GLENPOOL, Okla. — Mindy Tiner is the executive director for the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals.
She said this year, she’s seen an uptick in the stray pet population, which has led to overbooked spay and neuter centers as well as overcrowded animal shelters.
“Everybody is just full,” she said. “I think that we all have experienced some challenges with the economy over the last few years and things cost more and people have to make decisions.”
She said many people try to help animals by taking them in but then lack the funds to spay and neuter them, starting a vicious cycle.
She says shelters have taken on the burden of doing as much as they can for these stray pets.
“Help where you can," she said. "Anything you can do to help is going to be appreciated by us or any other rescue.”
The Treat App is one of those ways people have been reaching out to help the Friends of Glenpool Animal Shelter.
Jessi Taylor is a volunteer with the Friends of Glenpool shelter.
Last summer, she helped get the shelter involved with the Treat app — an app that allows people to play games and earn supplies from vaccines to food to help local shelters stay equipped to help pets.
“The treat app has been amazing,” she said. “These large boxes, we get four to five a week.”
Thanks to everyone who’s donated, Jessi said the shelter no longer has to spend any money on food and can now put this money towards other necessities.
“Each box has one 44-pound bag of pedigree dog food, and that goes a long way when you’re feeding 12, sometimes 15 animals, y’know?” said Taylor.
Jessi says this doesn’t only help to keep pups healthy, but it allows the shelter to prepare them for adoption.
“The more we can do for them to help get them healthy, the better off they are when they venture off to their new forever families," she said. "The more we can do for them to help get them healthy for families. It saves everybody money in the long run.”
As of now, the Friends of Glenpool Animal Shelter is the only shelter in Oklahoma participating in the TREAT App's program.
The app currently caters more to dogs but will be expanding more to help cater to cats as well.
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