Oklahoma City Animal Welfare has launched a new managed intake policy aimed at reducing overcrowding in the city’s animal shelter. Under the policy, residents who find healthy stray animals are asked to either leave them where they were found or hold onto them while seeking out their owner. Advocates argue it puts too much responsibility on residents and ignores long-term overpopulation issues.
Erin Kerrigan, Animal Advocate
Q: What do you think of this new managed intake policy?
A: “This is a policy that’s become very popular, increasingly popular across the U.S. over the last couple of years. They call it community sheltering. And it does have some upsides… it lowers your euthanasia rate… it also tends to be better for shelter staff… but my opinion, at least, is that it is very bad for the community as a whole.”
Q: Why do you think it’s a problem?…