About Us
Mission Statement
Organized in 2021, the Sequoyah Animal Advocates program was developed by Paula Haraway, DVM, and Karen Smith after recognizing the lack of resources in rural Sequoyah county for animal-related issues.
“We were seeing an extreme need in rural areas that weren’t served by the city municipal shelters.”
After responding to numerous calls related to animal welfare, abuse, and neglect with the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Department, Dr. Haraway became aware of the lack of options when animals are confiscated in abusive or neglectful situations.
At the same time, Karen Smith, working as an animal control officer in Muldrow, Oklahoma, witnessed many cases of neglect. These were often due to a lack of resources (i.e. persons with a fixed income), or lack of education concerning proper animal care.
As friends with a common interest in animal advocacy, Paula and Karen united with their shared ideas on short and long-term solutions to the animal-related problems in their community.
The interest and generosity of local people provided momentum to organize their ideas and create the non-profit organization, Sequoyah Animal Advocates. The two-fold mission is to 1) provide spay/neuter surgeries to low-income families, and 2) educate the public by attending events and visiting schools with informational programs.
This will only be accomplished through perseverance and hard work. We are investing our time and resources with short-term goals to sterilize and decrease the unwanted dog/cat population, as well as long-term changes in animal care education for responsible pet ownership. Our goal is to have a positive impact on animal welfare in our county.
- As a 501(c)3 charitable organization, donations are tax-deductibl