SKIATOOK, Okla. — Whether you’re looking for your new best friend, or a cuddly companion, Skiatook Paws And Claws Emergency Animal Rescue likely has the dog or cat you’re looking for.
But there’s a problem, the shelter has too many dogs and cats.
“Probably a hundred or so requests today, and we’ll have to say not all of them,” said Intake Coordinator Amber Ridenour.
She said they’ve had to stop taking in new animals for the rest of the year.
“Every single rescue is struggling. They’re struggling financially, struggling with keeping up with your local animal controls and the strays, all that entails, and more importantly most of them are struggling financially,” said Ridenour.
She said part of the problem is that they seldom know the medical history of the animals they take in.
“You run into sicknesses and illnesses, as simple as a worm infection that causes a couple hundred dollars,” said Ridenour, “but a parvo case like the one we have today that will probably cost a couple thousand before the puppy‘s well enough to be adopted.”
Ridenour said that takes a bite out of their overall budget, limiting the amount of dogs and cats they can afford to care for.
She said that hurts, because their shelter saves pets who would have otherwise been euthanized.
“If you have space for something, then your number one reason that you should adopt a shelter pet over purchasing a purebred animal, is because something doesn’t have to die,” said Ridenour.
Aside from adopting, Ridenour said fostering a pet also helps by freeing up shelter space.
When you foster a pet, the shelter still covers all the pet’s food and medical expenses.
Ridenour said they also need donations to help with their mission.
She said people can donate through PayPal on their website or on their Facebook page.
You can also mail donations to PO Box 1033 in Skiatook, OK 74070 or drop them off at 4605 W. Rogers Blvd. in Skiatook.
