Very often animal welfare advocates and organizations in rural areas become frustrated by the local response to animal cruelty calls. Despite being a crime in all fifty states, animal cruelty is treated differently from other crimes. In many places over 90% of animal cruelty complaints will not responded to, fewer will have a police report filed on them, and far fewer will be investigated. Sadly, some estimates say that a dogfighter has a greater chance of being struck by lightening than being arrested for dog fighting.
However, we can develop an important network by being positive and supportive each time that officials act to help animals.
When officials take action to help animals, publicly thanking officials or police or deputies can highlight the importance of animal cruelty in addition to letting the officials know how much you do care. By having a small network of people send thank you notes or acknowledgements to officials, and to the local newspaper as well, you encourage others in the community to support the law enforcement officials who made the decision to act.
Additionally, if an individual in the community reported the crime and testified, resulting in conviction, make sure that person is noted in a public way as a hero for animals.
As an extra bonus, your simple thank, appearing in the local paper, can go a long way toward educating your community about violence toward animals. Make sure to include that many people who are violent toward animals later become violent toward people and that animal cruelty victimizes a wide circle of people in addition to the animal victim.
A sample note is posted below:

Dear ……………….

We strongly applaud your effort to support our animal welfare laws and protect our communities.

The link between crimes against animals and crimes against people are well documented, and very often people who commit crimes against animals move on to their neighbors and strangers.

Your concern for keeping our community safe is deeply appreciated and we feel the deepest support for the efforts you have made.

Sincerely,

………………

We’ve had some exciting news here. The Oklahoma Alliance for Animals, a great animal welfare umbrella organization, provided a table at the recent Oklahoma Sheriff’s and Peace Officers Association (OSPOA) conference, distributing information on anti-cruelty laws, and tips on cruelty investigations, to over 300 officers from all over the state. The OSPOA conference is the largest law enforcement conference in Oklahoma each year.

According to the Department of Justice, the level of staffing of sheriff’s offices in Oklahoma is roughly half the national average level of staffing, so we feel it is imperative to assist law enforcement through cooperation and more in this state.

The original idea for the table came from Ed Kent, Vice President of Homeward Bound Humane Society of Durant, OK, and Marshall County deputy. The Oklahoma Alliance for Animals immediately agreed to sign up for the table and the OSPOA very kindly got us a space.

The ASPCA, the Oklahoma Humane Federation and several of its’ members, along with many others, helped to make the table into a success, proving how many folks really want to make Oklahoma a better place for animals.

We have to be careful that all of our networking efforts do not involve those who are already aware of the need to improve things for animals. While it is so important to work with other organizations, coming together for conferences, etc., for those of us in isolated areas, getting out of the box is a vital link to changing the status quo for animals. Many fundamental changes in enforcement of cruelty/ neglect laws involve seriously improved contact with law enforcement departments, elected officials, and legislators. A lot of this is easier than you think, sponsor a table, ask to speak at a meeting, support their events (unless they compromise animals), etc. Our issues overlap with law enforcement, domestic violence, social services and a lot more.

The Alliance created the materials for the display and printed much of the material including body conditioning score sheets. The Oklahoma Humane Federation (OHF) and OHF members Washington County SPCA and Homeward Bound helped with printing, and the ASPCA provided their wonderful “cruelty cards.”

For folks who do not know what ASPCA cruelty cards are, they are these fantastic little laminated cards that have every animal related law in your state printed on them. Contact ASPCA to find out if they exist for your state—a lot of officers took one from the table, and then returned to get extras to take back to place in the cars in their departments. From personal experience, I can tell you they can be wiped off after coffee is spilled on them, and according to Ed Kent, they can be tri-folded to keep in a wallet!

OHF member No More Homeless Pets, Director Patt Grasse, used this opportunity to create a page on her website to host information for Oklahoma officers. While some of the page is relevant to law enforcement in other places, this page was created for Oklahoma officers. The page has forensic reporting forms created by ASPCA, tips on investigations of cruelty cases compiled by Dr. Lila Miller, DVM, an Oklahoma resource list, body conditioning information and more all in a format to be downloaded. NMHP is working hard to make it into a great resource; the page is easy to find and will be growing.

Veterinarians Greg Campbell, DVM of the Oklahoma state diagnostic lab, and Carey Floyd, DVM, Program Chair of the Veterinary Technology Program of Murray State College at Tishomingo, OK, located body condition scoring resources for the table. The Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association provided brochures on spay/ neuter and bite prevention. As always, Clova Abrahamson, immediate past President of Oklahoma Humane Federation, was there for us, coordinating communications, making last minute calls and patching messages through to those who were working on the table.

Sue Kent, Secretary/ Treasurer and Stacy George, Shelter Manager, of Homeward Bound Humane Society, drove 180 miles round-trip from Durant, OK to Oklahoma City, to set up the table.

The number of people who offered to help staff the table was outstanding. Kay Helms, DVM, Dean Emeritus, Veterinary Technology, of Tishomingo, drove over two hours to staff the table on opening day. Volunteers for Animal Welfare, Safe Haven Canine Rescue, Zoi’s and Clova Abrahamson all offered to help. While everyone’s offers were deeply appreciated, the volunteer help from Clova and/ or Deb Stellas of Zoi’s would have meant a drive of roughly 300 miles round trip for either one of them. Although neither one was called on for the event, the offer shows serious dedication to halting animal cruelty in Oklahoma.

Ultimately, around 300 cruelty cards along with a lot of other info were distributed to officers.

