This cat, now named Charlotte, was rescued from Memphis Animal Services by Meows and Bow Wows. There is a donation link to Paypal on their Petfinder page as well as a snail mail address if you prefer to mail a check. You can specify if you would like your donation to be used only for Charlotte and her 4 kittens.
Added: Ona says Charlotte was tested at the vet yesterday for FeLV and FIV – both negative. She will need to be spayed in future, all the mewing piggies will need shots and deworming, and of course canned cat food doesn’t grow on trees… So, if you are in a position to toss in a buck or two, please visit the above link or the ChipIn. Because sadly, Charlotte’s former beau is a deadbeat dad.
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For those in need of bullet points for tonight’s advisory board meeting or for a letter to shelter leaders, here you go:
Summary of Concerns at Memphis Animal Services
- The killing of pets who are not medically hopeless and suffering nor have they been declared a danger to society by a qualified party.
- The killing of pets when there are empty cages at the shelter.
- The killing of pets who have never been made available to the public for adoption, rescue or foster.
- The killing of pets due to disease outbreak without ever making a public plea for help with quarantine to save lives.
- Failure of the shelter to vaccinate all incoming pets as per standard disease prevention protocol.
- Failure of the shelter to remove dogs and food from cages during cleaning as per standard disease prevention protocol.
- Failure of the shelter to utilize their Chameleon software to interface with PetHarbor so that every pet is viewable online by the public.
- Failure of the shelter to properly train and/or enforce humane handling of pets by the staff.
- Failure of the shelter to implement a TNR program so that the number of feral cats in the community can be reduced over time.
- Failure of the shelter to keep cats separated from the sight, sound and smell of dogs in order to reduce stress and make the population less susceptible to disease.
- Failure of the shelter to provide daily aerobic exercise for dogs for social stimulation and in order to reduce stress and make the population less susceptible to disease.
Charlotte is beautiful, she looks a little stressed,
probably thinking of the pole that was used on her…
at the board meeting they need to replace the current
staff and get someone to run it that has a heart. people who has never loved an animal has never really loved at all…I can’t wait daily unitl 5:00 to go home to my Puppa, and 2 girls, Suz,and Katrina.
I almost lost baby K a few months ago, but my vet saved her…kinda of costly but she was worth every dime…(not a baby shes 5) I just wish people would stop and think before they hurt any kind of animal.
Donna- Couldn’t agree with you more…..you went the extra mile to save your baby K, but unfortunately, it is more the exception than the rule that MAS would go over and beyond for the animals….I, also, look forward to getting home to my four legged kids!
We have to remember that Mr. Pepper is VERY GOOD at PR spin and he’ll sound like he’s saying all the right things – that’s how he’s gotten the support he’s gotten. But there are inarguable facts about this shelter – the numbers, the disease, the cleaning, the mishandling of animals.
Mr. Pepper will say that his facility is old, that some of the community are irresponsible with their animals. Well, the fact that his facility is old does not affect cleaning protocols, animal handling, or how many pets are killed. Those things depend DIRECTLY on shelter leadership. On him.
And the fact that some of the community is irresponsible, well, yes they are. What has he done to change that? Outreach programs for low cost spay/neuter? Vaccination fairs? Dog training fun days? A TNR program? Anything?
All very good points! I’m sure that Mr Pepper will try and discount all of the concerns, but I’m hoping that the people of Memphis will no longer be fooled by his words. Actions, especially in this case, do speak louder than words and we see those actions on the webcam each and every day.
I’m curious to know if any of you will be there? (If I didn’t live several states away, I’d be there in a heartbeat.)
We can’t give up now.
I’d be FAR more likely to believe him if he were saying he’s not sure how to do things, and that he needs help to teach everybody else how things could be better accomplished. Admitting you’ve made mistakes is the first step to correcting them.
As for Charlotte and babies… D’awwwwwwwww!
Thank you Shirley!! Keep us updated ! Change needs to happen!!
Take copies of the photographs that are posted here!
what a beautiful momma she is! I hope she and babies do well. Again thank you rescuers for saving her and those precious babies.
Please also consider the killing of nearly all pitbulls in the shelter, including pregnant and nursing mamas, newborns, and perfectly healthy dogs.
Few pits make it out alive.
They don’t get selected to be among the lucky few in the adoption hallway? I could not and would not kill any pet who wasn’t suffering but the practice of killing pregnant/nursing bitches and baby pups seems extra violent to me. I honestly can’t get my head around what type of person does that.
Thankfully I did see ONE pit bull up for adoption on PetFinder@MAS….but I am sure they have a LOT more than just that one in the shelter. :(
“Mr. Pepper is VERY GOOD at PR spin” — I agree and that means that the people with the facts need to stand up and state them and back them up with the photos and or video.
Also another of my concerns is marketing of the pets. How many press releases, special events, and online avenues is this shelter using consistently to increase the adoption numbers?
Adorable – so glad she was rescued….and those babies! Hurts my head to think of what she went through before getting out, but thank you God she’s safe NOW!
