RE: URGENT EMERGENCY 55 Dogs starving to death in Stillwell, Oklahoma
Thursday, October 31, 2002
Dear Fellow Rescuers.
This is Robin Pressnall, President of Small Paws Rescue in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We normally only rescue Bichon Frise nationwide. This is not related to Bichons or Small Paws® Rescue.
Please read this even if you are not near Stillwell, Oklahoma. We need your suggestions.
Late yesterday afternoon, I got a call from Faith Orlowski, one of the animal welfare lawyers we work with here in Tulsa. Faith she had just received a call from the Cherokee Nation Marshal's office down near Stillwell Oklahoma, deep into in Adair County.
A man there had died five months ago, leaving 76 dogs trapped in pens. The dogs are now starving to death. Many have starved already to death.
I drove straight to PetSmart, and told them what is going on and they donated about 400 pounds of broken dog food bags, to us right then and there.
We were planning to take a team down last night, just to go evaluate the situation when we got word that a neighbor had just let the surviving dogs loose to fend for themselves. We were told there was nothing left to evaluate.
I convinced the Marshals to let at least Dale and I come last night anyway, and bring the dog food, to place in the area where they HAD been, thinking this would get them back in captivity for a possible future rescue.
The Cherokee Marshall (A very nice man who has two altered St Bernards himself) met us at a truck stop and before he led Dale and I out there he told us..."I need to warn you...This is very dark, rough place we are going ...unsafe, dangerous. Drug dealers, ect... Ok, let's go."
I teasingly asked him if he had an extra bullet proof vest...and he reached in the back seat and held one up and no I am not kidding. Rokey Dokey. Here we go.
My husband Dale and I followed him, traveling for miles, winding the narrow hilly roads, leaving our present space of security, and going back in time to the deepest darkest reaches of civilization it seemed. This made the rural places I have seen in Mo. look like big cities. Some of the people in this area lived in small huts or shacks, and they told us that the elders there still speak native Cherokee. (I pray they are passing it down to the youth so it will not be lost) These dogs were spoken to in Cherokee when their owner was alive.
I sensed that I was in an area where the word "poor" just did it no justice. This was worse than "dirt poor". The people there needed rescuing and had no money for themselves, much less someone else's 55 dogs. Yes, the numbers had changed from 76. Some were already dead.
The previous info had been wrong. No one had let them loose. The dogs were still trapped in pens...all but five of them.
The pens where high with grass, and the smell was unbearable. With flashlights we saw a small skull...but no bodies. The Marshall's had already removed those.
Folks, these are just plain old Oklahoma country dogs. I saw one possible red Aussie pup, and I brought home a dog that appears to be a wheaten terrier. It was running loose and would come and raise up on us...so we brought this one back and are hoping Wheatie Rescue can take pity on us and take him. He has been eating persimmons to stay alive. You don't want to know how we know.
There is a mama yellow labbish looking dog with four puppies about 4-5 months old. They had been trying to nurse on her but of course she had nothing more for them.
I saw several coon houndy-huntingly looking dogs. There were no shepherd mixes or pittbills, thank God for small favors.
There may have been some pure labs or Irish Setters....it is hard to tell because they are so poor. Mostly we saw dogs that could have at one time been used for hunting maybe? I could have sworn I saw a Gordon Setter.
There were a couple of beagle sized dogs, and everything else was around 40 pounds. There was one dog running loose with not one hair left due to what appeared to be mange.
We were able to coax some of the loose dogs to us, and put them in pens with empty pans where we had added food and water. We got excited with each capture..."We got another one!" we would say.
When we first started feeding the huge donated dog food sacks, there was much barking and whining...but as each dog was fed, the barking subsisted until after two hours of hearing the dogs eating and barking, all was quiet.
Ok. Here is the problem. The Cherokee Nation Marshal's says that the tribe has no money for any rescue like this...that people are starving out there too.
We have a call into SPCA in Tulsa, but I am concerned this will be out of their jurisdiction of Tulsa County, since it way out in Adair County.
Is there a state agency...that can help these dogs?
Is there a national agency that can help them?
The dogs are going to have to be moved somewhere else as they are now sitting on someone else's property and they want them gone.
They may all be HW pos...I just don't know. I know they are starving and soon will die without intervention from someone. Some may need to be put down.
It is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Tulsa...I had thought about asking the media down there and asking the Tulsa community for help but now, since I have been there...I don't think the media would even come that far for an animal rescue story. I will send it to them anyway and hope for the best.
If these dogs are going to come out of there alive, they will need several vets to take them and evaluate them. The will need transport. They will need money for treatment and money for boarding until adoption, if adoption is even possible. They will need someone to be in charge of this rescue and due to my duties at Small Paws®, it can't be me.
Have any of you been involved in anything like this and where do we turn next? The Marshall's told me they will happily let Oklahoma State or Federal agencies step in on this Tribal land to take the dogs away.
If you have info on how to help, please let me know ASAP...thanks,
It's not the fault of the dogs, and them seemed to know we had come to help them. Now we need to know now to help them more...and get them moved from the place they have been abandoned in those pens with no food.
This is an emergency. The dogs are trapped in pens with no one to feed them, and no one who can buy food to feed them there. We left enough food and water for them through tomorrow. Sincerely, Robin Pressnall
P.S. I never thought I would be in the middle of tribal negotiations with the Cherokee Nation, but it looks like I am. The tribe says it will relinquish the jurisdiction to let another agency or organization come on the tribal land...and so far some agencies say they don't think they can cross onto tribal lands. I told them it is ok....they WANT us to come. They are very nice and welcome our help. I told them I am 25% Cherokee...and I am believe it or not.
I learned some of the people out there are almost backward...some do not take kindly to strangers...we were escorted out of there by TWO Marshals..with blue lights going at times...I asked if they had a loud speaker that says.."DON'T SHOOT ME BECAUSE I'M BLONDE"... they laughed and seemed to like us. They helped us to feed the dogs and to carry the heavy food sacks. The Marshalls were VERY VERY nice men. I felt safe as long as I stood behind one of them at all times..haha.:) Man it was dark out there and with my night blindness you can imagine the large zoo animals I "saw" at each and every turn.
They told us some people in that area and surrounding areas are known drug dealers and may even have weapons. Also a shoot out with the ATF had happened "just over the ridge" a while back.
News One suspect dies 06/03/00
http://www.news-star.com/stories/060300/new_suspect.shtml
When we left...we had to do so in a hurry..they got a "shots fired" call..and I told em they wuz NOT leavin me out there alone eben wif big strong Dale...off we all went, zooming in cars off into the blackness...I know I saw a flying white rhinocerous at the last sharp curve. <

New Update!
We gave great updated news! The 55 starving Cherokee dogs are being rescued today, Saturday. November 2, 2002! All 55 are being taken to an Oklahoma City facility, TODAY! They are being transported by the Sheltering Tree Animal Rescue Society (STARS).
A wonderful lady, Cathryn English, (Catherine English Superintendent, Animal Welfare Division (405) 297-3088 Fax: (405) 297-3120 catherine.english@ci.okc.ok.us) is now in charge of this rescue in OKC, through the OKC Animal Welfare Division, and tells us that they have vets and vet techs waiting there for the dog's arrival today. These guys will be triaged, treated, (even treated for heartworm if necessary) and then placed into loving homes!
These dogs have come into some incredible luck. Their bill is being paid by the ASPCA in New York City.
Again, thank you all so very much! They tell us that you should be seeing some media accounts about this huge rescue soon. The dogs are on their way to safety!:) Love,Robin >