Enlarging our circle of compassion is not too difficult, and it is vital. It may involve setting up an information table or finding other ways to reach out. Lots of other players affect the quality of life for animals, and we need to reach them in order to develop partnerships to stop animal cruelty, put perpetrators in jail and get better laws in place.

Through teamwork, a group of Oklahoma humane organizations recently changed the course of an animal cruelty case that was about to be pled out by a person with a several-years-long history of reported animal neglect. In December, 2006, fourteen McCurtain County horses were released by the owner to ARK, located in Broken Bow, OK. At the time two horses were already dead; others were not on their feet and were not expected to survive. Noting that the owner released the horses, the DA planned to allow the owner to plea for a deferred sentence, meaning that the person would not have a permanent conviction for animal cruelty. Although an extended prohibition on obtaining more animals was to be in place, the sentence meant that if the person moved, there would be no record to alert authorities to earlier infractions. The local newspaper informed residents that cruelty charges would not be filed. Working directly with ARK, The Oklahoma Alliance for Animals immediately agreed to pay mileage for Coalgate veterinarian, Dr. Kay Helms, to perform a necropsy on the two carcasses and to assess the living horses. ARK then received the ASPCA forensic reporting forms that are now available online at Patt Grasse's website www.sheltereducation.org Dr. Helms examination, along with testing by the state lab, revealed that the horses had indeed died of starvation. Armed with a veterinarians report, ARK forwarded photos and the story to the local newspaper, resulting in a public outcry. Because of the organized legwork by ARK, the McCurtain County DA agreed to file charges against the former owner, meaning that if convicted, this person will be followed by a public record of what they have done. The following week a different headline indicated that animal cruelty is not accepted by lots of people in McCurtain County. This was a great example of the use of resources to generate publicity and local support, and in developing the teamwork that really ties us all together in our struggle to make Oklahoma a better place for animals. For those of us who are members of OHF and The Alliance, and the individual membership groups of each, we are very, very fortunate to have this network. A very warm congratulations to all of those who enabled this success to take place.

Forgot to mention this in my last blog entry! Sid Kills In Water, Director of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe CHR Program we are under, said that as the number of animals has declined the cruelty calls to his office have declined. His office gets the animal complaints, both cruelty and nuisance.

There were still horrid things happening even last year, but as the numbers have gone down this has mainly stopped.

So, with the dramatic decrease in dogs overall we have documented (will be in a forthcoming updated letter from the veterinarian):

• increased spending on dog food at the two retailers
• decreased dog bites (by over 50% according to health offices)
• more dogs entering the clinic on leashes and collars,
• increased paying clients at the closest vet (she is in Nebraska)
• decreased cruelty complaints

The April 2006 Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation clinic was a success-339 animals (208 dogs and 131 cats) were spayed or neutered and a great parternship of folks came together to help. On Saturday a member of the tribal council, Robert Moore, came to volunteer along with former IHS hospital administrator Penny Wilson and her son Jim (soon to be leaving for college).

This number of dogs was consistent with our expectations, but the cat turnout decreased. Tribal health workers attribute this to a significantly smaller number of cats than dogs kept as pets.

Our new equipment provided by PETsMART Charities was in use, making the set up much easier, more functional and safer. The two surgical tables donated by Dr. Pitts and cages donated by shelters in Denver and Boulder eliminated the need to transport equipment, which is great!

Again this year, the tribe enabled inmates from the tribal jail to join us for all four days and they were fantastic help. Four inmates (women) helped in cats, and four (men) in dogs. For some of the inmates it was probably the first time of being part of a positive event and being listed as a volunteer for their community. The eight year old son of one of the female inmates joined us, very carefully opening suture packages for Dr. Yunker, etc., and I know she truly enjoyed having him at the clinic with her. I wish that positive changes could keep going forward for them. It was a sadness to know that as we all went on to our committments elsewhere, they went back to the tribal jail and to difficulties that are probably hard to imagine. Hopefully our clinic gave them some sense of accomplishment and belonging.

The results of this program are quite obvious at this point and we get comments from individuals, businesses and tribal officials on the very apparent success. Overall this project has combined high volume, a ton of outreach and timing of the clinics that could terminate most pregnancies.

Communities and business parking lots in which overwhelming numbers of stray and roaming dogs used to be common are now free of roaming dogs, or one dog is occassionally seen instead of four to eight. The overall appearance of local animals is vastly different than just three years ago. Dogs with mange, packs and unapproachable street animals are now rare. In fact, with each clinic more dogs come in on leashes and show a genuine increase in the care they receive.

We have three letters, one from the local school board and two from municipalities on the reservation regarding the dramatic reductions in stray dogs. This is not just an ethical or community pride issue- packs of dogs congregated at schools because of the food in the dumpsters and attacks and bites were common. One of the tribal workers who takes me into the communities to pick up pets belonging to homes without transportation was attacked by a pack of dogs while he was walking past a school several years ago and he has serious scars from the incident. He described this as a not uncommon incident at that time.

Success varies from one commuity to the next and a local group raised funds for a "bounty," or incentive, to get people in some of the lagging communities to bring in female dogs. (there are 18 communities altogether). This helped, but it was clear that the best way to use it was to locate a "motivator" in the community who then went door to door to get people to bring the pets. I don't think the idea of a bounty was clearly understood, so it still took local involvment to motivate those who hesitate.

We are quickly approaching an "unintended consequence." Cats. Feral cats.

