Broken Arrow shelter pleads for donations to avoid bankruptcy

Written By: John Dobberstein

(BROKEN ARROW, Okla.) Many animal rescues in the Tulsa metro are bursting at the seams and find themselves in financial straits due to a lack of donations, some of it stemming back to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read this story on the Broken Arrow Sentinel here. 

But the situation is so dire at Broken Arrow Rescue Community (BARC) that the organization is considering filing for bankruptcy.

BARC director and founder Jamie Cope made an emotional plea on Facebook this week for donations so the organization can continue operating.

Cope said BARC is in debt, and she also took out loans through the COVID shutdown as well to stay up and running. BARC is a non-profit, no-kill, volunteer rescue organization serving homeless and injured dogs and cats.

“l am one to do things myself but I can't figure out how to do that this time,” Cope said. “We need to raise at least $3,000 a month to keep running and to pay down old bills.

“I can no longer foster 10 to 15 at a time myself. This may mean not being able to take returned dogs that need to come back.”

In another recent post, Cope said being in animal rescue of late has felt like being in a war zone, as BARC gets emails, messages and photos — some of them quite graphic — of dogs that need help, but a realization is sinking in that she cannot save them all.

Even if funding does come through, BARC may have to start utilizing boarding to house animals.

“In the last couple of months BARC has saved 37 dogs and adopted them out,” Cope said. “It may not seem like a lot at a time, but slow and steady we save so many. We have been a help to over thousands in our community since we started.”

Cope is asking for one-time or monthly donations, as well as people in the metro area to step forward and serve as foster families for incoming dogs to relieve some of the housing pressure.

Those interested in donating can go to BARC’s website.

In addition to financial help, Cope implored the public to be responsible pet owners and spay and neuter their dogs.

“Something has to change. The change has to start with all of us,” she said. “It shouldn’t be suffering at the hands of people that they should be able to trust.”