Bixby Voted for Its First Animal Shelter. Here's Where a Lost Bixby Dog Goes Until It OpensI

If your dog got out of the backyard tonight and Bixby animal control picked it up, where would you go to get it back? For most of 2026 the answer was Coweta. This fall it is changing to a building on East 60th Street in Tulsa, and it will probably change again before Bixby's own shelter is built.

Many residents heard the good news in August. On August 25, 2026, Bixby voters approved all four propositions in a $77.5 million bond package, News On 6 reported. The package includes the city's first animal shelter, a third fire station on the south side, and a new emergency operations center. The bond vote did not change where a lost pet goes this winter, though. That depends on a separate agreement the city made a month later, and only a few people know about it.

Three Homes for Bixby's Strays in One Year

Bixby has never had a city-run shelter. Its animal control runs through the Bixby Police Department, so housing impounded animals has always meant borrowing space. In 2026 that space has moved twice already, and a third move is scheduled.

Horizon Animal Hospital. Earlier this year, the veterinary hospital served as Bixby's makeshift shelter until it ran out of room. In April, KJRH reported that Bixby was getting calls about strays and surrendered animals every day, and the arrangement at Horizon could no longer keep up.
The City of Coweta. Coweta stepped in next. Bixby Police Chief Todd Blish later told KJRH, "While it went very well, it was presenting some housing issues for the city of Coweta." The drive was a cost for Bixby too. Before the election, Blish told KTUL that officers had to leave Bixby for up to an hour to take a stray to the shelter, and owners had to drive out of town to reclaim their pets.
The Humane Society of Tulsa. On September 23, KJRH reported that the Humane Society of Tulsa will take over housing Bixby's stray and surrendered animals once the Coweta agreement ends in October.

The third move is not entirely new. Lawrence DePriest of the Humane Society told KJRH that the group is renewing an agreement it had with Bixby several years ago. The city is going back to an earlier partner while it waits for its own building.

What the Humane Society Will Do, and What Stays With the City

Under the new agreement, the work is split in two. Bixby still answers the calls, enforces its animal ordinances, and picks up loose animals. The Humane Society provides the kennels. DePriest described the Humane Society's part to KJRH:

"Our facility will allow them to house them while they go through their legal home, legal stray process and try to get them reunited with their owner."

He added, "We rely on the city to handle those ordinances and those calls and take care of the at large animals that we're unable to." The agreement also lets the Humane Society take dogs that go unclaimed and put them up for adoption, KJRH reported.

That adoption piece matters. A stray dog nobody claims has a route to a new home through an established adoption program, not just a holding kennel. Blish put it in community terms for KJRH: "To me that that's an important part of community service and having a great relationship with the community is being able to take care of their fur babies as we should."

If Your Pet Goes Missing This Fall

Because the city still handles the calls, your first step stays the same no matter which facility is holding animals that week. During a handoff month, calling the city first matters even more.

Call Bixby Police Animal Control at 918-366-8294. The City of Bixby lists this number for animal incidents inside city limits. The city's FAQ also gives this number, through Bixby Communications, for checking whether your pet has been picked up. Ask where your animal is being held. The handoff from Coweta is scheduled for October, but KJRH did not give an exact start date.
Arrange the release through the Court Clerk at 918-366-4430. According to the City of Bixby FAQ, you call the clerk during weekday business hours, and you need current proof of rabies vaccination from a certified veterinarian. Having that paperwork ready before you call can save you a trip.
Know the Humane Society's hours. The Humane Society of Tulsa lists its address as 6232 E. 60th St., Tulsa, OK 74135. It is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Sunday. The phone number is 918-495-3647. A dog that goes missing on a Saturday evening may have to wait until Monday.

Parts of the city's own website have not caught up yet. One FAQ answer on bixbyok.gov still says Bixby pays Coweta to house its animals. If what you read online doesn't match what you're told on the phone, go with what the dispatcher tells you.

City procedures like these can change. This is general information, not legal advice, so confirm the current steps with the City of Bixby before you rely on them.

Why the Bond Didn't Fix This Yet

The shelter in Proposition 1 is still early in the process. In June, Blish told KTUL that the shelter would be built on city-owned property but no site had been chosen. He estimated a basic shelter would cost between $1 million and $2 million, with bond money paying mainly for construction. In September, a month after the vote, he told KJRH the shelter was still "years away."

A $1 million to $2 million shelter is a small share of a $77.5 million package, and it isn't the only animal-related change on the way. The same bond pays for new parking and lighting at Bentley Park, News On 6 reported, so dog walkers who use the park after dark will notice those upgrades sooner or later. None of the coverage gives a construction schedule for the shelter. Until there is one, the Humane Society agreement is how Bixby will handle strays for the foreseeable future, and the Coweta arrangement, which wore out in months, shows that these temporary deals can change.

Where to Adopt or Help Closer to Home

The Humane Society's new role puts Bixby's unclaimed dogs into a Tulsa adoption program, but several local options sit closer to the city.

Bixby Animal Rescue Network. B.A.R.N. describes itself as an all-volunteer nonprofit that works to find homes for what it calls "Bixby's homeless animals." Its website lists adoptable pets.
Puppy Haven Rescue. The Puppy Haven events calendar lists a rescue weekend at Pumpkin Town Farms on October 24, an adoption event "at home" on October 31, and an adoption event at its Home Store on November 7. The Pumpkin Town Farms weekend falls on Saturday, October 24, so you can combine a pumpkin patch outing with meeting adoptable dogs. My daughter is one of the founding members of Puppy Haven Rescue and remains active in the organization.
The Humane Society of Tulsa itself. Because unclaimed Bixby dogs may go into its adoption program, a dog found on a Bixby street could end up on its adoption floor at 6232 E. 60th St.

The most useful thing to do this week takes about a minute. Save 918-366-8294 in your phone under "Bixby Animal Control," check that your pet's rabies certificate is somewhere you can find it, and keep in mind that the Humane Society of Tulsa is closed on Sundays.

As a fifth-generation Tulsan, I like keeping up with how our communities take care of each other, and that includes four-legged neighbors. If you're planning a move in or around Bixby and want to talk through fenced yards, nearby parks, or anything else that matters to your pets, Linda Smalley, Tulsa Real Estate Agent is happy to help.