Tulsa Animal Shelter 3rd Party Evaluation sign now

We Need Your Help

At the 11/10/05 City of Tulsa City Council meeting it will be proposed that the City of Tulsa authorize and commission an evaluation of Tulsa's complete Animal Control Program by "The Animal Services Consultation Program of the Humane Society of the United States. The City of Tulsa should commission the evaluation. We are not experts, but an HSUS study like the ones carried out in OKC, Stillwater, Dallas, Albuquerque, NYC, Toronto, Sacramento, San Diego among many other cities, will help us realize the same degree of success these cities have achieved.

The HSUS Evaluation is called "Animal Services Consultation Program." This comprehensive, fee-based service(approx. cost: fiffteen-thousand dollars) helps client governments accomplish goals ranging from planning for a new sheltering facility to solving endemic management issues. They address ordinances, enforcement, guidance in an efficient running sheltering facility, spay neuter programs, advertising, adoption programs, public education programs. They have an extensive background in assisting a local government to best utilize it's resources. It's from A-Z. Clients include San Diego, CA; Dallas, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Richmond, VA; Toronto, Canada; NYC, NY; Sacramento, CA; Stillwater, OK; & many others.
http://www.animalsheltering.org/programs_and_services/animal_services_consultation/


The issues of importance when recommending an HSUS Evaluation are:

* There are fundamental & endemic problems within The City of Tulsa's Animal Control Program as a Whole.

* There has never been an evaluation of the City of Tulsa Animal Control Program.

* We have no local expertise in evaluating problems, and implementing changes that can lead to a progressive and fiscally sound program.

* An evaluation by experts with successful track records can help us achieve this goal.

* The HSUS is the tool that has saved many local governments money in their animal control operations, among them NYC, San Diego, Dallas, Sacramento, and OKC. There are testimonials from these and many more cities. They have Animal Control Programs of which they are PROUD.

* We can appoint as many committees as we like, but we do not have the qualifications or background for the evaluation of a current system and/or implementation of a new successful program. We need outside assistance from those who have experience, from the experts in the field, from those who know how to "get it right."

* The HSUS Evaluation should be authorized and commissioned by the City of Tulsa. This would avoid the perception of any bias or influence by any one particular individual or group.

The HSUS says: "successful programs are characterized by:
* Local government support-both political & financial

* A comprehensive, regularly updated, animal control ordinance and the authority and ability to enforce it.

* Policies to ensure that all animals adopted from shelters are sterilized.

* Laws and programs that create incentives for citizens to have their pets sterilized, and adjunct programs to ensure that all pet owners have access to affordable sterilization services.

* Adequate, well maintained facilities and equipment.

* Animal control officers and animal care staff professionally trained to quickly and humanely handle animals at minimum risk to personnel.

* Good working relationships with, and the general support of, local veterinarians, law enforcement, social services, and animal-advocacy organizations.

* A proactive public education program."

" A good animal care and control program is a community responsibility & should be budgeted as any other program or service available to citizens. It needs to go beyond the old-fashioned approach to animal control services, which consisted primarily of a dogcatcher and a pound. If the local shelter focuses only on operating a skeletal shelter program and catching & destroying dogs, animal problems will create constant headaches for local government officials."

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