Police said a drug trafficking warrant led officers to hundreds of birds, dogs, cats, reptiles and a horse.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. — Four people were arrested after police serving a drug trafficking warrant at a southeast Oklahoma City home found more than 500 animals and about 30 pounds of methamphetamine, city officials said.
The raid late Thursday quickly became one of the largest animal seizures Oklahoma City officials have handled. Officers and federal agents went to the property searching for drugs, but animal welfare workers were called after police found birds, dogs, cats, reptiles, peacocks and a horse spread across the site. The animals were taken to the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter, which was already short on space and later paused new animal intakes.
Police went to a residence near SE 15th Street and S. High Avenue with a search warrant tied to suspected drug trafficking. Officials said the Federal Bureau of Investigation also took part in the operation. During the search, investigators seized about 30 pounds of methamphetamine. City animal welfare crews worked through the night to remove and transport the animals. Brock Rowe, Oklahoma City’s director of Development Services, said Friday that workers kept finding more animals as they searched stalls, outdoor areas and other structures on the property.
The city’s count had passed 520 animals by Friday morning, though officials said the final number was still being checked. Most of the animals were birds, including exotic and domestic birds. Officials also reported nearly 50 dogs, cats, reptiles, peacocks and one horse. Rowe said there was no immediate evidence of cockfighting or broad abuse, and the animals appeared to be in fair condition. Still, the animals remained part of an ongoing investigation. “We kept discovering more animals,” Rowe said, describing how some outdoor animals ran into nearby wooded areas before workers returned to gather them.
Police said four people were booked on drug trafficking complaints. Two of the people identified in local reports were 40-year-old Luis Gayton and 37-year-old Ail Lopez, both believed to be connected to the home where the animals were found. Officials said no formal charges had been filed as of the first public updates Friday, and the animal hoarding issue was not listed in the initial booking information. The case remains under investigation by police and other agencies that took part in the search warrant.
The seizure put new strain on the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter, which had already reported that it was out of kennel space before the raid. The facility had at least 126 adoptable pets before the animals from the property arrived. Shelter workers spent the night processing the animals and arranging space. Johny Sandoval, the shelter superintendent, said in a city statement that the situation was heartbreaking. City spokesperson Kristy Yager said the shelter had money in its budget to feed the animals, even as the sudden increase created a major capacity problem.
Officials said the shelter temporarily stopped accepting animals until after Tuesday while staff members evaluated the seized animals and worked with rescue groups. The shelter remained open for adoptions during the intake pause. Rowe said the response showed the pressure on animal welfare staff, who had to handle the drug raid’s unexpected aftermath while the shelter was already crowded. “Staff worked all night, they really did care,” Rowe said at City Hall. “I’m so very proud of my staff.”
The shelter also had a dog adoption event already planned before the raid. Crystal Slocum, an Oklahoma City Animal Welfare administrative specialist, said the shelter reaches a critical point when it has more than about 300 dogs. She said Friday that the shelter was nearing 400 dogs and needed to move about 150 dogs by Saturday to ease crowding. The seized animals added to that pressure, though officials said many of the animals from the raid were still being counted, checked and treated as evidence.
Investigators had not released a full list of suspects, formal charges or a final animal count by the latest public updates. City officials said the next steps include finishing the animal inventory, continuing the drug investigation and deciding how the seized animals will be placed once they are no longer needed as evidence.
Author note: Last updated June 28, 2026.