Some of you might recall that MAS was a no show at last month’s MAS Advisory Board meeting. Since then, there have been some changes to the board:
Current Members of Memphis Animal Services (MAS) Advisory Board are:
Jeanne Chancellor
Jen Clay
John R. Cox
Jackie Johns
Don Siemer
Stephen Tower
And the new advisory board has completed its first official act (click to biggenize):
I am put in mind of something Austin no kill advocate Ryan Clinton says: You know you’re winning when the opposition stops showing up for debates. Well, the not showing up was last month. This month, we’ve advanced to DEBATE CANCELLED. I can’t wait for next month! In the meantime, keep those letters coming.
This is good stuff. I think that your photographs posted from the video feeds is very compelling evidence. It’s kind of hard to make excuses for some of the things I’ve seen on there.
While I live in Florida, I occasionally send emails to Memphis governmental authorities about how horrifying the MAS is and how they, as governmental authorities should be ashamed, etc., etc.
I believe that this is a positive step. You’ve stirred the pot.
Have we lost our three really good board members? Can’t remember their names, but many of us did receive emails from a woman who basically agreed with what we were saying.
Hope this is the start of something really different – like actually sheltering animals. Or getting rid of MP! Or both!!!
2 of the good ones are no longer on the board- their term was up….the last of those 3 is still on the board – 2 of the new additions do not think anything is wrong with MAS – one of them is actually the woman (term used loosely) who is administrator of FMAS fb page- who deletes comments from those that do not share her own warped thinking…..this IS NOT good for the citizens of Memphis and worse for the animals…..
Just remember: First they laugh at you; then they ignore you; then they fight you; then you win. – M.K. Gandhi
It is SO true. They don’t know who they’re in the ring with. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!
Off the Advisory Board: Cindy Marx-Sanders, Allen Iskiwitz (terms were up and they were removed even though they did not have a complete board), and Jackie Johns has resigned. The advisory board is now fully stacked in favor of the neglect, abuse and killing of animals in the care of MAS. They’ve taken the lead of Janis Fullilove and said a big fat ‘So what.’ to the people of Memphis.
OH NO!
When I send my emails, Cindy is the only person to respond. Cindy and her friend Jackie were wonderful for the animals!! I have sent several letters to the mayor, Pepper, etc (got the email addresses off of YesBiscuit) but no one ever responds, except for Cindy. And her emails are not just form letters either…I mean she really cares and takes the time to write you.
WTF are the animals to do now if they don’t have any advocates on the board?
That’s what I was afraid of.
Hmm. I see Friends has a member on the board now–Jeanne Chancellor.
I’m going to take the meeting cancellation as a good sign and not an indication that they don’t have anything to discuss because they all think with a single hive mind, lawl.
Ugh, we lost the good people!!! :( This is just wrong.
My concern is that when open-door meetings are cancelled, it’s because they are holding meetings behind closed doors. Between the horrible change in personnel and nothing disclosed from this group, it looks like they are closing ranks and will try to stack the deck in their favor. Things are going to get worse before they get better. Next, it will be the removal of the video link…
Where I am from it is illegal to hold closed meetings of any city or state government boards. Is’nt it illegal in TN?
The board is already stacked, no trying needed. I don’t know if anything of the current board will be able to advocate for change now, even if they want to.
Yes, there are Sunshine Laws in TN.
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20070323/NEWS01/70321057/Tennessee-s-Sunshine-Law
I have a feeling that Jeanne Chancellor is not going to be of any help. I read today that she is “unfriending” anyone who asks her about the stray area.
An unfriending Friend? I can see how they’d want someone like that on the advisory board, lawl.
Jeanne Chancellor will be of NO help- rest assured. She has volunteered at MAS for years and supports Pepper and his regime 100% – she was there when the previous director was there and NEVER EVER spoke up about any of the wrong-doings. She not only “unfriends” those asking about the strays, she unfriends anyone and everyone who talks about the inhumane treatment at that hell-hole….she unfriends anyone that doesn’t think MAS is great place for the animals…..she is bad news-
I happen to know Jeanne Chancelor and can say you could never be more wrong about her. I met Jeanne in 2003 when she agreed to meet me about 100 miles outside of Memphis transporting three beagles I agreed to take to Atlanta. Jeanne and I had a number of “policy issues” we disagreed on but both shared a passion for saving dogs from MAS. It might have been easy to simply meet and toss the beagles in my truck without bothering to interact with Jeanne, after all, she was “only” a transporter. Instead, we sat and talked over coffee. When it was over I found out a lot about Jeanne I never realized. Jeanne not only volunteers and shows up at the shelter just about seven days a week but also has a house full of fosters she holkds until she can arrange transports to people like myslef who were able to take these dogs in. I can say that without Jeanne’s selfless acts of kindness hundreds of dogs would have been killed just like the three she delivered too me. Jeanne never asked for nothing in return – no gas money – not even a thank you. Like many of us I could sense her satisfaction was in knowing these three were safe and she could return to MAS the next day and who knoiws find three more that needed out. It’s a little disingenous for people who don’t understand that Jeanne’s actions weren’t just one of those acts she did once out of boredom but something she has done and continues too do eight years later? While Jeanne and I still have a number of “animal issues” we still disagree on I consider Jeanne a friend who shares my passion for helping out shelter dogs who really could care less what our political voice is all about. Jeanne is EXACTLY the voice I want as an non confrontational voice of reason trying to help her community’s struggle with a pet overpopulation problem that has festered for years.
Speaking in general terms, when a shelter is killing 77% of its pets, I want a confrontational voice of reason in there.
