Norman Animal Welfare

06/21/2025

🚐 Six more lucky pups hit the road today—thanks to our incredible friends These dogs were pulled from our shelter and are now on ground transport headed toward a brighter future.

No more kennels.
No more shelter life.
Just love, freedom, and the second chance they’ve been waiting for. 🐾

Thank you, Pittie Project PNW for making happy endings possible. Safe travels, sweet pups—you’re on your way! 🐶

The Pittie Project PNW 100% paid for their trip to the Pacific Northwest. Let’s give some Oklahoma love to them!

06/20/2025

🏀 The Thunder lost Game 6, but that just means Game 7 is coming HOME to OKC this Sunday! 💙🧡

And you know what that means… FREE adoptions continue!
We’re celebrating the Thunder’s Finals run to the championship! So come meet your future MVP while adoption fees are waived.

Let’s bring home a win—on the court and in the shelter!

06/13/2025

Reminder: Adoption fees are waived during the NBA finals! Adopt your MVP this weekend🏀

All animals are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. *kittens not included*

06/11/2025

06/10/2025

🎉 ADOPTED! 🎉

Sweet senior girl Daisy has found her forever home!

This lovely lady strutted out of the shelter today with her new mama and a wagging tail, ready for all the love, naps, and snuggles a "Golden Girl" deserves.

Thank you to everyone who shared her story and helped make this happy ending possible. Happy tails, Daisy! 🐾💕

06/09/2025

🩺 Medical Monday: Let’s Talk Heart Murmurs 🐾

Featuring: Gumbo, Roux, and Jumbalaya. These three spaniel mixes all have heart murmers. But what exactly is that?

A heart murmur is an extra sound—like a whoosh or swish—heard during a heartbeat. It’s caused by turbulent or disturbed blood flow through the heart or nearby vessels and can be heard over any part of the heart.

But here’s the thing: a murmur is not a diagnosis—it’s a clue. Murmurs can be caused by:

🔹 Congenital heart defects

🔹 Valve abnormalities

🔹 Heart muscle disease

🔹 Anemia

🔹 Heartworm disease

🔹 Thyroid imbalances

🔹 Or even “innocent” murmurs in young puppies and kittens that disappear with age

Murmurs are graded on a scale of 1 to 6 (with 6 being the loudest), but loudness doesn’t always equal severity. A soft murmur can indicate serious disease, and a loud one might not need treatment at all.

💡 How are murmurs classified?

They’re described by:

• Location — where the sound originates

• Timing — when it occurs in the heartbeat cycle

• Duration — how long it lasts

• Character — the quality of the sound

• Grade — how loud it is

📋 Symptoms to watch for:

– Coughing

– Weakness or collapse

– Rapid, slow, or erratic heart rate

– Difficulty breathing

– Loss of appetite

– Or no symptoms at all!

🧪 Diagnosis & Treatment:

The gold standard for diagnosing a heart murmur is a cardiac ultrasound (echocardiogram). Chest X-rays and bloodwork may also help. Treatment depends on the cause—some murmurs require medication or surgery, while others need no treatment at all.

💬 If your pet has been diagnosed with a murmur, don’t panic—but do follow up. Some murmurs are harmless, but others are early warning signs your pet’s heart needs a little help.

06/06/2025

update: Lancelot is tagged for transport to rescue
Remember Lancelot?

When he arrived at Norman Animal Welfare, it was clear he needed a few knights in shining armor, and our vet staff stepped in.

Severely emaciated and fragile, Lancelot began his journey back to health with careful, dedicated care. Every step of his recovery was thoughtfully monitored to avoid refeeding syndrome and help him heal safely.

Now, Lancelot is healthy, thriving, and ready for adoption! He still needs to add a few more pounds, but he’s well on his way and looking for a home to complete his story.

Are you his next hero?

Lancelot is neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped.

06/05/2025

UPDATE: Ayla (now Bama) was adopted today! Her new buddy, Boomer, decided she was the perfect fit, and her people agreed. Wishing Bama and Boomer a lifetime of happiness together! Whether you call it Crimson and Cream or Crimson Tide, Boomer and Bama are a perfect team.

06/02/2025

🩺MEDICAL MONDAY: Feline Upper Respiratory Infections: What You Should Know…

Feline Upper Respiratory Infections are very common in cats and affect the nose, throat, and sinuses- much like the common cold in humans. They’re highly contagious, especially in places where cats are housed closely together, like shelters, catteries, and even multi-cat homes.

The most common culprits behind URIs are feline herpesvirus-1 and feline calicivirus. A bacterial infection, feline chlamydia, can also cause respiratory issues. Cats at the greatest risk include:
• Young kittens
• Elderly cats
• Unvaccinated cats
• Cats living in group environments

How It Spreads:
Even after recovering, cats can shed the virus for life, especially during times of stress. While these viruses don’t survive long outside the body and are easily killed by cleaners like bleach, they can still be unknowingly carried on hands or clothing, making it easy to bring the virus home.

Signs to Watch For:
Symptoms usually appear 2–5 days after exposure and include:
• Sneezing
• Watery eyes
• Nasal discharge
• Fever
• Sinus congestion

Most cats recover in 10–14 days without complications, but it’s important to watch for:
• Loss of appetite (due to difficulty smelling food)
• Eye ulcers
• Mouth sores
• Pneumonia (especially in kittens)

Treatment:
Since most URIs are viral, antibiotics aren’t effective unless there’s a secondary bacterial infection. Care focuses on keeping your cat comfortable and supporting their immune system. Plenty of rest, hydration, good nutrition, and sometimes medications to ease symptoms can help your cat feel better while they fight off the virus.

05/30/2025

🏀 THUNDER UP AND ADOPT A REAL MVP! 🐾
OKC is headed to the Finals, and so are our shelter pets… straight into your heart. 🥹💙

To celebrate, adult cat and dog adoptions are FREE at Norman Animal Welfare! (Kittens not included)
Because nothing says team spirit like adopting a 4-legged couch coach.

🐶 Spayed/neutered
🐱 Vaccinated
💾 Microchipped
🏆 Full of love and bad decision-making during snack time

Can’t adopt?
📣 Be our hype squad-share this post!

Let’s get these benchwarmers into starting lineups.