Formerly no cats were seen at dumpsters and trash piles, largely because it was presumed that the roaming dogs killed and consumed any that got there. In fact, most of the cats brought to the clinic are house cats and are in good shape. In the absence of the roaming dogs, we have been told of cat colonies that are now starting at two schools and one is starting under one of the tribal health buildings (we were unable to trap those). The report to the council will include information on the cats and the prevention of colonies of intact cats.

There is a lot of interest in the upcoming two day seminar by Dr. Helms. The Indian Health Service hospital (on Rosebud) will be forwarding a reminder to the other tribes in the Aberdeen service area later this month, so we hope for a good turnout. The local humane volunteer network will locate the animals for Dr. Helms' spay clinic. The presentation day is June 19th, and the clinic is June 20th.

Jackie White Buffalo, a health worker who has had a strong interest in this project since start up, took a ton of pictures (there are six rolls)!

Ruth

It’s been a while; things here have been going at a dead heat!!

The Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) conference entertainment event on January 21st was a beautiful statement of teamwork in Oklahoma.

The OVMA spearheaded the legislation to create the license plate and tax check off for spay/ neuter; this is a reflection on the leadership of OVMA and their Executive Director, Chuck Helwig, DVM.

The OVMA 2006 conference included a night of entertainment, and everyone laughed till they cried, at a comedy trio called “Toe roasters.” A portion of the proceeds of this OVMA entertainment event was dedicated to the Oklahoma Pet Overpopulation Fund.

The evening also included an awards ceremony for animals that have made a significant difference in the lives of people. Three dogs received awards. The event from beginning to end was, to me, a reflection on the leadership of the OVMA.

The dog that I went to see receive her hero award is a female black lab mix named Star. Star rescued an elderly woman who wandered away from an Alzheimers care facility. However, Star’s story of building bridges and being a part of something special runs far deeper than one incident, and her presence made the evening one in which people from many walks of life, in very different worlds, came together. You see, as of when Star accomplished her famous deed, she was a fairly inexperienced rescue dog enrolled in a “cell dogs” program at a medium security prison at Lexington, OK.

Star came from the City of Norman Animal Shelter as a four-month-old puppy that had had little chance of adoption. She entered a prison dog program where she would learn search and rescue in addition to obedience and basic life skills. Star lived in the cell with her handler, Marvin Perry, and ultimately it was decided that unlike other dogs, Star would remain with Marvin. Star lived with Marvin for four years. After four years together, Marvin received a transfer to a lesser security facility that had no accommodations for dogs, preventing them from continuing to live together. Star went to live with dog program coordinator and prison staff member, Sgt. Tracy Beckelheimer, where she will remain until Marvin’s release.

In 2005, Dr. John Otto, Chair of the Animal Welfare Committee of the OVMA and 2004 SPAY USA Veterinarian of the Year, nominated Star for the 2006 hero award. He was notified in December 2005 that his nomination had been accepted.

On January 21st, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections arranged for Marvin and Star to be present to accept their award in person. They had not seen each other in over a year. Attached is a photo of Star and Marvin seeing each other for the first time since the move; you see them back stage before the award presentation, Star climbing into Marvin’s lap and wagging furiously.

Marvin shared his thoughts on the evening. He said, “I found out about the award about two weeks ago. I just never thought about getting an award like this. She’s a great dog; I just had the opportunity to make something out of her. This is the most positive program the DOC has. You can see the real character of the men when they become part of this program. You would be really surprised to see the guys, in this same situation that I am in, being in prison, you really get to see their character, you get to see who they are and a side of caring and responsibility comes out in them. The dog program is the best thing that ever happened-it made me the best person I’ve ever been.”

Perry noted that this is excellent for inmates who want to make a change in their lives. He said, “In nineteen years I have never had a write up. Through the dog program, I had responsibilities. I taught the class, took care of the kennels, and then Mike came along and we hit it off pretty good. Mike was a good trainer himself.”

Marvin referred to fellow inmate and mainstay of the dog program, Mike Hapstad. Marvin Perry called Mike Hapstad one of the best friends he’s ever had.

Dr. Chuck Helwig, Executive Director of the OVMA, shared his thoughts as well. Dr. Helwig said, “I think it was a success, there is a good turnout. The Pet Overpopulation Fund was established by the state legislature in 2004 and was actually legislation that was supported and drafted by the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association. What it does is pay for spays and neuters for families that cannot afford to have their pet sterilized. From some of the other programs that are going, we think this will be a very effective program in reducing pet overpopulation. We estimate that over 100,000 pets are euthanized in Oklahoma every year. Our purpose is to draw the community of Oklahoma together to support this program.”

Dr. Helwig noted that the Pet Overpopulation Fund is supported by the purchase of a vehicle license plate, a tax check off now on the state income tax form, and through straight donations to the fund. While many other states have either the license plate or the tax check-off fund, Oklahoma is the first state to have both.

You know, the main thing going for us here in Oklahoma is that as our low-income spay/ neuter programs expand, the veterinary community and the humane community come together. People seem to keep the real purpose in mind. The Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Humane Federation was well represented at the Toe Roasters event. Attached is a photo of board members and Dr. Kay Helms, member of the OVMA Executive Committee and Veterinary Advisor to the Oklahoma Humane Federation. (Photo is, l to r, OHF board members, Robin Suarez of the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals, Deb Stellas of Zoey’s Rescue, Jamee Suarez-Howard, President of Oklahoma Alliance for Animals, Clova Abrahamson, President of OHF, Steve Eberle, board member OHF, Dr. Kay Helms.) Many thanks to David Richards of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections who accompanied Marvin Perry to the event and who pointed out the best angles for these photos!

