OKLAHOMA CITY – In an update to a previous report, officials from Oklahoma City Animal Welfare have confirmed that they were forced to humanely euthanize roughly 250 birds seized by police in a headline-making June drug bust after finding signs of dangerous bacterial disease.
The birds represented nearly half of the unprecedented number of animals rescued in a large-scale drug bust at a SE Oklahoma City property last month, where police unexpectedly found over 500 animals, including cats, reptiles, a horse, more than 40 dogs, and over 450 birds of various species.
The 250 birds that have been euthanized are the first of the animals rescued in the raid to be reported dead after the seizure.
“These decisions are never easy,” said Animal Welfare Superintendent Johny Sandoval in a press statement, “but they were made in consultation with state animal health officials and are grounded in established veterinary practices designed to protect both the animals in our care and other bird populations from the spread of infectious disease.”
Contagious disease found in seized birds
When first reported, officials said that the animals appeared to be in generally good health, but later reported that signs of disease and ill health were observed in many of them.
As the Animal Welfare staff worked alongside nonprofit animal support groups and veterinarians to evaluate the health of the seized animals, they discovered that many of the birds showed signs of Mycoplasma synoviae, a bacterial infection that can causes severe disease in the bones, joints, and respiratory systems of birds.
Mycoplasma synoviae is considered highly contagious, leading to the decision to euthanize the affected birds after Animal Welfare consulted with the Office of the State Veterinarian at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
“Whenever Animal Welfare responds to a large-scale avian confiscation, protecting the health of the entire bird population becomes a critical part of our response,” Sandoval said in his statement.
Other seized animals healthy in nonprofit care
After reporting early this month that the 500 rescued animals had shown signs of poor health and negligence, OKC Animal Welfare is now reporting that the remaining animals have been largely turned over to animal-support nonprofits for recovery and possibly eventual adoption.
As the City’s animal shelter was already over capacity before the unprecedented seizure, they have not been able to keep and care for the majority of the animals rescued in the bust.
The City is currently continuing work on the upcoming MAPS 4 Louisa McCune Animal Welfare Center, which is expected to significantly increase shelter capacity.
According to a City of OKC press release: “To date, 92 birds, 41 dogs, four cats, four reptiles and one horse seized in the June investigation have been transferred to nonprofit animal welfare organizations.”
The suspects arrested in the drug operation have also been charged for felony animal cruelty crimes.
Brett Fieldcamp is the owner and Editor in Chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly two decades and served as Arts & Entertainment Editor before purchasing the company from founder Brett Dickerson in 2026.
He is also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
