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Animal Services reports citation compliance gains, new shelter site work and expanded partnership clinics
Summary
Animal Services Director Sherry Carrier reported progress on a lower-cost spay/neuter citation program, site work at the new shelter, partnerships with nonprofit clinics, and upcoming targeted sweeps in Hawthorne and Dream Center West neighborhoods.
Animal Services Director Sherry Carrier updated the Tulsa Animal Welfare Commission on May 12 about early results from the revised spay-and-neuter citation program, construction activity at the new shelter site, recent partnership clinics and planned neighborhood sweeps.
Carrier said staff contacted 54 intact animals in the course of regular duties and issued 35 citations; of those 35 citations, she reported 14 animals came in and received the $30 spay or neuter surgery. She cautioned that court timelines — including a typical 30-day window and the possibility of an additional 30-day extension — mean full compliance figures may take months to appear.
On the new shelter, Carrier said heavy equipment had arrived, trees had been removed, dirt work was underway, a work trailer was on site and the perimeter fence was up. She said site meetings will occur regularly and invited commissioners to request a group tour. She gave a tentative completion date of July 2026.
Carrier said the department asked the city for several new positions to support the new shelter: a part-time veterinarian and a total of 11 positions were requested for a future fiscal year, she said, but none of the requested positions had yet been approved. She added that one positive personnel change was the reclassification of the kennel worker position, which she said had been the city’s lowest-paid position.
Carrier reviewed recent outreach and partner clinics. She said Animal Services participated in the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals Rock and Rescue event and that two dogs were adopted there. On April 29 and May 6 the department took part in mobile-clinic days run by the Humane Society of Tulsa and SPCA; Carrier said, “for both days, we had a 15 pets that were spayed and neutered. 302 pets were vaccinated. So we served a total of 417 animals for the community,” as recorded in the meeting transcript. She said SPCA plans a vaccination clinic in the Sixtieth-and-Peoria area on May 21 at Savannah Landing Apartments, with multiple partner organizations participating.
Carrier said Animal Services will conduct targeted sweeps to reduce roaming and stray animals in neighborhoods showing higher call volumes. She named two initial target areas: the Hawthorne neighborhood in North Tulsa (near 36th and Peoria) and the Dream Center West area (near 5th Street South and First West Avenue). She and commissioners linked the Hawthorne area to recent park-safety concerns and said loose dogs have contributed to requests for more fencing at some parks.
Carrier urged residents to report bites and stray-animal problems so Animal Services can act; she said, “If we don't know, we can't do anything,” emphasizing that resident reports help target enforcement and outreach.
Commissioners and staff discussed advocacy around budget conversations; Carrier said the mayor presented the budget on “the thirtieth” and invited commissioners to engage with councilors and the mayor’s office if they wished to support staffing requests.
No formal votes were taken on staffing or construction at the meeting; the commission heard the operational update and discussed possible next steps for advocacy and public outreach.
