T ulsa Animal Services (TAS) announced Monday it has officially hit over 150% capacity, pleading with the public to adopt or foster as the shelter runs out of space and options.
“We are over 150% capacity, and despite every effort to move animals into homes or rescues, we are out of space and out of options without your help,” TAS posted on Facebook.
Yet despite the crisis, some Tulsa residents appear more concerned with aesthetics than empathy.
“I feel bad for the dogs, but come on. They’re ghetto looking — there, I said it,” admitted a South Tulsa woman while stepping into her 2007 Ford Focus. “Plus, they don’t reflect my status.”
Residents across the metro echoed similar sentiments, claiming they just “don’t feel a connection to ugly dogs” since many rescued dogs are mixed breeds or seniors.
“Of course we love dogs,” said a woman from Broken Arrow. “It’s just, I’m allergic to some breeds. Especially older, ugly-cheap looking ones. It’s a medical condition.”
Rather than adopt, many status-conscious pet seekers turn to Craigslist, where they can spend a few hundred on purebred pups from mysterious breeders with no known address, credentials, or vet history — and then tell people they paid a few grand for the dog.
Meanwhile, inside Tulsa Animal Services, dozens of puppies continue to endure trauma and extreme anxiety, many of them separated from their families for the second time in their short lives. Staff describe them as “heartbroken” and “deeply tormented.”
But hey, at least they don’t clash with anyone’s Pinterest aesthetic.
To encourage empathy and action, The Oklahoma Gaslight is offering a brand-new TRUMP edition Tesla to whoever adopts or fosters a shelter dog.*
