TULSA, Okla — Several community members have started speaking up about the stray pet population and how it’s affecting the north Tulsa community.
Efrain Guajardo and his mom, Fernanda Amaro, said they’re doing their best to keep each other and the community's dogs safe, knowing they don’t mean anyone any harm.
Still, they say loose and stray dogs in the community have posed some problems.
“We have a bike club and every time we go out with our bikes, there are always small dogs on the street, and they almost tripped us," said Guajardo.
“It is a problem because these dogs are just out on the street without their owners, without supervision," said Amaro.
The city has allocated funds and resources to curb the stray pet population and reduce pets roaming the streets.
According to the city of Tulsa’s communications team, the city has administered nearly 100 spay/neuter vouchers to families who received citations for violations.
The city also says that over the past year, Tulsa animal services has been working closely with the planning & neighborhoods department to help neighborhoods that need it, as identified through the Neighborhood Conditions Index pilot program.
Some of those neighborhoods include Sequoyah, Suburban Hills, and Charles Page.
According to data gathered by the city through the NCI program, the north Tulsa area of Sequoyah scored the lowest possible score for loose animal complaints, at 0.
“It is very important to be informed, to make sure your pets have their required vaccines, healthy food, to avoid mistreatment," said Amaro. "To make sure that the community is safe for kids, for us to all be able to walk comfortably.”
The City of Tulsa team said they will be announcing new initiatives to help with the overpopulation problem in these upcoming weeks.
2 News will make sure to keep you updated with the latest information.
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