“Love can be, and sure enough is, moving in all things, in all places, in all forms of life at the same snap of your finger.”
— WOODY GUTHRIE
Oklahoma native Woody Guthrie said it first and best. This new anthology of poems and prose, Love Can Be: A Literary Collection About Our Animals, is proof of what love can be, as thirty acclaimed authors join together to champion life in all its forms. This is their gift to the world, not just the artistry of their words, but their vision of an extended community that includes cats, birds, frogs, butterflies, bears, dogs, raccoons, horses—a full-out menagerie of being that enriches us all.
This broad-hearted vision comes with responsibility, and that responsibility speaks to the mission of the Kirkpatrick Foundation, publisher of the book. The Kirkpatrick Foundation will donate all net proceeds of sales of this volume to animal charities in Oklahoma as well as honoraria donated to the contributors’ selected animal charities.
Bella Foundation SPCA is a foster-based rescue in Oklahoma City. Bella provides veterinary assistance to low-income, elderly, and terminally ill pet owners and assists in finding permanent homes for rescued animals. Its foster program provides temporary shelter until animals are formally adopted.
The Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital is located on the grounds of the Oklahoma City Zoo and was completed in 2015, with a significant gift from the Kirkpatrick Foundation and Kirkpatrick Family Fund and support from the community at large.
Tulsa SPCA, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, provides adoption services, vaccinations, microchipping, and spay and neuter surgeries through a low-cost veterinary clinic. Its Mobile Adoption Center (MAC) travels throughout the community to events, public parks, and retail areas. Tulsa SPCA arranges educational presentations for elementary and middle schools.
Enid SPCA, in Enid, Oklahoma, offers a range of programs, including adoptions, spay-neuter assistance, and pet food for owners in financial need. Enid SPCA is a live-release shelter, and its hard work through Rescue Waggin’, a partnership with a network of other shelters and Enid Animal Control, places animals into loving homes throughout the United States.
WING-IT is a network of volunteer rehabilitators under the umbrella of the Tulsa Audubon Society in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The group is dedicated to the rehabilitation of orphaned, sick, injured, or otherwise displaced native wildlife, with the goal of releasing them back into the wild.
WildCare Foundation provides people with a place to bring injured or ailing wildlife—perhaps accident victims or those orphaned too young to make it on their own. Its facility in Noble, Oklahoma, serves as a temporary residence for more than 140 species and includes 13,400 square feet of enclosures for mammals and 26,100 square feet of outdoor aviaries on seven acres.
