Oklahoma City Counts on Young Visionary
by Cheryl Devoe
December 2007
The Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Christy Counts, founder of the Oklahoma Humane Society, would agree, but she would suggest that the same could be said of a city. More importantly, she would ask us to consider a plan with solutions to the problem of humane treatment of animals in Oklahoma City.
When you introduce Christy Counts to people as the president of the newly formed Oklahoma Humane Society, most reply, “I thought we already had a humane society.” However, Counts reports that until recently Oklahoma City was the only city of its size that did not have a humane society or any other “strong, comprehensive private animal welfare organization.” Another misconception is that local societies are linked to the National Humane Society, but all local groups are independent organizations.
It was only three years ago that this knowledgeable, articulate young woman returned to Oklahoma City and saw the progressive and exciting transformation happening here in revitalization and commitment to a sense of community. One thing she did not see though was a progressive program to deal with the burgeoning problem of animal welfare. She saw in city leadership an opportunity to “collectively and collaboratively take real action with the right programs and adequate funding.” So in January 2007, she founded the society. Counts sees the Humane Society as “another egg in Oklahoma City’s basket that makes it a desirable place to corporations looking for a progressive place to locate.”
One example of local collaboration has been the recent establishment of the Metro Alliance for Animal Life. Backed by Mayor Mick Cornett, the alliance is currently recruiting 18 other metro mayors. Counts, who will serve as vice-president of the alliance, reports that the group will work together to” identify gaps in animal welfare and to leverage resources to create a strong animal welfare coalition.”
She sees her most important jobs at this point as providing exposure for the Oklahoma Humane Society as a program offering solutions and coordinating strategic planning. She is excited about the support the organization has received from Oklahoma City philanthropists who are animal lovers but who have never been involved in worthwhile animal causes before, but she is adamant about the need for community-wide support to join her strong and growing team.
When asked how she became involved in animal welfare, Counts said that “helping animals in need has been my passion all of my life,” and when she “saw the things I loved most threatened,” animal welfare evolved into a career choice. She is a certified dog trainer and groomer; she has worked in shelters and veterinary clinics. In addition, she taught in the community education program in public schools in New York City for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She strongly believes that creating compassion in children for animals through educational programs helps children become compassionate to people; therefore, the Humane Society will have a strong educational link.
After growing up in Oklahoma City and graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in communications, Christy lived in Colorado, New York City, California and St. Louis. She became involved in animal welfare and saw and worked with many excellent private programs in cities that had become aggressive about a “no kill” policy: policy that promotes no euthanasia of healthy, adoptable dogs and cats.
When she decided to move back to Oklahoma City with her young son, she worked for the city’s animal shelter for 18 months because she wanted to “ intimately understand what was going on with animal welfare here.” Counts says the animal shelter has a negative image, but many people don’t understand the problems it faces, and she explains that there is a real need for a large cooperative effort and support system. Statistics prove Counts’ concerns. Last year the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter impounded more than 28,000 live animals, and approximately 40 percent of all intakes were surrendered by their owners. Over 18,000 cats and dogs were euthanized. Only 4,407 were adopted.
Because the Oklahoma Humane Society has “an incredible board behind us” and lofty but workable goals, a plan for action for improving animal welfare has been launched. Although the metro area has some animal rescue sanctuary programs and one low-cost spay and neutering service, these groups are focused on one small part of the animal welfare problem. The Humane Society is the only group in place to have a broader mission. The group’s mission statement asserts that the “ Oklahoma Humane Society exists to enrich the community it serves by promoting the well-being of animals.”
So what are the Humane Society’s goals? The solutions are clearly mapped: some are in place, some are in progress, and others await funding. First, the society is committed to end pet overpopulation and needless euthanasia. The Humane Society plans to make Oklahoma City a “no kill” city by 2012. The city spends almost one million tax dollars per year housing and euthanizing adoptable animals. Secondly, the Humane Society is determined to increase placement opportunities for adoptable pets by transferring approximately 2,000 animals per year from the Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Department to homes through a foster care program or adoption.
Another of the group’s goals is organized to promote responsible pet ownership. The solution will be met through education that encompasses all aspects of animal welfare including proper housing, nutrition, disease prevention and treatment, as well as responsible care. Other areas of pet humane education include identification of pets through tags and micro-chipping, wellness needs and disaster preparedness.
Counts does not see these goals as difficult for Oklahoma City to attain. The trap, neuter and return program for feral cats is underway. Counts calls feral cats “the stepchild of animal welfare,” and Oklahoma City has a huge feral cat population. These cats live in colonies and a well-meaning person feeds them, but they won’t allow humans to touch them. A problem arises when the cats are only trapped and removed because the remainder of the colony senses the diminished population and reproduces faster. The Humane Society’s solution is to trap, neuter and vaccinate the cats and then return them to the colonies, a program that has proven successful in controlling and reducing the numbers of cats in feral colonies. To date, the Oklahoma Humane Society has trapped, neutered, vaccinated and released more than 750 feral cats.
Another solution is creating two or three high-volume spay/neuter clinics that can handle 15,000 to 17,000 surgeries per year. These services would be available to those who cannot afford a private veterinarian. An example of community collaboration in this area has been the city’s public/private partnership by providing an old fire station to be used as a clinic facility. Because Oklahoma City “does not have the resources to go ‘no kill’ on its own, they are willing to do what they can such as providing this building,” Counts said. She is also hopeful that the veterinary community will get behind the organization.
Funding, of course, is the backbone of any private organization. The group will rely on securing funding from national groups such as Maddie’s Fund. This fund, founded by Dave Duffield, has put $200 million in a fund to help cities achieve “no kill” status. It has strict guidelines cities must meet by working in collaboration with other community groups. Christy sees the mayor’s alliance as valuable in putting Oklahoma City in a position to be eligible for funding. Counts reports that “we are a city of interest to these national organizations because our kill rates are high, and we’re a rural city with a large animal population.”
With these funding programs, the goal of “no kill” policy “is not a pipe dream; reaching that goal is a matter of getting the funding and getting the job done,” Christy said. She also reminds us that the $25 private donation is just as important because “When you see that $25 donation, you see what stands behind it. It says we believe in your group and its mission; we are responsible pet people.”
The organization also heavily relies on a volunteer base. The feral cat program uses volunteers to trap animals. Other animal welfare groups such as Pal OK are merging their volunteer effort with the Oklahoma Humane Society to encourage animal adoptions. Counts believes that once people volunteer, they see the problems, they see the solutions, and they become the advocates for pet adoption.
Christy sees today as an exciting time for animal welfare in Oklahoma City; she sees today as the time for our city to acknowledge that a “no kill city is a compassionate city. “She sees the Oklahoma Humane Society as the most appealing private vehicle to meet the goals because it is unlike some radical groups such as PETA. She recognizes that” our community is different: we are a community of hunters, ranchers, rodeo people; our group isn’t going to come in and advocate no more hunting, fishing or using animals for rodeos. Our main goal is to stop killing dogs and cats.” Long-time friend Marsha Swift remembers Christy as a little girl “passionate about saving dogs;” Counts sees herself as just part of a group of “regular people who love animals and who want to make a difference in our community.”
If you are interested in learning more about the Oklahoma Humane Society, visit their website at www.okhumane.org. Donations made be made to the society at 9300 N. May Avenue, Suite 400-281, Oklahoma City, OK 73120.
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