Good evening and I'd like to welcome everyone to the April 13, 530 meeting of the Animal Welfare Commission meeting.

We you can see this on Cox Channel 24 and also Tgov Online.org if you'd like to do that.

We will call the meeting to order.

So we'll do a roll call, please, and I'll start.

Christine Koonsweiler.

Teresa Burkett present.

Suarez present.

Okay.

And then I'd like to Sherry Carrier is our animal service director.

And I'd like the audience to introduce themselves.

Jan Lavender.

Robin Suarez.

All right.

Well, welcome.

And that's Lucy down beside you.

I heard you say we're glad to have Lucy here today, too.

So thank you all for coming.

All right.

We'll go to uh item number two, and that's approval of the minutes in March.

I move to approve the March minutes.

I second it.

All right.

And I was not there, so I can't.

You can vote.

Oh, I can't.

I can't.

I can still vote.

Okay, thank you.

I'm glad you're an attorney to help us out.

All right.

So we've got a motion for approval of the minutes, and we'll have a roll call, please.

Yes.

Suarez present.

Kingsweiler, yes.

So the motion has been approved, and the motion passes.

All right, number three, new animal services facility update.

I um put a list there for you to look at.

Um there continuing parking lot and camera pole.

Uh I think it's supposed to be conduit.

Drywall area B, wire and electrical circuits.

Um first coat of paint in the kennel area.

Yeah, it's exciting.

Installing uh plywood and IT storage pallet breakdown area.

Um and that goes on into the second week.

And then they will finish the parking lot and camera pools.

We'll have an inspection on the raceway for the parking lot and camera pole.

They'll be finishing the drywall in area B.

Um continuing with electrical.

Um then they'll start paint and utility closets and the get to know kennel area.

Um first coat of paint in area A.

And then they'll start the catio, which is super cool.

And the vestibule storefront framing, so that's where everybody will come in a lot uh have a lot more room than we do right now for sure.

So it's coming along.

Um they are pretty much on track.

Um no real bad weather.

Uh we've moved our progress update meetings.

We were doing them every two weeks.

I think we're moving to every week now, so that we're all on the same page and making sure everything's done appropriately and timely.

So you'll get another update next month, and then you know, hopefully in the next few months, you'll get some updates that say we're getting ready to get the keys.

So we're hoping maybe September.

That's great.

That's exciting.

Yeah.

Well, we can't wait to see it all finished.

All right.

Us two.

Yeah, I bet.

Item number four, animal surrender surrender fee proposal, 25 each animal, and this is an action item.

So we've been waiting.

Um best friends did a survey of Oklahoma Animal Municipal shelters just to get some information on sterilization prices, adoption prices, surrender, impound, daily boarding, um, microchipping, rabies vaccinations, heartworm testing, a lot of different uh pricing surveys.

Uh we were curious, we've been doing some research about owner surrenders and we've talked to some people, some colleagues in other states about it.

And uh there are some municipal shelters that are currently doing this for surrenders, and um because of the magnitude of surrenders that we have, we would like to start doing this as well.

So that's why we're bringing it to you all um for you to approve us to move forward or recommend us to move forward to take this to the city council for a vote.

So how has it worked in other cities where people have just dropped them off or tied them to a poll or something, or have they had pretty good luck with no?

It's actually been pretty positive.

I mean, that happens now with no fee.

It doesn't happen a lot, uh, but it has happened.

So we have a great diversion coordinator who works with folks for scheduling, uh plans surrendered.

Obviously, this is not gonna affect if you find an animal on the street, you know, if it's injured or abandoned, that doesn't pertain to that that animal.

But for us, it's uh you know, we hope that people will think about rehoming, and um we'll work with people, and if they're you know, attempting to do the right thing and um find an adequate uh place to re-home.

I mean, we want to help them out, and we offer any resource that we can to try and keep animals from being surrendered in terms of um shelter, food, collar, leash, you know, spay nooter, vaccinations.

Um it's just uh the number one reason that we found we did a little survey of our own was just they don't want the animal anymore.

So um I think it's time for us to implement something that is going to be a little bit of accountability factor.

