Mayor Plans Funding Changes For Tulsa's Animal Welfare Operation

Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum is finalizing a budget amendment that would help fund a new plan to reform animal welfare in the city.

The mayor says it will increase staffing, extend shelter hours and improve conditions at the shelter as well as update the city's animal ordinances and licensing program.

There will be five animal control officers added along with more vet techs and dispatchers.

The new plan would extend the hours of workers who handle stray animals to 10 hour days, seven days a week.

The plan would also create a five-member advisory board to provide oversight, advice, and advocacy to improve the care of all animals at Tulsa Animal Welfare.

Bynum says all of this is being done with a goal of lowering euthanasia rates and getting more animals adopted.

Mayor Bynum plans to present the budget amendment to in the next couple of weeks and plans to have the new shelter hours and staff in place by the first quarter of 2019.