Animal Aid of Tulsa feeling helpless as shelters across Green Country overwhelmed

TULSA, Okla. — Shelters and rescues are in total emergency mode, overcapacity and overwhelmed by the summer season.

FOX23 spoke with Maggie Brown from the Animal Aid of Tulsa who said, in many ways, her hands are tied.

"We know a lot of people are very frustrated in both trying to help animals that they find that are in need or the people that are on the other side, rescue organizations that are just broken hearted when they turn people away because they just cannot take in anymore animals," Brown said.

Animal Aid received a letter from a Skiatook couple, Michael and Paula.

They found an emaciated, dying dog and they wanted to help. They called shelter after shelter in Skiatook, Owasso, Claremore and Tulsa.

No one would accept the dog.

FOX23 spoke with them in their home and they said they wanted to humanely end the animal's suffering so they set up an appointment to euthanize the dog.

When the couple arrived to the appointment, they said the clinic threatened legal action claiming they could be charged with abandonment.

FOX23 also spoke with another woman at Animal Aid. She said the same thing happened to her. She found a dog on 25th Street completely emaciated, covered in ticks and surrounded by flies circling it's infected ear.

She was turned away from shelter after shelter and spent $300 of her own money on vet bills. And there is no solution in sight.

Brown said fostering can ease some of the stress.

"If someone finds an animal and they can foster or knows someone that can foster then that's basically a place for that animal to go and that really helps a ton," she said. "Everyone is looking for more fosters all the time which is truly something that can help save an animal's life."

For those interested in fostering, click here .