At the graduations of the cell dogs, held before the dogs leave for their new homes, Mike Hapstad, mentioned earlier, greeted visitors and explained the program to them. His warm smile and deep sense of caring were obvious to all. He made folks feel welcome and at ease, something that can be difficult for some people entering a prison setting. At a graduation last year, Mike told Paula Silver, Director of Sacred Ground Sanctuary and myself, that if another inmate were caught abusing a dog in any way, he would risk solitary confinement himself in order to stop it. Mike said, “I would go to jail over any of our dogs.” Mike’s straightforward concern for dogs was clear; he was firmly a part of the ever-increasing circle of people extending compassion for animals.

In 2005, Mike learned he had cancer; later in the year, he died.

This post is dedicated to Mike and to everyone, no matter what their position in life, whether a prestigious veterinarian or a prisoner serving life, who works to extend compassion for animals and to make our world a better place to be.

Many thanks to the OVMA for their thoughtful and progressive leadership in our state.

This is really exciting! We have another success underway and there’s a lot of statistical information to share with other rural communities.

This past weekend I had a chance to spend a few minutes with Anita Stepp, Executive Director of the Washington County SPCA (WCSPCA) in Bartlesville, OK. Anita started in that position in August 2002, and has been a Godsend to the Oklahoma animal welfare community ever since.

During 2005, the WCSPCA has seen a significant drop in their intakes and an even more significant drop in their euthanasias.

To me the most important component in this entire success is the fact that folks in Washington County really worked together toward a common goal. The two humane organizations providing income-targeted programs have worked very closely and they have the participation of some local veterinarians. Social services and other agencies refer clients. When I mentored their first mobile clinic in Washington County I was amazed by the level of volunteer participation that came on board. Police officers, animal control from two small towns, members of other organizations, the President of Oklahoma Humane Federation, Clova Abrahamson, simply everyone, came to help out. An officer took the animal control truck to pick up pets belonging to folks without transportation…it was a powerful statement and so the fact that this community has had a successful outcome does not surprise me. A lot of this reflects Anita Stepp’s level of professionalism.

Additionally, WCSPCA is the perfect place through which to get a good look at the dynamics of rural spay/ neuter programs. WCSPCA is one of only five countywide shelters in Oklahoma, and they keep records of the numbers of animals processed through their facility. There is no mandatory record keeping here, and the combination of wanting to avoid controversy over euthanasias, methods of euthanasias and land fill issues, makes accurate numbers hard to get. In most places they are just not kept.

According to Census 2000, Washington County has 49,027 residents, or 20,207 households. 7,119 of those households earn under $25,000 per year. The county ranks 3rd in poverty out of 77 counties in this state, so the task involves addressing pockets of poverty rather than addressing the whole county.

WCSPCA had a $49 coupon program available to the general public for several years. However, because $49 was still out of reach for low-income households, the numbers of animals entering the shelter and the number euthanized were fairly constant from year to year. Record keeping was started there in 1997. Statistically, the coupons had no measurable effect on the number of unwanted litters entering the WCSPCA.

Referring to the intakes and euthanasias, Anita Stepp explained, “There was some fluctuation, but normally our intake was 3200 to 3300 dogs and cats per year (roughly 65 to 68 per thousand people). We normally euthanized around 1800 (or around 36 per thousand people).”

The euthanasia number in 2000 was 1815, and remained in the 1800s until 2002. In 2003 it dropped to 1,659. However, a major employer left the area, and in 2004, the euthanasia rate went back up to 1714.

Anita Stepp shared what made her start doing the high volume program for low-income families. She said, “I was new to animal welfare work. One of the tasks when I was hired was to help get a new shelter built. However, the big thing that turned me around was when I went to the SPAY USA conference in December of 2002. At the conference, I came to the realization that a new shelter was not the most important thing. Preventing the animals from being born was the important thing. I got a lot of ideas from that conference and that was where it all started.”

Stepp continued, “We held our first high volume clinic in Feb 2004 and since then we have done one more mobile and several high volume clinics with a private local veterinarian. Additionally, WCSPCA has done a transport to SPAY Oklahoma, a standing clinic in Tulsa.” The organization also has the cooperation of a nearby veterinarian who performs a limited number of surgeries at the same low cost as the other programs.

Since 2004, WCSPCA has provided around 600 surgeries for low-income households, with many of these surgeries subsidized through funding raised by the organization. The price of the mobile unit and cooperating clinic programs is $35 per dog and $25 per cat, plus $5 for a rabies shot.

What we started in 2003, after I went to the conference, was low-income coupons. These coupons were very low priced so that the very low-income households could afford them, and WCSPCA subsidized the remainder. According to Stepp, “That went really well, except,” and she laughed quietly, adding, “I used too much of the shelter money. But it was a very important step.”

Stepp shared an overview of the direction the program has taken. She said, “Before this program was in place anyone could use the $49 coupon. But what I know at this point is that those types of programs don’t really make an impact. You’ve got to get into the areas of the community where they just cannot do it otherwise.” Stepp explained, “It looks like our intake is going to be about 2,700 for 2005, that’s the lowest ever in our shelter. The euthanasia rate will be around 1,250 (the figure is not exact because we still have nearly two weeks left in the year). That’s a euthanasia rate of 47%, we have never been below 50%.”

