In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a spokesperson for the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless, which provides services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, reached out to the public about an early morning raid on Friday at a homeless camp, which led to a state trooper shooting a dog.
Governor Kevin Stitt’s plan to remove homeless people from state property, labeled Operation SAFE, have given the homeless choices; and either go to a shelter or to a treatment facility. People refusing the options will be taken to jail.
It had been on September 5 when state troopers entered a homeless camp, causing a dog in a tent to become scared and no doubt trying to protect and guard his owner. When the dog began to bark, it has been reported the trooper shot the dog.
In response to the public outcry, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol released the following statement:
This morning, during Operation Safe, troopers were conducting a walkthrough of an unauthorized encampment. As they approached a tent, they encountered an aggressive dog that suddenly lunged toward them. In response, the nearest trooper was forced to take immediate action, firing a single shot to stop the attack. The dog was injured and was promptly transported to a veterinary clinic for treatment.
The dog was taken to the Tulsa Day Center, where a veterinarian arrived to treat the dog. He has been listed in stable condition and is expected to recover. The dog’s owner has stayed with his dog and does not want to leave his dog’s side.
In November 2024, the Tulsa Day Center welcomed its first pet guests. Before the shelter was opened, homeless people with pets were required to keep their pets in a carrier or stay outside with them.
The shelter is able to house five large and five small animals at a time. Tulsa Day Center’s operating funds will support the shelter’s daily operations; cash and pet supply donations are accepted
Recent homelessness concerns continue to escalate. People with pets are often denied places to stay, and so many people do not want to surrender their pets; concerned that local animal shelters, already overcrowded will instantly euthanize their beloved pal and sometimes only companion.
Sadly shelters are almost always full, so where do people go? It would seem there are going to be a lot more people being sent to jail. And then … what about their pets?
Sadly, we all know the answers to homeless pets through no fault of their own.
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