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Common Bonds

Oklahoma. Pets. People. Places.

Common Bonds is an Oklahoma-based coalition of local, state, and national animal welfare organizations united to end the needless euthanasia of cats and dogs in our state's animal shelters.

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About Us

Our name tells our story. Each of the partners of Common Bonds shares a common belief that humans have a unique connection with and responsibility to animals. That bond is at the heart of our collaborative work to save more shelter cats and dogs in Oklahoma. According to data sourced by Best Friends Animal Society, our state ranks ninth in the United States for shelter euthanasia, with more than 9,000 cats and dogs killed in 2021. Common Bonds is united to raise the statewide shelter animal save rate from the current 80.4% to 90% in 2025. Our coalition is pursuing this common goal by engaging three key stakeholder groups: animal shelter professionals, local government leaders, and community difference-makers. We encourage data reporting through Shelter Animals Count as an essential best shelter practice, advance the dialogue on animal well-being with city leaders, and connect resources with needs in our communities.    

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Our Work

Through a collective impact framework, we bring animal welfare organizations together in a structured way in pursuit of our united goal. Our partners first came together in 2018 to define the problem and create a shared vision to solve it. In 2019 the structure was created to pursue the work and in 2020 our coordinated efforts began. Our work focus on engagement with three key stakeholder groups: shelters, local governments, and communities.

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Shelter Engagement

Common Bonds provides numerous in-person and virtual networking opportunities for animal shelter leaders to explore issues together. We maintain a shareable shelter contact list of shelter managers and/or animal control officers that are responsible for animal services in their community. Our relationship-building strategies seek to strengthen the collective knowledge of animal shelter professionals in Oklahoma around best practices, which include the reporting of shelter data in the national database.

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Government Engagement

Our partners believe that animal well-being is an important indicator of the overall physical, social, and economic well-being of our cities and towns. We pursue strategies to connect these municipal leaders to the ongoing work of animal well-being in their communities and encourage them to consider how thriving animals help build thriving communities.

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Community Engagement

We celebrate both community and individual successes in animal welfare. Our work recognizes towns and cities across Oklahoma for committing to shelter animal lifesaving through data reporting, construction of new or renovated shelter facilities, programs that strive to keep pets and families together, and policies that promote the humane treatment of animals.

Pets

Low-cost services for pet owners

Common Bonds' coalition partner, Dr. Amy Tyler with St. Francis Animal Resource Center in Norman, has created a web page with information about affordable pet care options across Oklahoma for pet food and supplies, veterinary care, vaccinations, spay neuter services, and TNR. There is also a map that shows you where these services are located across the state, as well as a form to fill out to add additional organizations that provide low-cost pet care services.

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Spay Neuter Resources

The most important long-term strategy to reduce the pet population in Oklahoma is spay-neuter. Yet the cost and access to care can be major barriers for many pet owners. Click on the button below for information from the Oklahoma Spay Network about the low-cost spay-neuter resources nearest you.

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Common Bonds Leadership Group

The Common Bonds steering committee charts the strategic course of the initiative through planning sessions and quarterly meetings. This group is made up of various thought leaders in animal welfare in Oklahoma.

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