The drop in the euthanasia rate from 1714 in 2004, to 1250 for 2005, represents roughly a 28% drop in numbers.

Stepp added, “Our adoptions decreased in 2005, validating that the euthanasia rates in areas like this are mainly driven by the numbers coming in. Adoptions get dogs out of the shelters, but they do not prevent them from coming in.”

Stepp added that a neighboring program called Green Country SNAP also provided surgeries for low-income households in the county. Those numbers are significant. Ultimately, the big effect took place when the two programs operated simultaneously.

SNAP provides $15 coupons for households having proof of income eligibility including WIC, Food Stamps, Section 8 housing, etc.

Sandy Gibson of GC SNAP provided data on the sterilizations provided by their organization. Privately funded, this program provided 28 surgeries in the last months of 2000, 493 sterilizations in 2001, 355 in 2002, 300 in 2003, 294 in 2004, and 266 through November of 2005.

Noting the success of the teamwork of the organizations, Stepp added that the two groups have enabled a high number of surgeries to target the right communities at the same time. Stepp said, “Working with SNAP has been very good. In fact we now issue the SNAP certificates at the shelter. It is easier for everyone when you have a location for people to come to. Also, a lot of the people we want to reach come to the shelter anyway in order to get rid of litters, so we can get them signed up right there. That’s working really well.”

Gibson agreed that having the SNAP program offered at the WCSPCA places the solution in the heart of the problem and catches people when they realize they need to get their pet spayed or neutered. She said that the partnership, “Is working very well for all of us.”

Stepp said that the overwhelming number of people who come in to leave a litter at the shelter are low-income. She said, “People who have higher incomes and a little education just aren’t letting that happen. They simply don’t want to deal with puppies or kittens, so they just get it done.”

Anita Stepp said, “This program has definitely shown some real progress. We had always heard it took several years to see a difference in the numbers, but we hadn’t realized how these programs have to managed in order to succeed.” Stepp continued, “Our staff thought the $49 coupon program would work and would make a difference. Now we know that really does not make much of a difference. By having an income targeted program, we can definitely see the difference.”

The combined overall numbers provided by the two programs is roughly 2,314. However, roughly 51% of those were provided during 2004 and 2005. The cumulative effect, vs. the effect of the high volume of the two year period cannot be fully determined, but the success has come at the end of the two years of high volume and little change was seen during the first three plus years despite the fact that those years included the highest number of GC SNAP surgeries.

I called Dr. Chuck Helwig, the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), to share these exciting stats. Dr. Helwig is a saint; we are incredibly fortunate to have him here. Under his leadership, the OVMA successfully spearheaded legislation creating a state license plate and tax check off fund, making Oklahoma the first state to have both of these funds in place.

Commenting on the success of the WCSPCA, Dr. Helwig said, “The thing that impresses me about these statistics is that they indicate the low-income programs are heading in the right direction. They are targeting the right people to reduce the pet overpopulation, specifically the animals that produce the ones that go into the shelters.”

I asked him if he sees this as an exciting statement about the role the veterinary community can have in stopping pet overpopulation. Dr. Helwig said, “I think it is very exciting. I think we have the veterinary community totally behind these programs as long as we are targeting the low-income people. The really nice thing about it is that we can see that by targeting the low income households the program has a dramatic effect on pet overpopulation.” He added, “Veterinarians are very community oriented. They are willing to help with the programs that are actually having the effect of solving this problem. I hope people in our state will support the license plate and tax check off funds, since this is precisely what this money will do.”

Dr. Kay Helms is on the Executive Committee of the OVMA, was the Program Chair of the College of Veterinary Technology at Murray State College for 18 years, and is now Dean Emeritus at MSC. Dr. Helms attempted retirement, but responding to our pleas, now operates on the Homeward Bound Humane Society mobile spay/ neuter unit, bringing the unit into remote, rural areas of southern Oklahoma.

Dr. Helms shared our excitement about Washington County, saying, “The statistics for a number of years show that adoptions and euthanasias do not decrease pet overpopulation. But by targeting the right people with a little education, and by offering a means by which they can become responsible pet owners, you can succeed. People come to realize this is a significant contribution they are making to their own pets and to society also. This validates those people as pet owners.” Referencing the rural program she facilitates, “Doc Kay” said, “I think it makes a big difference to our clients to be able to take this step-it is a source of pride to them.”

That’s it from Oklahoma.

Targeting Low Income in Rural Areas….It Works!

We have another exciting success underway and there’s a lot of statistical information to share with other rural communities!

This past weekend I had a chance to spend a few minutes with Anita Stepp, Executive Director of the Washington County SPCA (WCSPCA) in Bartlesville, OK. Anita started in that position in August 2002, and has been a Godsend to the Oklahoma animal welfare community ever since.

During 2005, the WCSPCA has seen a significant drop in their intakes and an even more significant drop in their euthanasias. Read all about it below!

Background on the Location

WCSPCA is the perfect place through which to get a good look at the dynamics of rural spay/ neuter programs. WCSPCA is one of only five countywide shelters in Oklahoma, and they keep records of the numbers of animals processed through their facility. There is no mandatory record keeping here, and the combination of wanting to avoid controversy over euthanasias, methods of euthanasias and land fill issues, makes accurate numbers hard to get. In most places they are just not kept.

According to Census 2000, Washington County has 49,027 residents, or 20,207 households. 7,119 of those households earn under $25,000 per year. The county ranks 3rd in poverty out of 77 counties in this state, so the task involves addressing pockets of poverty rather than addressing the whole county.

