Wagoner City Councilor calls for immediate action over 'deplorable' animal shelter conditions

A newly elected Wagoner City councilor is calling for urgent help after a recent visit to the city’s animal shelter left him “on his knees praying.”

The Problem?

Nathan Wilson, who took office two months ago, said he was shocked by what he saw inside the facility earlier this week. He described crumbling infrastructure, understaffing, and troubling euthanasia practices, all prompting his public plea for help.

“I instantly came outside and have never in my life prayed after leaving a building until this building,” Wilson told News On 6. “So we need help.”

Video Wilson captured shows broken kennel doors, rotting walls, and a lack of basic resources. According to Wilson, the shelter has just one employee and is not open to the public.

“So, you call the police department and they bring you whatever animal you choose online to the police department and you meet at the police department to accept the animal,” he explained.

Access to the shelter, located behind a city-owned gate next to a substation, is restricted even to city officials. Wilson said police were called on him when he attempted to inspect the shelter.

“There is a freezer in the middle of the yard, this yard, that has carcasses in it that are just bones — and then a fresh one on top,” he said, expressing concerns over how animal remains are being handled.

The city tells News On 6, "We were not previously aware of the issue regarding the outdoor freezers. The old freezer failed and should have been disposed of by a former employee. We will address this matter immediately. We do have a fully operational indoor freezer designed for storing deceased animals. Our animal control officer uses it for this purpose, as we occasionally find deceased animals in trash cans and dumpsters throughout our community. Unfortunately, even our parks and recreation employees have had to recover deceased animals that were dumped in our public trash cans by residents."

What's Next?

Wilson emphasized that the responsibility for the shelter’s conditions falls on city leadership.

“It’s on the city council, that’s where the burden lies,” he said.

Now, he’s calling for the immediate closure of the shelter and seeking support from animal welfare organizations and neighboring communities.

“This can’t be a tomorrow problem,” Wilson said. “We must take these animals and ask another community to accept them ... This can’t be open today.”

How is the City responding?

Here is what the city said after we asked about the conditions at the shelter:

“Over the years, the animal shelter has faced numerous challenges due to limited resources and ongoing issues related to irresponsible pet ownership within our community. Most animals arriving at our shelter are unwanted strays or surrendered pets, many of whom have not received adequate care. This situation further impacts the conditions at our facility, as they often come to us unvaccinated, un-spayed, and unneutered. We do our best to care for them by providing food, shelter, and outdoor time twice daily while helping them learn to trust humans again. Our goal is to find them forever homes through our Facebook page. Unfortunately, we are often their last resort, as their previous owners have failed them. We welcome community support and engagement to address this serious issue.

The shelter was built in the late 1970s, and our staff works hard to maintain it with limited resources. If our community is willing to provide support and funding for a new shelter, we would love to see that happen, as it would help resolve problems inherited over many decades. Access to the shelter area is restricted to employees only for liability and safety, as the city yard houses significant electrical infrastructure and heavy machinery.

We were not previously aware of the issue regarding the outdoor freezers. The old freezer failed and should have been disposed of by a former employee. We will address this matter immediately. We do have a fully operational indoor freezer designed for storing deceased animals. Our animal control officer uses it for this purpose, as we occasionally find deceased animals in trash cans and dumpsters throughout our community. Unfortunately, even our parks and recreation employees have had to recover deceased animals that were dumped in our public trash cans by residents. 

I work closely with our animal control officer to find homes for the dogs that come to us. Sometimes, it takes several weeks of sharing their pictures on Facebook and a bit of pleading, but we have successfully found dozens of homes during my three years with the city. Our animal control officer also works hard to reach out to other rescues for foster care for these dogs until they can be adopted. Unfortunately, we are currently unaware of anyone stepping up to provide that support in Wagoner, but this is a need, and we would love to see someone take on that responsibility. Thankfully, we have an incredible partnership with Purr-a-Lot, a local cat rescue, which has taken on vital tasks like spaying, neutering, vaccinating, and rescuing felines in our community. Two weeks ago, they even helped us get a dog vaccinated so she could be adopted and go to her forever home. 

We also want to give a huge shout-out to Larissa Dodson from What the Fluff grooming. She is a local groomer who generously offers free grooming for many of our dogs before they head to their forever homes.

Here are some ways our community can help:

- Spay and neuter your pets.

- Vaccinate and microchip your pets. At a minimum, please ensure they wear a collar with identification information to help us reunite them with you if they get lost.

- Donate to the Wagoner Police Department Animal Control. 

- Share our Facebook posts when we have dogs looking for homes.

- Consider fostering a dog while we work to find them a permanent home. “