Common ways you might prepare for a walk or run in your neighborhood are hydrating and stretching. But some Tulsans also need to mentally prepare for a potential encounter with stray or loose dogs.
That’s a problem ACTION Tulsa is trying to solve. The community advocacy group held a meeting over the weekend to share resources with pedestrians on what to do if they find themselves in this situation.
Stray and loose dogs have affected the walk to school for students, leading some to skip school altogether. It’s even caused the suspension of mail delivery in one north Tulsa neighborhood.
“This is not a dog problem; this is a people problem,” Christy Emig, a volunteer with ACTION Tulsa, told The Eagle following the meeting on Nov. 8.
Emig said that about two years ago several members of her women’s cycling group were attacked by loose dogs over the span of a month. One woman’s injuries were so severe that she ended up in the hospital.
The weekend meeting was the culmination of two years worth of discussions the group has had with elected officials, Tulsa Animal Services and others about the issue, she explained.
“We’ve been working with the Mayor’s Office off and on, since he was elected, on this issue, but it’s beyond the city limits,” she said. “So it’s going to take more work than just the city.”
Tulsa Animal Services unveiled plans for a new shelter that was slated to open this fall. Sherri Carrier, manager of Tulsa Animal Services, told The Eagle on Tuesday they are still adding kennels to the new location and have their “fingers crossed” for an opening in January or February.
Tulsa also has increased fines for people who abandon their pets and launched the Fix It, Tulsa campaign earlier this year, encouraging residents to spay and neuter their animals to address the overpopulation of pets.
One thing ACTION Tulsa organizers have learned through their two years of advocating on these issues is that for some, the source of the problem is affordability.
That can range from struggling to pay for vet services to not having the money to repair fences, which can contribute to dogs getting out of their yards and roaming the neighborhood, Emig said.
The group is encouraging Tulsans to look out for their neighbors who might be having financial hardships but don’t want to give up their pets.
“I’ve learned to think, ‘Oh, is it that they have a hole in their fence and can’t afford to fix it?’ I mean, who can afford to fix a fence these days?” she said. “How do we help those who do own (pets)? Sometimes you’re just at your wit’s end and you don’t know what else to do. And they don’t want to surrender (the pet) because this is their family.”
Mary Green, a certified professional dog trainer and board member with the Tulsa SPCA, advised the group to keep calm if they encounter a loose dog roaming the neighborhood. “If a dog approaches you — this is the hardest thing to remember in that moment — don’t panic, and don’t run,” Green said. “Running can trigger a dog to chase you.”
She shared tips such as knowing your route well and said one useful item to carry might be an umbrella, which when opened could provide a barrier between you and a potentially dangerous dog.
Organizers with the Terence Crutcher Foundation created a map using city data to show incidents of dog attacks and bites across the city.
If you do encounter a stray or loose dog, the Tulsa SPCA advises you to call Tulsa Animal Services from 8 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. any day of the week. After hours you can call the police non-emergency line at 918-596-9222.
ACTION Tulsa will continue to meet monthly, looking at whether any changes need to be made to the law and advocating for the city’s annual budget to include full funding for Animal Welfare Services.