What Wasn’t Working: Coupon Cost Still Out of Reach

WCSPCA had a $49 coupon program available to the general public for several years. However, because $49 was still out of reach for low-income households, the numbers of animals entering the shelter and the number euthanized were fairly constant from year to year. Record keeping was started there in 1997. Statistically, the coupons had no measurable effect on the number of unwanted litters entering the WCSPCA.

Referring to the intakes and euthanasias, Anita Stepp explained, “There was some fluctuation, but normally our intake was 3200 to 3300 dogs and cats per year (roughly 65 to 68 per thousand people). We normally euthanized around 1800 (or around 36 per thousand people).”

The euthanasia number in 2000 was 1815, and remained in the 1800s until 2002. In 2003 it dropped to 1,659. However, a major employer left the area, and in 2004, the euthanasia rate went back up to 1714.

New Shelter Not the Answer

Anita Stepp shared what made her start doing the high volume program for low-income families. She said, “I was new to animal welfare work. One of the tasks when I was hired was to help get a new shelter built. However, the big thing that turned me around was when I went to the SPAY USA conference in December of 2002. At the conference, I came to the realization that a new shelter was not the most important thing. Preventing the animals from being born was the important thing. I got a lot of ideas from that conference and that was where it all started.”

Stepp continued, “We held our first high volume clinic in Feb 2004 and since then we have done one more mobile and several high volume clinics with a private local veterinarian. Additionally, WCSPCA has done a transport to SPAY Oklahoma, a standing clinic in Tulsa.” The organization also has the cooperation of a nearby veterinarian who performs a limited number of surgeries at the same low cost as the other programs.

Since 2004, WCSPCA has provided around 600 surgeries for low-income households, with many of these surgeries subsidized through funding raised by the organization. The price of the mobile unit and cooperating clinic programs is $35 per dog and $25 per cat, plus $5 for a rabies shot.

What we started in 2003, after I went to the conference, was low-income coupons. These coupons were very low priced so that the very low-income households could afford them, and WCSPCA subsidized the remainder. According to Stepp, “That went really well, except,” and she laughed quietly, adding, “I used too much of the shelter money. But it was a very important step.”

Low Income Coupons Lower Euthanasia

Stepp shared an overview of the direction the program has taken. She said, “Before this program was in place anyone could use the $49 coupon. But what I know at this point is that those types of programs don’t really make an impact. You’ve got to get into the areas of the community where they just cannot do it otherwise.” Stepp explained, “It looks like our intake is going to be about 2,700 for 2005, that’s the lowest ever in our shelter. The euthanasia rate will be around 1,250 (the figure is not exact because we still have nearly two weeks left in the year). That’s a euthanasia rate of 47%, we have never been below 50%.”

The drop in the euthanasia rate from 1714 in 2004, to 1250 for 2005, represents roughly a 28% drop in numbers.

Stepp added, “Our adoptions decreased in 2005, validating that the euthanasia rates in areas like this are mainly driven by the numbers coming in. Adoptions get dogs out of the shelters, but they do not prevent them from coming in.”

The Synergy of Working Together

Stepp added that a neighboring program called Green Country SNAP also provided surgeries for low-income households in the county. Those numbers are significant. Ultimately, the big effect took place when the two programs operated simultaneously.

SNAP provides $15 coupons for households having proof of income eligibility including WIC, Food Stamps, Section 8 housing, etc.

Sandy Gibson of GC SNAP provided data on the sterilizations provided by their organization. Privately funded, this program provided 28 surgeries in the last months of 2000, 493 sterilizations in 2001, 355 in 2002, 300 in 2003, 294 in 2004, and 266 through November of 2005.

Noting the success of the teamwork of the organizations, Stepp added that the two groups have enabled a high number of surgeries to target the right communities at the same time. Stepp said, “Working with SNAP has been very good. In fact we now issue the SNAP certificates at the shelter. It is easier for everyone when you have a location for people to come to. Also, a lot of the people we want to reach come to the shelter anyway in order to get rid of litters, so we can get them signed up right there. That’s working really well.”

Gibson agreed that having the SNAP program offered at the WCSPCA places the solution in the heart of the problem and catches people when they realize they need to get their pet spayed or neutered. She said that the partnership, “Is working very well for all of us.”

Stepp said that the overwhelming number of people who come in to leave a litter at the shelter are low-income. She said, “People who have higher incomes and a little education just aren’t letting that happen. They simply don’t want to deal with puppies or kittens, so they just get it done.”

Income Targeting is Key

Anita Stepp said, “This program has definitely shown some real progress. We had always heard it took several years to see a difference in the numbers, but we hadn’t realized how these programs have to managed in order to succeed.” Stepp continued, “Our staff thought the $49 coupon program would work and would make a difference. Now we know that really does not make much of a difference. By having an income targeted program, we can definitely see the difference.”

The combined overall numbers of surgeries provided by the two programs is roughly 2,314. However, roughly 51% of those were provided during 2004 and 2005. The cumulative effect, vs. the effect of the high volume of the two year period cannot be fully determined, but the success has come at the end of the two years of high volume and little change was seen during the first three plus years of targeting low-income homes, but having a lower total number of surgeries.

I called Dr. Chuck Helwig, the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), to share these exciting stats. Dr. Helwig is a saint; we are incredibly fortunate to have him here. Under his leadership, the OVMA successfully spearheaded legislation creating a state license plate and tax check off fund, making Oklahoma the first state to have both of these funds in place.

