Banfield Foundation grants the Humane Society of Tulsa a new vehicle

Image courtesy of Banfield Foundation

Banfield Foundation has gifted the Humane Society of Tulsa (HST) a 38-foot custom-built mobile transport and disaster response truck and trailer. The new vehicle will transport 5,000 pets annually and deploy to help pets in need in disaster areas. It will support mobile spay, neuter, and adoption events across Oklahoma and the local region as well.

According to an organizational release, the new vehicle is named Zipper after a 2-year-old dog rescued from an overcrowded Oklahoma municipal shelter. He was transported through the HST's transport program, received necessary veterinary care, and eventually found his forever home in Nashville, Tennessee.

"We are overwhelmed with gratitude to Banfield Foundation for their commitment to helping at-risk pets in our community, our state, and our region. With Zipper, we can save animals in numbers that have never been possible before today," said Gina Gardner, president of the board of directors for the Humane Society of Tulsa, in the release.

"This state-of-the-art vehicle will help us safely move pets impacted by overcrowded shelters, cruelty cases, and catastrophic disasters. The impact will be felt for years for the thousands of dogs and cats that will be transported to receive much-needed preventive care and ultimately, spend their lives with loving families," she continued.

Zipper will replace the HST’s current vehicle that has traveled over 200,000 miles since 2011. By design, the new trailer will improve working conditions for the handlers and transport crew members. It will also enhance the experience for the animals with custom-built kennels, a fully self-contained water system, 3 rooftop air conditioner units with heat capabilities, disaster response sheltering, and more.

What's more, the vehicle will feature a small workspace where team members can prepare medication, food, and offer basic caregiving. Zipper will transport up to 80 animals over 3,500 miles each week, increasing the number of pets HST can save by 50%, according to the release.

"Zipper will make a huge difference for Tulsa's critical transport work and will increase care for pets impacted by natural disasters and other community crises. The Foundation plays a critical role in supporting all of these efforts by enabling the preventive care needed to ensure pets are healthy, happy, and welcome in society and in our lives," said Kim Van Syoc, Executive Director, Banfield Foundation, in the release.

"Safely moving pets from places where there are too many, to places where there are too few—it's a win for shelters that are low on space and resources; it's a win for pets that are in need of care and a family; and it's a win for adopters who are anxiously waiting to welcome a pet into their homes," she finalized.

Zipper will be used for community programs such as disaster response, adoption, spay/neuter clinics, community outreach, and animal welfare when not deployed.

Reference

Banfield Foundation grants new transport and disater response truck and trailer to Humane Society of Tulsa. News release. Banfield Foundation. February 15, 2022. Accessed February 15, 2022. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/banfield-foundation-grants-new-transport-and-disaster-response-truck-and-trailer-to-humane-society-of-tulsa-301482361.html