Central OK Humane Society In Need Of Donations

Oklahoma City has some of the largest stray animal populations in the country.

Many of these animals are taken in by shelters, often with serious medical problems.

Each year, the humane society takes in thousands of animals, but for the ones that need a little extra care the funds are running low, and now they’re asking for help.

At the Central Oklahoma Humane Society, finding a forever home isn't always easy. Something that goes double for animals that are sick or injured.

“We may have major skin diseases, mange, broken legs, eye issues; those types of things,” Central Oklahoma Humane Society CEO Sue Della Maddalena said.

To help, the society has a special fund called Rita's Angel Fund to help throw hopeful pets a bone.

This year, the money helped dozens of animals like Gloria who came to the shelter with severe a skin infection. She was able to get the medicine she needed and may soon be ready for adoption.

Normally stocked with $75,000 the Rita's Angel Fund is now down to just $5,000. With months to go in 2015, happy endings like Gloria's could be on pause until they can raise more money.

“What that means for us is when we go to the city shelter and we see dogs and cats that we want to take, we don’t have the funds to treat them,” Maddalena said.

Last year, the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter took in nearly 24,000 animals and there's not enough space to keep them all, forcing animal lovers to make the hardest decision of all.

“Oftentimes, something that’s a treatable disease, like what Gloria had, may be a reason that a dog is euthanized,” Maddalena said.

They're asking donations, to raise $20,000 dollars to save animals from the grim alternative.

The hope is many will open their hearts and their wallets to open a doggy door to a better life for man's best friend.

Click here to learn more about the Central Oklahoma Humane Society, and click here to donate to the society's Rita's Angel Fund.