Sorry, but her track record of only dealing with the people who support her/agree with what’s going on doesn’t work for me. If she truly is an advocate for the animals, as you suggest, then she will not condone the killing of more than 7 of 10 animals at MAS, she will not condone animals being kept away from the public (for any other reason than severe aggression or life-threatening medical issues), she will not condone the spraying down of cages with the animals and their food left in them, she will not condone lifting animals by the skin of their backs/putting them in upper cages using a choke pole, or dragging them to their deaths – waiting in line to watch those ahead being killed. Those are all things that are happening NOW and that we have seen with our own eyes on the webcams. So – you can say what you will, but until she walks the walk I don’t believe she really cares for the animals at MAS OR SHE WOULD DO SOMETHING TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER AT MAS!!!
Jeanne Chancellor only cares about the aoptable dogs at MAS, and the dogs in the stray area are completely ignored by her as I believe they are mostly pits or pit mixes and in my opinion, she and Mr. Pepper share the same opinions about that breed which is why I think they justify the killings. I too have worked with her in the past, and she turned on me really quick when she realized I wasn’t liking what I was seeing or hearing regarding this shelter. Anyone who unfriends someone on a FB page that is supposedly meant to help the animals at MAS, due to having concerns FOR the aninals says plenty about her as a “rescuer”. She may love animals, but she goes along with the status quo instead of being a key person in speaking up about all the wrongdoing in this shelter. Keep staring at the butterfy while ignoring the cockroaches.
This sounds a whole lot like, “We cannot defend our actions, so we won’t.”
Here are some questions I would like to have had asked at the meeting-that-will-not-be :
Why can other shelters of similar size and intake manage to photograph every single animal that comes in, be it stray or owner surrender, and get that animal up on a website in 24 hours or less, but MAS cannot?
Why can other shelters of similar size and intake manage to clean cages without animals in them, but MAS cannot?
Why can other shelters of similar size and intake make all of their animals available to the viewing public, but MAS cannot?
Why can other shelters of similar size and intake hire and train workers in correct and humane handling of animals, but MAS cannot?
Why can other shelters of similar size and intake contact rescue groups to try and get more animals out alive, but MAS cannot?
I have more, of course, but I don’t want to overwhelm anyone from MAS or the council intent on answering with thoughtful and reasoned discourse…
I’m not trying to discount what you have stated, but I would like to know what other shelters you are making reference to. I could guess, I’m just a person that likes things spelled out, regardless of what source it comes from.
Thanks
I can vouch for a small shelter in the upper peninsula of Michigan that does all those things, plus a lot more. They have a save rate of well over 90% and Michigan is having serious problems right now on a lot of fronts. It is happening in so many places . . . and it could be happening in Memphis but the folks there are too invested in the killing.
my bet, the Board will meet but won’t call it a meeting.
Perhaps an orientation for the new members.
They are very good at figuring out ways to get around the laws and humanity, honesty, accountability, etc.
Those kinds of meetings don’t fly here. A lawyer for any news media with an industrious reporter could file a complaint faster than you can say MAS.
I wrote to the news media and never got a response from any of them. You have to first begin with someone who cares what is going on in MAS and since especially I am not from your area, I do not know who that would be. Do you have a connection?
Has anyone seen this story? It seems Mayor Herron from New Brockton has been charged with animal cruelty in relation to an abuse and neglect situation at the local shelter. http://www2.eprisenow.com/news/2011/jun/13/animal-control-officer-indicted-animal-cruelty-cas-ar-1968140/?referer=None&shorturl=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FkU6HAZ
Thought that situation might be worth keeping tabs on. If Mayor Herron can be charged, even though he doesn’t have keys to the shelter then it might set a precedent and we might see more charges being brought against Mayors who, oh I don’t know, blatantly and willfully ignore pleas and delete emails/facebook messages from concerned citizens complaining about abuse at shelters.
Ha ha…love this: “I don’t have any keys to the lagoon (the shelter location) and no keys to the shelter,” Herron said in a June 7 interview. “I don’t believe anybody that would work for me would do that.” Classic! Wonder if Wharton has keys to MAS.
Perhaps that would be a good link to send to mayor sir, with the reminder that he is , ultimately, the responsible party. Guess I’ll do that now.
Well it’s nice to know that Mayor Wharton doesn’t only deny free speech to people who are speaking for the MAS animals. He’s definitely an inclusive kinda guy who believes in denying free speech to EVERYONE who says something he doesn’t like. I feel all warm and fuzzy :)
http://www.aclu-tn.org/release061411.html
Geez, how embarrassing for the Mayor and his cohorts.
Thank you db for your post re JC – I could not have said it better. AND, this is not an attack on JC – it is just stating the facts. Lip service is big at MAS…..
I read on No Kill Memphis’ fb page that Dr Stephen Tower, the guy who turned up to the MAS meeting for 1 minute 28 seconds, just long enough to state that he’d done nothing he was supposed to do and to make sure Cindy marked him as present before he absented himself, has replaced Cindy as chairperson. Apparently, in Mayor Wharton’s world you can be promoted for being incompetent and deceitful. Something stinks in Memphis.
To Sharon: Are you the sharon that fostered for a rescue, had dogs injured at your house, begged and collected money for vet bills that the rescue already paid?
Are you the one who took a senior Poodle from MAS to great fanfare then turned it in to be euth. at a vet office and another rescue ended up taking it? A friend of mine took it from the vet office is where I heard the story.
Oh, and by the way Jeanne Chancellor has a Pit Bull. Today she sent me pictures of a Pittie needing help at the shelter to see if I could help it. You might be mistaken in your comments.
Sharon may have some issues herself if this be she.
No I am not that Sharon. So before you assume, perhaps you go accusing me of anything you should get your facts straight.