Commenting on the success of the WCSPCA, Dr. Helwig said, “The thing that impresses me about these statistics is that they indicate the low-income programs are heading in the right direction. They are targeting the right people to reduce the pet overpopulation, specifically the animals that produce the ones that go into the shelters.”

Working with Veterinarians

I asked him if he sees this as an exciting statement about the role the veterinary community can have in stopping pet overpopulation. Dr. Helwig said, “I think it is very exciting. I think we have the veterinary community totally behind these programs as long as we are targeting the low-income people. The really nice thing about it is that we can see that by targeting the low income households the program has a dramatic effect on pet overpopulation.” He added, “Veterinarians are very community oriented. They are willing to help with the programs that are actually having the effect of solving this problem. I hope people in our state will support the license plate and tax check off funds, since this is precisely what this money will do.”

Dr. Kay Helms is on the Executive Committee of the OVMA, was the Program Chair of the College of Veterinary Technology at Murray State College for 18 years, and is now Dean Emeritus at MSC. Dr. Helms attempted retirement, but responding to our pleas, now operates on the Homeward Bound Humane Society mobile spay/ neuter unit, bringing the unit into remote, rural areas of southern Oklahoma.

Dr. Helms shared our excitement about Washington County, saying, “The statistics for a number of years show that adoptions and euthanasias do not decrease pet overpopulation. But by targeting the right people with a little education, and by offering a means by which they can become responsible pet owners, you can succeed. People come to realize this is a significant contribution they are making to their own pets and to society also. This validates those people as pet owners.” Referencing the rural program she facilitates, “Doc Kay” said, “I think it makes a big difference to our clients to be able to take this step-it is a source of pride to them.”

What Impressed Me

The most important component in this entire success is the fact that folks in Washington County really worked together toward a common goal. The two humane organizations providing income-targeted programs have worked very closely and they have the participation of some local veterinarians. Social services and other agencies refer clients. When I mentored their first mobile clinic in Washington County I was amazed by the level of volunteer participation that came on board. Police officers, animal control from two small towns, members of other organizations, the President of Oklahoma Humane Federation, Clova Abrahamson, simply everyone, came to help out. An officer took the animal control truck to pick up pets belonging to folks without transportation…it was a powerful statement and so the fact that this community has had a successful outcome does not surprise me. A lot of this reflects Anita Stepp’s level of professionalism.

That’s it from Oklahoma for today!

Summary of the “Sicangu Oyate Pet Care Celebration,” Spay/ Neuter program on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in SD

History:

Similar to many reservations, the stray dog and cat problem on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation exceeded levels seen in off-reservation communities elsewhere in the US. The Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation includes the fourth to the poorest county in the US.

Litters born each spring became packs by fall. Victimized by mange, starvation and freezing, some dogs cannibalized other dogs in order to survive. Dog bites and livestock losses were enormous.

In 2002, the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Health Administration created a partnership to aggressively develop comprehensive, humane solutions to pet overpopulation issues.

A resolution of the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council declared July 18th through 22nd, 2003 the ‘Sicangu Oyate Pet Care Celebration,’ the first pet care event on the reservation. The resolution noted the traditional significance that animals, specifically companion animals, had to Lakota people, and the need to restore respect for the shunka (dog) and igmu (cat) to everyday life.

Short and long term goals were developed.

Short term plans included planning the 2003 five-day spay/ neuter event with a capacity of 900 animals. Distribution of information about the clinic and the reasons for spaying and neutering started. Arrangements were made to receive unwanted animals, with adoptable ones to be transferred to out of state adoption facilities wherever possible.

Long range plans included creating an animal control and protection program, establishing a permanent clinic (primarily for spay/ neuter), creating an education program and establishing ongoing pet transfer relationships with out of state shelters so that adoptable pets could find homes.

Within the year, the short-term goals were realized with a very successful clinic, a second clinic had taken place and all of the long-term goals became underway.

Preparing for the first clinic: Once the date was set, the Tribal Health Administration began major community outreach efforts. Children created posters that called for compassion toward animals. Radio ads in Lakota and English advertised the event.

The tribal health administration organized transports to pick up pets belonging to families in remote parts of the reservation, bring them to the clinic, and return them after surgery. The logistics were enormous.

During the early stages of planning the 2003 clinic, it was recognized that creating solutions without an animal shelter in place, made it necessary to accept unwanted animals, adoptable and unadoptable.

Denver Dumb Friends League, Boulder Humane Society and Best Friends of Utah agreed to accept unwanted animals, reaching out to accept as many as they could. Advertisements noted that unwanted dogs would be collected; arrangements were made to receive large numbers of animals.

In July 2003, veterinarians, veterinary technicians and others traveled to South Dakota as part of the “team of change.” Out of state volunteers from Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana and Oklahoma joined the event. During the five-day clinic, 649 pets were sterilized; vaccinated, dewormed and treated for mange.
Nearly 100 local volunteers from tribal communities joined tribal health care workers. Workers from the Indian Health Service Hospital, along with Naval Reservists, vaccinated pets and helped check-in clients.

NLS Animal Health of Oklahoma City arranged for large donations of vaccinations and pet care supplies from Bayer and Fort Dodge. The Spay Oklahoma truck logged over 6,500 miles during the combined pet pick-ups and the pet transfers afterward. Homeward Bound Humane Society of Durant, OK, sent over one thousand packages of dog and cat treats along with recovery supplies.

The event received live coverage on South Dakota Public Radio, an article in the Rapid City Journal and articles in numerous newspapers, Indian and non-Indian, in central South Dakota.