So we are most of the people is it financial or they've just decided the dog's too destructive or uh it's not just dogs, I mean it's different kinds of animals.

Yeah, I mean, it could be bunnies or ferrets or whatever.

Um so uh considering that they've they've done this survey across Oklahoma and we feel like it's time for us to set something in motion for this to take place in Tulsa.

Well, I think 25 dollars is very reasonable.

Yeah, it is uh you know I worry about people who are being evicted or who are incarcerated and can't have an animal because of eviction or incarceration, and do they have 25 dollars?

But that's a situation you might waive.

Uh I don't think we're gonna waive.

Uh we have discussed that, but we can set it out for the next week or till they get 25 dollars.

So if somebody can't pay, what do you do?

Just say we're not taking the animal, and then you you know, we'll we'll try to help them any way we can.

Yeah, but um we're not gonna set the precedence, just start waiving the fee right off the bat.

And I know they have that pause for pause for people that for hospitalization.

Um I thought it was for jail.

It's also for does it work for jail?

I think no, it's going into treatment programs, yeah.

Hospital treatment program for addiction or something.

And we're connected with the jail to get information about people coming in.

There's questions that they asked that we asked them to ask if there's animals in the home.

Right.

So we have been connected to the to the jail for that.

And the cities that are doing this aren't finding more animals or just turned loose, then I mean, it's gonna happen, whether there's a fee or not.

We find them every day in the city of Tulsa.

Oh, yes.

That's what our ACOs are bringing in right now.

Pardon their adopting a pet, it might make it be more accountable.

You know, like okay.

If I if it doesn't work, I have to pay to bring it.

I have to bring it back to the case.

And this, I mean, this is also another angle for you know sterilization in spain odor.

Like if we find out somebody that they can't afford it, this gives us more opportunities to help people out.

So we're trying to you know do this as a multi-angle approach with all these different things that we're implementing or we have implemented to try and combat some of these overpopulation issues.

So I think this goes in in line with that too.

And you said best friends had done the survey nationwide.

Oklahoma.

Oh Oklahoma, yeah.

Okay.

We were waiting for this information before we brought this to you.

Okay.

Okay.

Well, do I have a motion?

Go ahead.

I know better than I know what's I just have anticipating the questions I'm gonna get about it.

But I will tell you that there's higher fees in Oklahoma.

Are there really?

I think the highest is a hundred dollars.

Okay.

Well, you'll defend us in front of the city council.

I move to adopt the uh $25 per animal surrender fee proposed by the shelter.

You're um you might just you were recommending to move forward yes uh to take to the city council, yes, to recommend this to the city council and I second that motion and roll call, please.

Uh Kingsweiler, yes, Burkett, yes, Suarez, yes, okay, motion passes.

All right, item number five commercial license type C fee proposal, a thousand yearly, and this is also an action item.

So we got this passed about a month ago to add to the uh Title II uh municipal ordinance.

This is pertaining to breeding, commercial breeding.

Um we're asking your recommendation to move forward with a thousand dollar license fee, and this would be every year.

So again, trying to hold people accountable.

We don't want backyard breeders, we have an overpopulation problem.

If you're gonna breed, you need to have a license to do that.

Uh and we're recommending the amount of a thousand dollars.

Has there ever been a fee?

No.

There wasn't a type C before we established this and got it approved about a month ago.

And what are the other types?

A and B.

Uh huh.

And that's pertaining to um like pet stores and some other things.

It's not just specific to breeders.

Type C is and so type C is for people that are like breeding show dogs or hunting dogs or breeding dogs, any dogs at all.

Yeah, correct.

Or animals at all, I guess.

Sure.

Well, I move to recommend to city council to adopt a $1,000 annual fee for commercial license type C's.

Second that's been moved and seconded, and we'll have a roll call, please.

Kingsweiler, yes.

Burke it, yes, suarez, yes.

All right, motion passes.

All right, number six, uh upcoming adoptive events, yes.

So we have some events coming up.

Uh 418 will be at the Mercury Lounge 425 Mathis Furniture for an adoption event.

