LAWTON — The city has too few animal control officers, not enough room at the animal shelter to accommodate the thousands of dogs and cats it receives each year, and euthanizes a high number of those animals.
Those issues were discussed during consideration of plans to either renovate and enlarge the existing animal shelter or construct a new and bigger building.
The shelter has 61 dog runs and a dozen enclosures in which canines are confined, plus 42 cat cages, 16 for felines identified for adoption.
Yet the shelter’s intake during the first eight months of this year totaled 1,959 dogs and 835 cats. Last year the shelter received 2,578 dogs and 974 cats. In 2021 it was 2,394 dogs and 1,405 cats. The year before that it was 2,370 dogs and 1,273 cats. And in 2019 the shelter’s intake was 2,958 dogs and 1,669 cats.
Intake at Edmond’s animal shelter is approximately 25% of what Lawton’s is, Animal Welfare Superintendent Roy Rodrick said. Norman’s, too, is lower, and so are Enid’s and Midwest City’s, he added.
“Why do we have so many animals coming in?” Mayor Stan Booker asked.
Common reasons are strays and disputes between neighbors, Rodrick said. Lawton’s Animal Welfare Department receives more than 200 calls each week “and we have only two officers,” he said.
The department is approved for one field supervisor and four animal welfare officers. Instead, the department currently has one field supervisor and one animal welfare officer who respond to calls for service daily. One animal welfare officer “is in training at this time,” Rodrick told the council.
“We need more animal control officers, definitely,” Acting City Manager John Ratliff said.
The Animal Welfare Department is approved for one kennel supervisor and two animal care technicians who perform duties in the kennel, Rodrick related. LAW currently has two animal care technicians and two part-time kennel assistants.
The department also has a staff veterinarian and a veterinarian assistant who spay, neuter, and medicate sick animals, Rodrick said.
LAW also has one full-time administrative assistant and a part-time administrative assistant for office duties.
A large number of the animals admitted to the kennel are euthanized each year, records reflect: 55.6% of the dogs and 58.4% of the cats so far this year; 49.3% of the canines and 36.4% of the felines last year; 33.5% of the dogs and 45.7% of the cats it received in 2019.
The principal reason for putting down the animals is sickness, Rodrick said. “Upper respiratory infection is something we find every day.” Moreover, approximately half of the disease problem “is caused by the facility itself,” he said.
Addressing the council, JayRe Warren said that about 15 years ago the city trapped feral cats, neutered them and released them in the vicinity where they were captured. Those cats “kept the rats and mice under control.” However, since that practice ceased, “We have had an infestation” of the rodents in the city “and it’s getting worse every year,” he said.
City staff interviewed three architectural firms on May 8 and selected GH2 Architects of Tulsa to provide professional architectural services on the animal welfare kennel.
GH2 Architects will develop a space program summary for the proposed project that will include existing facility square footage for analysis and comparison, and also will include projections for animal population counts for multiple time intervals.
The architects will develop two conceptual design options for the project. One option will include improvements (renovations and additions) to the existing facility and the other option will include a replacement facility. The architects will outline potential contingency or interim improvement plans for temporary facilities or improvements to the existing facility that may be necessary prior to completion of the project.
Preliminary opinions of the probable cost of the two options will be developed.
GH2 Architects LLC will submit a design report within 90 days of the notice to proceed. The price tag for the initial services phase is $15,200.