The City of Tulsa Oklahoma Animal Welfare (TAW) is a taxpayer-funded, city owned and operated shelter providing animal control services to residents and animals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
According to its website, TAW is only open to the public 34 hours a week. During nights and most of the weekends, Tulsa residents cannot receive help from TAW for animal welfare calls including FELONY calls for cruelty and neglect.
To meet the needs of Tulsa residents and taxpayers, TAW must be funded and staffed to sufficiently respond 24/7 to all emergency 911 calls and to calls for animals in need during extreme weather.
During the recent extreme weather emergency crisis in Tulsa over New Year's weekend and mid-January, the city animal shelter was closed. NO HELP was available for animals suffering and chained in the cold without shelter EXCEPT for help from nonprofit organizations with limited resources. Calls to TAW were not answered because they were closed; calls to police were deferred to TAW when they reopened.
TAW has the resources to provide essential 24/7 service to Tulsa taxpayers – they just need funding.
Tulsa taxpayers need and deserve an animal shelter that is available and sufficiently staffed 24/7 to respond to 911 felony calls and animal welfare calls during extreme weather emergencies. Please fully fund TAW for a 24/7 answering service with ACO on call, and funds for mandatory staffing during extreme weather conditions.
Extreme weather would be defined as temperatures below freezing at 32 and above 90 degrees as well as during National Weather Service severe weather advisories and warnings.