Uh we just finished Springfest, April 10th and 11th.

Uh the 10th, we had to leave because it started raining, but we did spend some time there on Saturday this past weekend.

Uh 5-2.

We have rock and rescue with OAA the fairgrounds.

Uh 5-9 will be at Mercury Lounge again, and we also have the spring carnival with the parks that day.

516 will be back at Cowboy Boys Brewery.

522 and 23, we have Rock of Vet at the Post Oak Lodge for veterans.

And then on 530, we've got the um pet supplies plus store in the Brookside area.

And this week, I actually started yesterday is Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week, so that will run through 418.

So we'll be celebrating our great ACOs at Tulsa Animal Services this week.

Again, and what's the number that we're up to with the ACOs?

We are full at eight and two leads, so we have fantastic.

Yeah, the leadership actually help in the field and thank you.

And uh in the shelter, so we have eight, and we could use you know eight more.

Just get funding, but at least we're we're full.

Yeah, I'll that's fantastic.

I'm really glad to hear that.

Me too.

Okay, and number seven, there are this old business and there's no items under old business.

And number eight is new business, and there's no items under new business.

And I do believe we have some public comment.

Yeah.

Check uh assignment.

Okay.

We have one speaker.

Okay.

And do we need to have them come up to the microphone?

Yeah, if you can.

And then I'll set the timer.

Five minutes for you.

And it has to be um an item discussed on the commission agenda too.

Yes.

Well, it pertains to the adoption events, partially.

Okay.

Um we printed out by name's Kirsten Junco.

This is the beautiful Lucy.

I'm not worth sure which sacks can't see her.

Um I actually had this great presentation and they printed out the old one at FedEx today.

But I do have some sheets that I wanted to give you that um could be included in the adoption packets because I know one of the things that you guys do is when you're adopting the dogs out, you tell these people verbally all the time they don't listen.

You go to then one ear out the other.

So I thought maybe if we added these in the adoption packets, because everybody eventually does go and read them, you know, even if it's just sheer curiosity.

But these are basically it just it's a flyer of the 333 rule, uh, basic pet care, how to introduce dogs and cats to each other, how to introduce new dogs to old dogs and old cats, and um what was oh, if you're feeling overwhelmed, um it's got a sample schedule of how you can work with your dog or your new cat so that you just don't become overwhelmed because one of the things I work with about six people, and every day they call me, they send me emails, and they say, Hey, we want to find about this dog, this dog, this dog.

And we have been calling, and up until recently they would give me the outcomes, but now I know that they're very pressed for time and they can't do that.

So we have been opening, we've been requesting the open records request.

The open record requests are not accurate, they're not complete, they're not accurate.

So we're still trying to figure out which dogs have been euthanized, which ones have been adopted and everything, because the open records are not matching up to the weekly report card.

Um, so that's part of it.

But really, we're concerned about one of the things we're very concerned about is the retention rate because there are a lot of animals that are adopted out that are coming back after three days, and we're really concerned about that.

We're trying to figure out ways that we can actually prevent that from happening.

And um, we came up with a bunch of ideas for adoption.

Um I wish I had my handout, it would tell you everything, but I can email it to you all.

But really, we're concerned about the retention rate because that's probably the hardest thing for a dog or a cat to be in the shelter, get adopted and then come back two days later.

It's it's heartbreaking.

And as we all know, that usually puts them at the top of the list for euthanasia because they're an owner surrender and they'd already been in the pound before.

So we would really like to get some transparency on which animals are being euthanized.

I know that you have a program that's coming out, but is there a way that they can give me that information on a daily basis if I call it a set time?

So that I can't guarantee that.

Okay.

I mean, if I had 10 people working at the front desk, it might be a different thing.

I know.

So okay.

Well, I'd like to leave.

Well, we do have a program coming out.

It'll be online, it'll be up to date daily.

Well, I would like to leave these with you, and thank you very much.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Is there any other no other speaker?

Sign up.

Okay, well, then it looks like we're on to the last item.

Adjourn.

Alrighty, so thank you.

Thank you.

These iconic properties remind us that Tulsa's past wasn't.