Tulsa Humane Society Workers Accused Of Euthanizing Dogs At No-Kill Shelter

Two people who work at the Humane Society of Tulsa are being accused of killing 11 dogs at a Grove no-kill animal shelter over the summer.

The complaint by the Oklahoma State Veterinary Board said a vet assistant grabbed dogs, gave them a fatal injection and threw them into kennels.

The court document said a manager at the Grove shelter reached out for help with overcrowding over the summer.

It said some representatives from the Humane Society of Tulsa illegally brought euthanasia drugs to the shelter and killed 1 puppy and 10 dogs instead of helping the no-kill shelter.

The complaint says Gina Gardner, the Humane Society of Tulsa president, and Lawrence DePriest, a longtime Humane Society veterinary assistant, violated several State veterinary board rules. 

It said Gardner, DePriest, and some other Humane Society workers went to the Second Chance Pet rescue center on July 5th after the shelter asked for help with animal overcrowding.

But instead of assisting the shelter with a site visit and training, a complaint said, “witnesses reported 1 puppy and 10 dogs were euthanized and 22 dogs were loaded up in the Humane Society vehicle” to be taken back for adoption. 

It goes on to say witnesses saw DePriest with “11-12 syringes in his back pocket.”  

Witnesses told Grove police DePriest “gave them each an injection” then “watched the dogs get loopy, fall on their side, and foam at the mouth” under Gardner’s direction without any licensed veterinarian present.

The Grove shelter is no-kill, and the document says employees had no idea the Humane Society workers would be killing dogs that day, and nobody from the board of directors had given the approval to kill them.

The document also says DePriest “unlawfully transported” the euthanasia drugs to Grove after taking them from a locked cabinet in Tulsa.

Both Gardner and DePriest are required to attend a Veterinary board hearing on December 1st to answer for the possible violations.

At the time, the Grove shelter was under the direction of two interim managers who no longer work there.

Statement from Cassie Owens, Shelter Director at Second Chance Pet Rescue of Grand Lake:

"As shelter director, my focus is on the safety, well-being & happiness of the animals in my care. With the help of dedicated employees, volunteers & our community, we are making a difference.

We are a nonprofit organization (501-c-3) that relies solely on the support of our community.

The best interest of the animals will always be my highest priority. I will always be transparent with our community. I am asking for your continued support. We cannot do this without your help."

As of Thursday at 5:15 p.m., the Humane Society had not released a comment.