Animal Control Officer Brandie Willard, who volunteered 2 years of her time at the Sapulpa Animal Shelter before becoming a part-time, then full-time employee, wants people to know how much the shelter differs from what people think of when they think of a “pound.”
Willard told Sapulpa Times, “The shelter is so often looked at as a horrible place. I want so much to change…the perception” of it. “I see local posts about missing/found animals and so many comments are about not calling the ‘pound.’ I want [the Animal Shelter] to be the first [place] they think of calling.”
She explains the process, saying “[We’ll] pick up that animal, keep it safe, check it for a microchip, get it medical attention, and [put a post on social media looking] for the owner. We really do want to help!” She laughs, “I can’t stand the words ‘pound’ and ‘dog catcher.’ We are the Animal Shelter and we are there to help!”
The Animal Welfare Division, part of the Sapulpa Police Department, which includes the Sapulpa Animal Shelter, is responsible for the welfare of animals in our community.
The Animal Shelter conducts a variety of duties, such as picking up stray animals, conducting animal cruelty investigations, reuniting lost pets with their owners, finding new homes for unwanted pets, and providing a safe, loving, place where cats, dogs, and various other critters have food, water, and “a friendly face with a caring hand.” Its 7 part and full-time employees, including the Director of Animal Control and former police chief, Pete Sellers, are dedicated to the health and well-being of the animals in their care.
Animal Control Officers also enforce the City’s Animal Code, ordinances of which include requirements for rabies vaccinations, tags, and City licenses, spay/neuter procedures, pets’ confinement to the owners’ property, the number of animals allowed per residence (it’s five over the age of 4 months and no more than 3 of them can be dogs over the age of 4 months), and allowing animals to defecate on public property without proper removal.
Animals picked up by the Shelter and not reclaimed by their known owners may become available for adoption, rescue, or in rare cases of injury or illness, euthanasia, after three business days, and after being notified by letter. Animals without a known owner will be kept for 5 business days to see if anyone comes to claim them, before being adopted or rescued. Animals voluntarily surrendered to the Shelter by their owners are immediately available.
The Shelter has been remarkably successful at adopting and rescuing out the animals that come through their facility. Sellers reported that last spring they had 142 cats and that by this March they were down to 10. When Sapulpa Times visited, there were 30 cats and kittens.
Regarding euthanasia, Sellers said, “There’s no such thing as a ‘no-kill shelter.’ You’ll always have to put some down,” due to injuries and illness. But that rate is low.
In 2020, only 15 of the 1,172 animals that they housed had to be put down, and all for health reasons. 174 were reunited with their owners, and around 1,000 were adopted to responsible families or taken in by local rescue shelters.
The employees do their utmost to make the animals’ stay with them as happy and safe as possible. Sellers said, they “know and love these animals backwards and forwards.” Dogs are taken outside to play at least once a day, if not more, and cats and kittens get lots of affection and love, being held and petted throughout the day.
Willard says that the hardest part of working at the Shelter “is seeing the sick and mistreated” animals. “We don’t have a vet on staff or the funds for them to get treatment. It [requires] a lot of begging for rescues to take” them on.
But the best part, she says, is “seeing them get adopted and getting updates on how they are doing. We love it when someone finds their perfect pet.”
Seller has several goals for the Shelter, including lowering fees, obtaining the equipment to make the lab fully-functional, and finding a part-time volunteer vet who can treat animals at the lab.
“We have a fantastic facility,” Sellers says. “We want people to come visit.” He also wants the community to know that “We’re not trying to be the bad guys, we’re just trying to keep everyone safe.”
The Shelter holds monthly adoption days, generally on Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. The next adoption day will be June 5th at the Creek County Fairgrounds.
Kittens and cats who are already sterilized are $10, and those who are not are $55, to cover the spay or neuter fee. Kittens must be 3 pounds before they can be spayed or neutered, and therefore adopted. Puppies must be 4-6 months old before being adopted. Dogs are $10 if already sterilized and $70 if not. Each animal comes with a prepaid rabies vaccination from a veterinarian.
To adopt an animal from the animal shelter, you must fill out a short application that includes information on your current pets and veterinarian and questions about how you will handle certain situations (What will you do with your pet if you move? If you are adopting a cat, will you declaw it? Where will your pet be kept during the day?).
Additionally, the Shelter will check with the City to ensure your current pets are licensed, your vet to make sure they have current rabies vaccinations, and your landlord, if applicable, to confirm that you may have pets. You will also be asked to show a government-issued ID.
If you are moved to help the City’s animals, Sellers says the Shelter is “always glad to have volunteers” and is “always in need of donations of cat and dog food and cat litter.”
The volunteer application is on their website or you can stop by to get a paper copy.
The City of Sapulpa Animal Shelter is at 8812 West 100th Street South, just east of State Highway 66, on the road north of the Super 8 and south of Freddie’s BBQ and Steakhouse. They will celebrate their 2 year anniversary of the new facility in July of this year.
You are welcome to stop by anytime during business hours, which are Monday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to noon, and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are closed Sundays and Mondays.
To reach the Animal Shelter, you may call 918-227-2722, email animalcontrol@cityofsapulpa.net, or send them a Facebook message. You may also file a concern on the City’s website.
For the complete City Code on Animal Ordinances, go to cityofsapulpa.net, click the menu button on the top left hand side of the page, go to “Businesses,” then “City Code.” The Animal Code is Part 4.
City licenses and tags for all animals over the age of 4 months may be obtained at City Hall, 425 East Dewey Avenue.
