It’s a good time to be alive in Oklahoma City. We can now add “NBA champions” to our collective resumé, and national attention is abundant. Where there was once a windswept prairie, there is now Chisholm Creek. Faded First National Center has metamorphosed into The National, while the newly renovated Skirvin is home to Chef Andrew Black. We have OKANA, for goodness’ sake, not to mention the neighboring First Americans Museum, just a hop and a skip from Oklahoma Contemporary. We have the Wheeler District, and we have Scissortail Park.
So yes, it’s a great time to be in Oklahoma City — if you’re human.
But for animals, life in Oklahoma City can still be incredibly tough, and their reality hasn’t improved nearly as rapidly as the city has.
An August 2024 article in The Oklahoman by Jessie Christopher Smith documented the challenges faced by the current animal shelter, which has been stretched dangerously thin by chronic overcrowding. The shelter routinely operates above capacity, and even healthy animals are sometimes euthanized due to a lack of space. The staff of more than 60 people face this harsh reality daily, and it takes a toll. To alleviate the pressure, the shelter has implemented a managed intake strategy, effectively pausing animal intakes once a daily limit is met. It’s not a good situation for the animals or the staff — it’s unsustainable, and it’s not reflective of where we are as a city.
But like so much else in Oklahoma City, that’s changing.
A special election on Dec. 10, 2019, gave us MAPS 4, an ambitious, debt-free public improvement program that has already reshaped life in Oklahoma City. RAPID bus transit is off to an incredible start, whizzing past enhanced bus stops, sidewalks and bike lanes, with more routes to come. The May issue of this paper highlighted the success of Diversion Hub, which received $18.9 million from MAPS 4 to reduce incarceration and recidivism. But the warmest and fuzziest MAPS 4 initiative is the $42 million, world-class Animal Welfare Center, a transformative project that will dramatically improve how Oklahoma City cares for animals in need.
In February, city leaders broke ground on the 70,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility behind the current shelter on SE 29th Street. Expected to open in 2027, the new center will more than double the number of dog kennels to nearly 550 and increase the number of cat condos to more than 300.
Beyond being larger and newer, HSEarchitects and Connolly Architects & Consultants designed the shelter to be a kinder, gentler place for animals in need. The facility will have four separate entrances — one each for adoption, intake, training and the clinic — improving building flow, safety and hygiene.
The new center will feature separate cat and dog kennel wings designed to create quieter, less stressful spaces for pets awaiting adoption. Each kennel room will include windows, allowing natural light to improve animal well-being. Plans also include outdoor play yards with artificial turf for exercise and socialization, a training room and meeting spaces for events and educational programs.
The shelter currently accepts small mammals, reptiles, wildlife and farm animals, but the existing facility is ill-equipped for these species. The new shelter will include a 2,800-square-foot barn and pasture designed specifically to accommodate horses and other farm animals, a significant improvement, particularly for shelter staff, who shoulder a heavy burden under current conditions. The new space prioritizes the mental health of both the animals and the people who care for them.
Louisa’s legacy
None of this would have happened without the advocacy of Louisa McCune, who served as executive director of Kirkpatrick Foundation from 2011 until her passing in 2024. McCune was a tireless champion for animal well-being. Under her leadership, the foundation established two major animal well-being initiatives for Oklahoma: making the state “the safest and most humane place to be an animal by 2032” and increasing Oklahoma’s cat and dog “live release” rate to 90 percent by 2025.
She worked relentlessly to ensure animal welfare received MAPS 4 funding, advocating throughout the extensive public input process.
“Louisa was a tireless advocate for animals, working to ensure they had humane living conditions,” Mayor David Holt said. “Her passion for helping both animals and people left a lasting impact on OKC, and it is appropriate to honor that legacy with this naming.”
“Louisa was a champion for everyone, but especially the underdog,” Kirkpatrick Foundation chairman Christian Keesee said. “Kirkpatrick Foundation has long supported animal well-being, dating back to my grandparents, John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick. What a fitting honor that she be remembered through Oklahoma City’s new animal welfare center.”
Animal advocates emphasize that a new shelter alone is not a magic bullet. While increased capacity will ease some of the shelter’s biggest challenges and lead to better care and outcomes, systemic solutions are still needed. As NonDoc reporter Megan Prather pointed out in September 2024, shelter overcrowding is a community issue. Without widespread spay and neuter efforts, the new shelter could quickly reach or exceed capacity. It’s an education issue and an accessibility issue. Oklahomans must have access to affordable, timely spay and neuter services.
In addition to a new facility, the shelter has new leadership. Ronnie Schlabs, with 17 years of experience in animal welfare, was hired as superintendent following a nationwide search. In a February announcement, City Manager Craig Freeman called Schlabs “experienced, compassionate and committed to protecting the health and safety of people and animals in our community.”
Schlabs emphasized the thoughtfulness behind the shelter’s design.
“The kennels will be larger, which is good for the animals’ emotional and mental health,” he explained. “They’ll be able to move around more and play more. There will be outdoor play yards — a lot of consideration went into how to make sure the animals have the best day possible when they’re in our care.”
Schlabs also has high hopes for expanded community programs to address overpopulation.
“We currently have our spay and neuter program. We’d love to expand that,” he said. “And at our new facility, we’ll have more resources for those programs, as well as an education center.”
Kelley Barnes, executive director of the Kirkpatrick Foundation, echoed this commitment.
“At Kirkpatrick Foundation, we are proud to carry forward our legacy of supporting animal well-being by championing leaders and organizations dedicated to the fair and humane treatment of animals,” Barnes said. “Through education and encouragement, we can empower Oklahomans with the knowledge and tools to better care for animals.”
The work continues. As the new shelter edges closer to becoming reality, McCune’s refrain during the fight to add the shelter to MAPS 4 still resonates: “Where animals fare well, people fare well.”
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This article appears in City crowned.