EMILY KALKA Staff Writer
Dogs and puppies seized during the shutdown of Add Love Pets, LLC, are still available for adoption.
Lawrence Depriest, director of operations for the Humane Society of Tulsa, said they still have 235 Maltese in their custody, with 28 of those born in their care. The animal shelter took in 408 dogs, though it gave 37 to the care of Skiatook Paws and Claws Animal Rescue. He said that some are ready for adoption, while others aren’t.
“There’s a little bit of everything. So, we do have some that are available for adoption now. We’re working through spays and neuters to get more of them out for adoption. There are some that have health concerns. There’s some that are still nursing. So there’s just a little bit of everything going on,” he said.
He said that it’s been great watching the dogs go off to their forever homes. All were afraid of human interaction and would run away whenever people entered their enclosures. However, now they’ve warmed up.
“They’re still learning how to people, but they’re getting better each and every day,” he said. “The ones we’ve sent home, it’s been great. We’ve been hearing nothing but great things about how they’re suddenly home and they’re getting along with the housemates and actually starting to become dogs and what it feels like to be taken care of and cared for.”
Depriest said Add Love Pets was one of the worst situations the Humane Society of Tulsa has come across in the years they’ve been doing criminal cases, with so many dogs in such tiny spaces and ammonia levels off the charts. It was pretty rough, he said. As they began shavin mats off, they found tears in the skin under the mats. Some dogs had cockroaches buried in the mats that would fall out as they were being groomed. But grooming was only one part of the work.
Depriest said they’ve been working through state and nutrient procedures to help get the dogs healthy. He added that there was a lot of dental disease and many dogs needed cleanings and extractions.
“But overall, they’re getting very healthy. They’re putting on (weight) -- they were very skinny. We had lots of body condition scores in the twos and threes. Ideal is like five, six,” he said.
While the dogs are improving and finding homes, Depriest said the Humane Society is still in need of monetary donations to help with basic care, staffing, food and medical care. The shelter is out thousands of dollars for the care and treatment of the dogs, which they won’t be reimbursed for by the court. Donations can be made through their website at www.tulsapets. com.
If people are interested in adopting any of the Maltese or other animals in the shelter’s care, they can visit their adoption center at 6th and Sheridan in Tulsa. Depriest said they can come in and meet the dogs, though recommended pre-applying online, as there are a lot of applications.
The center is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. He also recommended watching the shelter’s Facebook page, as they will have a lot of events coming up.
The dogs were seized on July 16 from Add Love Pets, LLC, in Stroud, through a coordinated effort by the Stroud Police Department (SPD), the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and Forestry (ODAFF), the Humane Society of Tulsa (HST) and other animal rescues, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Owner Jerry Hine, 83, was arrested and charged with 408 felony counts of animal cruelty. His next pre-preliminary hearing is on Sept. 11 at the Lincoln County Courthouse.