPCA to identify the holes in our system here in the community," said Christy Counts of the Central Oklahoma Humane Society. "Once we identify those, we'll put the resources in what's going to save the most lives immediately."

Oklahoma City had been vying with several other cities, including Cleveland and Asheville, NC, for what officials say is a great honor, and evidence that the city is making great strides in the humane treatment of animals.

ASPCA's partnership with Oklahoma City will span three and a half years, and involves a minimum investment of $600,000 in the city's animal welfare system, in addition to the expertise and guidance of ASPCA staff. Officials at the Oklahoma City animal shelter believe the partnership will make it possible to achieve a 75 percent live release rate for shelter dogs and cats, a rate they say would have been unimaginable just two years ago.

"After the progress of the last couple years, we look at that 75 percent, and we totally believe we can do this," said Jon Gary of the Oklahoma Animal Shelter. "It's not something that's a dream anymore to us, it's a goal and something we believe we can do."

Getting there won't be easy, though. It will take continued efforts to increase the adoption rate, increasing access to low-cost spay-neuter services and increased advocacy and awareness of the importance of humane treatment of our animals.

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