As for tonight’s meeting…did we ever get someone to set up a livestream of the MAS portion of the event so that those of us who are out of state can “sit through it” and see what’s going on as well? If we can get a livestream up and running, maybe next time we can have a hotline to call during the livestream…always thinking ahead!
But seriously – make sure if you are going then go back through the blog entries and print out photos and besides Shirleys’ talking points above there were quite a few good points brought up in the discussions…make sure you get ALL the information. Don’t LET Pepper, Mayor Wharton, or Janet Hooks walk all over you – OR – try to brush off your suggestions, ideas, opinions – THEY ARE VALID and this is the venue to raise them! Try to get them to commit to some TIMELINE so that we can track their progress and see how sincere Pepper REALLY is. I do so hope he proves me completely WRONG and does exactly what everyone wants – which is to ultimately stop the killing – but we need to pin them down with the issues AND see their committment by adding a timeline. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
I wish I could be there – but the round trip ticket just for me to attend was about as high as our weekly grocery bill…so it was between feeding everyone for the week or the meeting…had to go with feeding everyone!
I have no idea if a live stream of the meeting is feasible or even something that would be allowed. I wouldn’t know how to accomplish it and judging from the ones I’ve viewed in past (of other events), it seems like it must be a bit tricky to pull off. Possibly they publish the minutes from the meeting online? If they do, I don’t know where.
Or have someone blog during the event? Like PetConnection’s liveblogging?
Good thinkin’ Lincoln! Anyone have the ability to bring a laptop and liveblog the meeting?
Actually they do post board information on line, but like with everything else associated with MAS they are months behind in posting. Just go to webcam page and click on MAS Board meeting, calendar and adjenda.
Thanks Arlene. It looks like the last minutes posted are from the January meeting.
http://memphistn.gov/framework.aspx?page=1048
I went to the No Kill Memphis page and asked them if they had anyone attending that could do a livestream OR even videotape the MAS portion of the meeting. At least that way we could see what went on….
I don’t know how they feel about people video taping the meeting, but those new cell phones produce a pretty clear picture and I’m sure they could be a bit secretive about doing it. I have noticed how far behind they are in posting the minutes, which is why I’m hoping someone can secretly tape it for us. I haven’t heard anything back from them as yet…but I remain hopeful.
Sounds like a little love-fest or they don’t want to talk about it . . . in January minutes.
(Where is my barf emoticon?)
I’ve read most every set of minutes they posted in the past. Very interesting. I get the idea that the board is shot down more often than not. I just wonder why they haven’t gone to the city council. Whose permission do they think they need?
How about video podcast? Or just video if they will allow it?
Miss Charlotte now has a chip-in for her child support.
http://meowsandbowwows.chipin.com/charlottes-child-support
Ona,
Thank you for helping Miss Charlotte.
One question.
When you rescued her did MAS have you sign a form stating she and the babies would be neutered in the future?
No. It was called a “transfer” and we did not sign anything. Momma had no vaccinations and no microchip.
I LOVE it – you even called it “child support” – and thanks for the link..I needed it so I could send you guys some $$$ for saving that sweetie with her little ones!
That poor girl looks so stressed out. I can’t imagine what her state of mind would be if she had to stay there another day…
Thank you so much for getting her and the kittens out of there!
Check’s in the mail . . . hoping that Charlotte is able to relax a bit and enjoy her new foster home.
Charlotte is in great hands now. Ona is fostering her and Ona has a caring compassionate heart that is as big as Texas. Charlotte will want for nothing the lucky kitty. In less than a week Charlotte has gone from being hungry living on the streets, going to jail, then being broken out only to live in a kitty condo (Ona has her in a multi-level kennel) with her babies with all the food and comfort she could ever dream of. I wonder if Ona would take me in if I put on my cat ears and meowed? *s*
Me and My militant midget (18 yr old daughter who loves animals as much if not more than I do-she once hopped a fence and rescued a kitten from the mouth of a Pitt when the owner, angry that the kitten had worked up it’s biscuits on her leather sofa, threw it in with the Pitt to kill it) will be at the meeting. I think I shall wear my “Warning: Trouble Approaching” shirt..LOL
I wrote my email yesterday otherwise I would have used these bullet points. But for me the bottom line is that 70+% kill rate. Tell us all about the “improvements” you wish, tell us all about how irresponsible the public is, but you still can’t put a positive spin on a 70+% kill rate.
Oh but they try! They tell us that 77% is a (slight) decrease from last year so we should all be grateful. Tell that to the 77% that make it to the kill room.
Have you noticed that while at Caddo Parrish – Pepper had the kill rate around to 70% mark there as well? If that’s the best he can do then I’m wondering IF it will ever change….While Pepper says he know he CAN do better – the proof is in the pudding. And I think Pepper’s pudding is beginning to sour a bit – it’s getting chunky!
Do we have ANY results or info from the meeting last night yet?
I’m working on a post right now Erica.
GREAT – thank you!!!!