TulsaPets Magazine November 2022

16 TulsaPets • November / December 2022 LOGICAL TEAMMATES Ponca City Public-Private Partnership Saves Pets by Ashley Villines, executive director, Northern Oklahoma Humane Society, and Jay Glowacki, supervisor, Animal Control, Ponca City Police Department A new spirit of cooperation between city government and the private sector has paid huge dividends for dogs and cats in Ponca City. Volunteers planted the seed, and the decision to implement a no-kill program accelerated the partnership between the Northern Oklahoma Humane Society and the Ponca City Police Department. Almost overnight, Ponca City’s focus shifted from basic animal management to saving the lives of animals. As discussed in an article in the July-August issue of this magazine, we were initially overwhelmed with surren- dered animals when we announced our no- kill policy. Animal Control and Humane Society kennels filled up, and all our foster families were at capacity. That glut caused us to come together to save animals. The effort began with impetus and direction from Ponca City’s chief of police, Don Bohon, took flight with aggressive ad- vocacy from a local businessman, and was solidified by a dedicated group of volun- teers. Now, government-operated Animal Control and the community-sponsored Humane Society operate as close partners to meet the goal of saving animal lives. Communication Is Crucial The key to such close cooperation is com- munication among leaders, staff members, and volunteers. No matter the problem, we reason that if we can talk through it, then we can handle it. If someone is stumped by a situation, we turn to others for ideas and help. We have occasional differences, but working through them has brought our organizations closer. We have stayed focused, and we never forget our mission to save animals. We realize we need each other to accomplish that. We communicate where we stand on This kitten will receive vaccines, dewormer, and flea and tick prevention at Northern Oklahoma Humane Society in Ponca City. Photo by Hannah Ballinger, Speak Now Productions.