In April, 2004 a second clinic took place. 459 animals were spayed or neutered. Responsible pet care information was distributed and posted throughout the reservation. In March, 2004 the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) provided funds for renovation of the new clinic building, making high volume spay/neuter clinics easier and far more cost effective. PETsMART Charities provided funding for surgical equipment including the anesthesia machine and medical sterilizer.

During 2005, three separate clinics of four days each, served by two high volume veterinarians, provided spay/ neuter surgeries for 1,313 animals. The animals also received deworming, vaccinations and dogs received mange treatment.

The Pet Transfers:

Arrangements were made to receive large numbers of unwanted animals after the clinic. While as many pets as possible would be included in the transfers, we assumed that euthanasia would be necessary, and we prepared for that also.

However, generous outreach of the shelters enabled all healthy animals to be transferred to Salt Lake City, Boulder and Denver. Even some dogs with health problems could be treated and placed for adoption. NOT ONE animal was euthanized because of the excessive numbers.

Following the clinic, arrangements were made for ongoing pet transfers to the Colorado shelters.

The Future of this Program:

Teamwork has created fundamental change for animals and their caregivers on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation.

These programs are firsts for any South Dakota community, on or off reservation. Through the development of a high volume spay/ neuter program, an educational program, the implementation of an animal control code and pet transfers, the strides represent fundamental change for animals and communities on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation.

Dog bites and roaming packs (animals that had suffered horribly) have been reduced dramatically. By concentrating on prevention and education, this cost effective and humane approach is a model for communities everywhere.

The 2003-2004 events were sponsored by Summerlee Foundation, International Fund for Animal Welfare, ASPCA, Friends of Animals, and others.

We completed the second 2005 spay/ neuter clinic on
the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation on Sunday, July
31. This was a four day clinic serving cats and dogs
on the reservation.

208 dogs and 211 cats were spayed or neutered, for a
clinic total of 419. We had a good, steady flow
throughout the weekend.

This was our second clinic utilizing the stationary
animal clinic provided through funding from
International Fund for Animal Welfare. The clinic was
equipped through a grant from PETsMART Charities and
other donations.

This time we traveled to remote communities and
housing areas with a trailer and pet carriers in order
to provide transportation of pets that live in
households without a way to get pets to us. We came to
the community building in each housing area where
transportation was provided. This is VERY time and
energy consuming, but we determined that this service
is absolutley vital to providing access to these
clinics for the entire reservation. Over half of the
families that brought animals to the transport vehicle
carried or walked them and of those that drove few had
vehicles that are roadworthy for a trip outside of the
housing area. One young boy brought his cat on a
bicycle. Yes, you just read that correctly! There are
some GREAT photos.

Denver Dumb Friends League and Boulder Humane Society
donated the carriers to enable the clinic transports
to take place. Getting the carriers from Colorado to
South Dakota is an additional part of this story!!

Including the clinic this past April (the first in the
new building), so far in 2005 we have spayed or
neutered 877 animals. We will return in early October
for a final 2005 clinic.

The tribal health workers do the check ins and
otherwise supervise some of the volunteer activities.

One veterinarian is from Oklahoma and the other is
from Montana, both regularly are involved with high
volume programs and both have been involved with this
project, one has been at each clinic since 2003. As of
today we have had no aftercare calls from this clinic
and there were question call, but none had to be seen,
at the last.

Rosebud includes the fourth to the poorest county in
the US; the transports obviously included the poorest
of the poor. Some is emotionally difficult in terms of
the poverty that the people and animals are living in.

Again this time, a lot of people actually brought pets
back that we had already sterilized in order to update
their rabies vaccinations, something I see as
extremely positive. If the pet is being sterilized, or
is already sterilized, some peripheral services are
provided which include the rabies shots and deworming
and mange treatment if needed.

A few already sterilized animals also received some
additional care. For example, a rescue poodle that
needed an eye removed (due to an earlier cruelty
incident) was served and a siamese cat that had been
attacked by a dog was seen. Porcupine quills were
removed from a few dogs' faces (noses mostly), but
this time there were no extreme cases (maybe these
were wiser dogs).

The most exciting thing to me is to see the "on-res"
network that has developed around this. There is great
involvment by the tribe, local humane volunteers,
tribal members who volunteer at each clinic and even
some non-Indians who volunteer at each clinic. New
people have offered to help with the postering and
this past Sunday the hospital administrator from the
local Indian Health Service hospital (she volunteers
at each clinic for at least half a day) said that she
would like to be involved with the educational
component!!

The tribal president has established a new program
allowing non-violent offenders in the local jail to
work off their fines in community service projects.
Several were assigned to both our cat and our dog
areas to help with the ongoing cleaning and other
stuff. Some of the community service workers gave us
phone numbers and asked that we contact their families
with a date so they can be part of the next clinic.
This was likely their first time thinking of
volunteering.

The overall cost is remaining within the budget.
(total cost per surgery including humane grants as
well as the tribal portion for food and housing is
around $21 per surgery). Surgeries this year were
funded by Friends of Animals and Best Friends Animal
Society. There will be more info on that and our
impact on dog bite numbers as well.

I learned it will be necessary to go through the files
of the last several years in order to generate the
exact numbers on dog bite reduction, and plan to work
on that when I am there for the next clinic.
Anecdotally we know it is a significant measureable
reduction, but exact figures will have to be ferreted
out of the files!! (no pun intended).