Canine influenza subject of upcoming virtual info session co-hosted by Common Bonds and Best Friends Animal Society

Shelters in Oklahoma and across the United States have been hit hard by canine influenza and other canine infectious respiratory disease outbreaks in recent months, forcing some facilities to temporarily close, including OKC's animal shelter, the state's largest. Canine influenza can spread rapidly through shelters and typically causes upper respiratory symptoms including coughing. While most dogs who get the flu are expected to recover, the OKC outbreak also involves a more serious pathogen, Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (“Strep zoo”) which can cause rapidly progressive hemorrhagic pneumonia and can be rapidly fatal. To learn more about outbreaks of contagious respiratory disease, including influenza and Strep zoo, and how to protect your shelter and your community, Common Bonds and Best Friends Animal Society invites you to an information session featuring Dr. Erin Katribe.

Dr. Erin Katribe is Medical Director for Best Friends Animal Society and has a background in shelter medicine, including shelter outbreak management. Dr. Katribe graduated from Texas A&M in 2009 and earned her master’s degree in shelter medicine from the University of Florida in 2018. She also serves on the Association of Shelter Veterinarians board of directors.

Mark your calendar and join us next Monday, April 17, at 2pm at the following Zoom address:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85661482545?pwd=dHl5cnQ2T28yR0JURVFmaHN3eVZXdz09 

Meeting ID: 856 6148 2545
Passcode: 970022

Common Bonds launches ‘be the fix’ social media campaign

Common Bonds is working with animal shelters and rescues to speak in a unified voice as kitten season heats up through a new social media campaign called ‘be the fix.’ The campaign features images of animals and people with simple messages that encourage pet owners to spay/neuter their cat or dog. Through this campaign, Common Bonds is hopeful that it can serve as a catalyst for change, utilizing a “power in numbers” mindset that encourages animal welfare organizations to speak in a unified voice on some of the priority issues we all belive in. There is still time to be part of this campaign. Contact [email protected] to learn how you can participate. By developing consistent messaging on spay/neuter and other key animal welfare issues, we can collectively strengthen our chorus of voices in support of the animals who can’t speak for themselves.

Oklahoma housing pros gather to learn about importance of keeping pets and families together

Common Bonds recently participated in two virtual conversations exploring strategies to keep pets and families together, focusing on pet-inclusive housing. Michelson Found Animals Foundation presented details on the issue and its work during a March 28th webinar attended by Oklahoma animal welfare organizations and housing professionals. Also, the Kirkpatrick Foundation, Michelson Found Animals, and Common Bonds spoke to some 50 housing experts during a monthly housing call hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services on March 31. Common Bonds supports the Michelson Foundation’s belief that pets enrich people’s lives, and that everyone should have access to the joy of pets in their home. Click on the photo to learn more about the organization’s impactful work.

Healthy Animals, Healthy Tulsa participates in ‘Tulsa Clean Up’

The Healthy Animals, Healthy Tulsa coalition of animal welfare nonprofit organizations participated in this year’s Tulsa Clean Up during Easter weekend. Several organizations from the partnership turned out to clean up the waterways and green spaces near Woodland Hills Mall. HAHT said they chose the 71st and Memorial area location as their cleanup site because of the ongoing efforts of T-Town TNR to work with mall management and stores to monitor, control, and treat the cat population.

Helping keep the areas surrounding green spaces clean will aid T-Town TNR’s efforts to keep the mall cats, the public going to the mall, nearby businesses and communities healthy, supporting the organization’s larger vision that animal wefare and community wellbeing are interconnected.

Common Bonds visits Okmulgee County Humane Society

Common Bonds is just back from it’s latest road trip, this time to Okmulgee. Community Engagement co-chair Vicki Grantz met with Babs Martin and Aimee Robinson with Okmulgee County Humane Society on Monday, April 10 to learn more about their operation and to share information about the role of Common Bonds to connect animal welfare organizations together in support of its goal to end the needless euthanasia of shelter animals. Already this year, Common Bonds’ Community Engagement Group has visited Washington County SPCA in Bartlesville and Stillwater Humane Society as part of its ‘road trip’ outreach, with more locations planned throughout 2023. Thank you Babs and Aimee for sharing your time with Common Bonds! We look forward to connecting Okmulgee County Humane Society with our network of animal welfare professionals across the state.

Upcoming pet holidays

April 11: National Pet Day

April 11: Dog Therapy Appreciation Day

April 17-23: National Pet ID Week

April 21: Pet Owners Independence Day

April 23: National Lost Dog Awareness Day

April 25: International Guide Dog Day

April 26: National Kids and Pets Day

April 27: World Veterinary Day

April 28: National Pet Parents Day

April 30: National Tabby Day

April 30: Adopt a Shelter Pet Day