Tulsa animal services outlines staffing plan, budget needs for new shelter

Animal Services staff told the Tulsa City Council working group that the city’s existing shelter is regularly operating above capacity and that a larger, modern shelter will require more staff and phased investment to meet public expectations.

Sherry, identified in the meeting as the director of Animal Welfare, said the current facility was designed under an older model of capture and humane euthanasia and is not adequate for today’s public demand for rehabilitation, adoption and transfer partnerships. She told councilors the department has improved its live‑release rate from about 66% three years ago to about 78% year‑to‑date and that those gains have been achieved despite space, HVAC and quarantine limitations.

Staff presented intake and outcome data and a three‑year staffing plan tied to the 24,000‑square‑foot facility. The new shelter will increase kennel capacity substantially (department estimates presented at the meeting show roughly an increase from about 240 to about 374 total kennels) and will add expanded surgical and clinic capacity. The department told the council that opening the full new kennel footprint will require about 54 employees versus the roughly 45 currently on staff.

To operate the new facility the department is proposing a phased hiring approach: FY27 proposals include additional kennel workers, one full‑time veterinarian (bringing total veterinary capacity to about 2.5 FTE), a veterinary assistant, an additional office assistant and two additional animal control officers (ACOs). Staff said those positions would help increase live‑release rates, reduce shelters stays by moving animals more quickly through spay/neuter and adoption workflows, and provide more patrol and enforcement capacity in the community.

Councilors asked whether a large, one‑time investment in expanded spay‑and‑neuter clinics could reduce future intake. Staff said such programs can be effective but they rely on partnerships and careful planning; staff estimated a low‑cost mobile clinic bundle (spay/neuter plus vaccinations and microchip) could cost roughly $99 per surgery when pooled with external partners versus local retail prices of $400–$600.

Staff also briefed councilors on options for limited continued use of the current shelter—primarily because the existing incinerator cannot be relocated, because it could provide surge quarantine space, and because it stores containers for equipment. Staff reported a one‑time roof estimate of roughly $500,000 for the old site and historical maintenance costs on the order of the tens of thousands per year. Councilors and staff discussed whether some of that continued cost could be offset by philanthropic partners.