OKC Animal Welfare Ends After-Hours Drop Boxes

Oklahoma City Animal Welfare is putting an end to what it called an unfair practice. The facility’s after-hours drop boxes are now boarded up and closed forever.

Julie Bank said there were too many heartbreaking cases coming out of those boxes.

“It’s a hard thing for our staff when we come in in the morning and find that kind of thing,” she said.

Monday morning they found a dog now named ‘Magoo.’ The night before, someone had abandoned her in the foyer while the shelter was closed. She was underweight, covered in fleas and she has no eyes.

In fiscal year 2014, the animal shelter reported 3,357 animals were left in the drop boxes. At least 314 of those animals needed medical treatment, some immediate. And 32 were found dead. These are numbers that are not acceptable, Bank said.

“It was really an unfair practice for us to have those boxes available,” she added.

Now Magoo is in good hands, but her new caretakers don't have a clue how she ended up without her eyes.

This new policy should allow the shelter more information about each animal which could cut down on their holding time at the shelter.

But most importantly, it's a move toward more humane treatment.

Magoo will be considered a stray until Monday. If you want to donate to her health care, visit the website and click ‘Donation Station.’ For a dog that has obviously had a rough life, she is very sweet and gets around alright without her eyes.

By the way, it is illegal to leave an animal outside the shelter, or tied to the building.

The facility is open seven days a week. And they do have an after hours emergency number, 405-297-2255.