It’s always a welcome sight to see shots of a dog being handled lovingly on the MAS webcams. Unfortunately for the brown kissy dog, that was then, this is now. Here is how the formerly waggy dog was treated yesterday at MAS while his cage was being cleaned:
Is this dog in need of help? Maybe somebody could contact the shelter and ask about this dog. My e-mails seem to be going straight to the roundfile.
Well at least they didn’t spray the cage down while he was still in it.. It’s a small step forward they were cleaning cages without removing the dogs at all
What a rotten way to treat any animal. I wish I was closer to Memphis, I’d be in someone’s face for sure.
Did they even DRY the cage or stuff Mr. Kissyface into a wet kennel? And since when do shelters not use a trifectant to clean? Hmmmm?
MAS uses the hose to “clean” the dog cages – usually with the dogs in them. On occasion, they break out the suds machine for the hallways but for the kennels – it’s just water. But this is all going to be better once they get into the new building…
People keep saying it’s gonna be better at the new building which I hope they are right but in all honesty if the employees that are the problem aren’t removed then the problems will just transfer to the new building. But that is kinda hard to do they are union workers which means 3 write ups for the same offense in 6 months to be terminated and after 6 months slate is wiped clean so basically I could get written up twice for something and then after six months get wrote up again and would still have a job… Plain and simple union sucks if they weren’t union they might could fire some people and get some good employees in there that care
A building is bricks and mortar. Not one thing will change in the new building because bricks and mortar tend to be apathetic to the plight of shelter pets.
Uh-huh. Good to know that they’ve invented a new way to clean the cages that will protect the animals from getting sick! They must be soooo proud of their innovative ways!
From what I’ve seen on the webcams, the cleaning procedures at MAS are truly slipshod. Lots of water – the entire place seems to spend two-thirds of its time wet – but very little soap, disinfectant, or even ordinary elbow grease. The leaking hoses – and from what I’ve seen I suspect they all leak – are often left snaking or in loops along the corridors, a hazard to navigation. And only in the lobby have I seen anyone attempt to mop up any of it – for the most part, it’s just allowed to air-dry, however long that takes, and no matter how slippery wet bricks are. There’s no visible traction stripping anywhere.
That’s for the dogs. The cats aren’t sprayed with water. Mostly from what I’ve seen they’re shoved into tiny wire cages while their paper, litter and bowls are changed, and then they’re shoved back in – no disinfectant, no soap, no elbow grease there either. More, while the staff does wear rubber gloves, I’ve never seen them change them in between kennels or cages. Seems those gloves are there just to protect everyone’s manicures.
On top of which, as per the topic of this post, I have rarely, so rarely, seen *any* interactions between the staff and the animals that wasn’t strictly dictated by work. The animals don’t even expect it – there’s no visible excitement when staff walk the corridors. Sometimes the dogs visible even retreat back, possibly anticipating the hose. Or the catch-pole. I rarely see a dog handled with a leash. Other than the one kind member of staff, I’ve never seen anyone handle a dog with kindness, and I’ve not seen anyone at all cuddle a cat. Ever.
When I compare this to how I was trained during my years as an in-shelter volunteer … there just is no comparison. It’s absolutely contrary to good and humane practice. And it *has* to be policy – it’s too consistent, and occurs even under supervision, and when Pepper is there.
I think you are right about this being too consistent NOT to be policy. It would be impossible that all the staff there are lazy or uncaring. No doubt it is an unwritten policy and a way to save time/money. I still wonder if the animals killed there are being sold to Universities etc. for scientific purposes. Has anyone every tried following the poor souls to their final destination outside this facility? I know it would be very hard to do, but if you are looking for Press on this matter this could be one thing that would open peoples eyes.
Sad in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Canada
I suggest that someone call MAS to ask about kissyface.
Perhaps ask to speak to Ms. Jeanne Chancellor, the new MAS Advisory Board member and head of Friends.
She might be able to give you some insight as to why there is no interaction with the animals because the lady walking by in white pants, blue top and ignoring kissyface is none other than her.
I am disgusted. Shirley, which waggygoggie is this one? Can you share the original shot?
You can click the hyperlink in the post or I’ll paste the actual address for you here:
http://yesbiscuit.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/another-waggy-dog-in-the-super-sekrit-stray-area-at-mas/
Do any of the volunteers ever get to interact with the animals? This is abhorrent! I can’t believe that the media or animal groups in the Memphis area haven’t gone ballistic over this!
The shelter volunteer interact with the dogs/cats in adoption on a regular basis…unfortunate that none of these screen shots are grabbed and posted here. I am at the shelter every Saturday and we cuddle terrified puppies/kittens, bathe puppies, walk dogs, assist the public with adoptions and do whatever needs to be done to improve the shelter environment. And despite what people here think we also report concerns/issues to the administration. We are truly in it for the homeless animals of Memphis!
Thank you Dana for your kindness to the animals! It is a wonderful thing to have dedicated volunteers.
But surely you see the injustice of only allowing *some* puppies to be bathed? Only allowing *some* kittens to be cuddled? Only allowing *some* dogs to be walked?
For those not chosen to be among the lucky few in the adoption area, life is a misery for them with no relief and no kindness. The dogs are never let out of their cages except to go to the kill room where they get tied to the wall so they can watch other dogs die before it’s their turn. The cats are left (overnight!) in uncovered traps on the floor, no food, no water, no litter until someone has time to kill them.
I am truly grateful that the hard working volunteers are there to help the animals in the adoption area. I’m sure that your dedication and time helps them get homes as soon as possible.
I just wish that the kittens and puppies you never see, the dogs you never know about, and the cats who never had a chance got to know that kind of care and compassion, too.
Mikken said it very eloquently. It’s not that people across the country watching the webcams aren’t grateful for what caring volunteers and caring employees do for the animals that are designated adoptable. Many of us have cheered for those moments captured by webcams when we see someone, anyone interacting humanely with an animal. But how sad is that that we should need to cheer those moments when they should be the norm???
Our outrage is not with volunteers in general. What makes us weep is the plight of all those pets that never even get the chance to be considered “adoptable”, the pets the public doesn’t see because they aren’t they aren’t allowed to see them, the pets the volunteers don’t get to interact with unless escorted by a MAS employee past the lobby doors, the pets that come in the front door and 72 hours later are put to death because they never made it to the adoption floor. That is not the fault of the volunteers. But it is the fault of MAS policies, leadership, and an institutional shelter culture that uses killing as the only way out of the challenges it faces and lays all its hopes for improvement on a new building.
For this little dog in particular, I’m left wondering how anyone will ever know if he is adoptable unless volunteers or employees interact with him, take him for a walk, sit quietly with him, touch his paws or his soft ears, see how he reacts to other dogs. What should this dog do to earn the chance to receive the kindness that you and other volunteers give to those dogs in the adoption area? I have no doubt that he would soak it up like a sponge.
Maybe, just maybe, in the 15 seconds it took the cameras to refresh, the Chief Volunteer briskly walking down the aisle did stop to pet this little guy. But I worry that his pittie appearance automatically earned him an adoptability DQ as soon as he walked thru MAS doors.
So I hope that you and the other MAS volunteers will continue to pet and cuddle ALL the animals you can get your hands on. I hope you will continue to press for access to ALL the animals so they can benefit from your goodness. I hope you will continue to network and advocate for all the animals that walk thru MAS doors because they need all the help they can get.
And yes, I DO volunteer in my community.
@Melinda – Thank you. So well said!