COLLINSVILLE, Okla. — Things are a lot quieter here at the Ward Wiseman Animal Haven as operations wind down at their current location.
Moving boxes stand in place of the usual cats and dogs. WWAH staff have until Dec. 31 to move out of their current home.
The city of Collinsville terminated their lease on the property with Ward Wiseman. City Manager Chuck Ralls called the relationship illegal.
Coza Huffman, President of the Board, spoke with 2 News about the future.
“I think we’re taking it as it comes, unfortunately,” Huffman said, “We’ve got a couple of options of land, to potentially lease. We don’t wanna get back into that situation of a lease and ending up in the same place we’re at right now.”
Thanks to the generosity of some local donors, every donation made between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3 will be matched dollar for dollar, up to five thousand dollars. The money will go toward the rebuild.
“We wanna be strictly a no-kill, I don’t know what’s gonna happen if they take it over,” Rick Phillips said.
- 2 NEWS WAS THERE >>> Phillips spoke with 2 News Oklahoma during the Oct. 7 protest
Phillips protested the city’s decision to end its dealings with the shelter.
2 News requested an interview with the city manager. Instead, he emailed a statement.
“We will continue to provide the same quality service we have for years. We strive to spay, neuter, and rehome every animal that comes into our care,” Ralls said.
Ralls mentioned the lack of affiliation between the city and WWAH. Huffman prefers it that way.
“We’d prefer not to be in city limits, so then, we would hopefully be working with Tulsa County, or another county,” Huffman said.
Right now, leaders at Ward Wiseman say they’re “displaced, but not defeated.”
Huffman says there is no clear timeline on when the new facility will go up.
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