Using donations from concerned pet lovers everywhere, Memphis advocates got a digital billboard put up on I-240 heading east, near the Perkins exit (near Mall of Memphis).
The two images below alternate and are seen by an average of 130,000 drivers every day.
Edit: The graphic artist reworked both of the initial images slightly. These are the current images on the billboard:
Added, 7-14-11: Somebody driving by the billboard snapped this shot:
Excellent.
Any idea how long they will run?
I’m not sure. I guess if they set up another ChipIn, we’ll know the time is up!
Count me in when donations are needed for this great sign.
Excellent!
I had to share this on fb! Thank You!!!
Nice!!
freaking AWESOME!
WOW!!!!
WAY COOL!
This is amazing! Thanks to Shirley for keeping this out there and to everyone else for making it happen.
Saint Shirley has done it again. Rewards in heaven awaits her.
LOVE it!!!
Wonderful!!
they’re great, very eyecatching.. but they should have a phone number or website to contact for information on specific action people can take (in addition to the reward phone).
I Agree…..Out of sight out of mind…..make it easy to do the right thing.
FANTASTIC!!!!
Outstanding!!!!!!!!!
Kapone come home.. this is GREAT…bet there will be some more news coverage too..NICE WORK
Also Channel/News 24 in Memphis is running lots of stories regarding this. I would suggest you all visit and leave a comment on the story as then ALL of Memphis can read our opinion.
The more comments on these stories, the more stories will be done on MAS.
Demetria Hogan was charged with another animal cruelty charge after a dog she was transporting died in her truck because she didn’t take it back to the shelter when she picked it up, but instead drove around for a couple hours. When she got back to the shelter the poor dog was dead.
This woman is the scumbag of scumbags and Memphis your tax dollars are paying her salary! And still paying her to now stay home and watch Judge Judy! I would be irate. The mayor said he has to keep paying her but my guess is she’s related to him.
Wonder how the meeting went tonight?
A neighbor of Hogan is saying she thinks she saw Kapone in Hogan’s yard the day of his disappearance:
http://www.abc24.com/news/local/story/Neighbor-Says-She-Saw-Missing-Dog-in-Memphis/Fp2WCr1N3ECm2rhKW8d3uQ.cspx
Is there a link? That would make it easier for people to watch and then respond.
A lot of good stories on the above link too re: MAS
A civil law suit against Hogan is warranted. Enough evidence is recorded.
This is FANTASTIC!! Lots of exposure to just about everyone. I think the photo speaks for itself in the first sign and the byline is perfect in the second sign.
The public needs to know what is happening and the pressure needs to tighten on Wharton, Pepper, et al. This is the way to do it!!
This cat is doing a Happy Dance!
I hope someone ran that by a lawyer. They did a sign similar in Florida a few years ago using a worker picture like that, and the worker won a ton of money. Hope the people in Memphis have covered themselves on this one. Everyone who contributed can probably be held responsible. There were some deep pockets contributing in Florida is how they won so much money.
Anna K / I live in Florida. Can you refer me to the specific case you are speaking about. I’ve never heard it of anything like this happening here. We’ve got some bad shelters but none this dang crooked … and I’ve lived here all my life.
I believe they did consult an attorney and were given the green light.
The webcams are on a public site and open to the view of the public.
Besides, the position makes the worker not readily identifiable.
Wonderful!!
The shelter employees are trying to get the cameras turned off:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/jul/14/cameras-irk-shelter-staff/
Oh, and there’s a little online poll with the story above, asking whether the cameras should be turned off. No registration needed to vote.
Thank you YeaBiscuit for you excellant exposure in this matter and all the ugly problems at the MAS! My heart breaks for Kapone and his family! Mayor Wharton, MAS, employees are such a disappointment. It is so obvious the MAS is not high on our city’s priority list. It’s past time to privatize the MAS! The many rescue groups offered the city, MAS and the Mayor a free way out. It doesn’t make any logical sense to ignore their free offers in this terrible economy. Let’s privatize the MAS like we did the zoo! Let’s make the MAS something positive for the ciy, the taxpayers, families and animals.
A letter to Mayor Wharton:
Mayor Wharton, why not allow the world to see you as an innovated mayor who cares about the city, its concerns, its people and animals! Let’s be a beacon of positive examples of how this jprivate MAS could work just like the zoo. Or, I guess you could continue the same old excuses, allowing the same cruel, abusive and unacceptable behavior and continue to make the majority of the taxpayers angry and disappointed in your leadership. It you managed to privatize the MAS you would be a hero to many and it would be impressive because no lone else was every able to privatize the MAS. I certainly don’t know all the details but privatization just seems like a WIN/WIN,
If you keep on doing what you are doing you will keep on getting what you’ve got! It we are not a part of the soution then aren’t we a part of the problem? This says it all, when people look about at your term as mayor what will they see? It’s up to you!
Great work Yea Biscuit and all who have comments posted!
For the first time all local news channels covered Kapone and the sorry excuse for a human being that stole Kapone from his family! I personally believe the coverage you & YeaBiscuit have given Kapone, the horribly run MAS, and the indifference of our city officials/leaders has been a huge part of the awareness here. Your have encouraged everyone to get involved, they are and the news outlets are assisting us in reporting the truth! Please keep the pressure on and I encourage everyone to continue to blog, call all of the local and state leaders, write emails and anything do anything in good taste to make your voices heard because I feel we are now in the “razzle dazzle” excuses, duck and dodge stage of the MAS, the mayor and his appointees. It’s a cyclical stage and mode of which they use to take the “heat” off themselves. This is also about the time that the mayor and others seemly following his example insinuates that the rescue groups and animal lovers are isolated extremists trying to cause him political trouble. No mayor, not true….the animal lovers are the majority and you are doing an excellent job of causing yourself trouble all by yourself!
The reward for Kapone has been reported tonight as $6,000! The Animal Control Officer is out on a $100 bond, so stealing a family’s pet has earned her a paid vacation! Wonder if she is solely responsible for the huge number of dogs missing and unaccounted for at the MAS each year or are others working as a team or competing with each other, wonder who else is involved? It is my understanding when the rescue groups started pressing the mayor and MAS for answers regarding the reports’ missing numbers they received from the Open Records’ Act, they either could not or would not answer why or how dogs could be missing in a well documented, caged and secure facility? Now, I have heard that they simply removed the missing section from the current & future reports instead of addressing the real problems.
It has been reported that the ACO picked up an injured dog yesterday and left it in the truck for some time. It was dead by the time she returned to the MAS. Wonder how many times that has happened to animals? Maybe I am insensitive but I find it difficult to believe that someone who has served time for identity theft, possession of stolen property, and the list goes on and on, plus someone who has had such unacceptable behavior, has the compassion needed to be a Animal Control Officer. Apparently, she has had many more chances than the Second Chance Program for felons allows or should allow. There’s many law-abiding citizens and taxpayers who live in Memphis needing work and who would love animals, appreciate the first chance, to be a city “civil servant” with a plump benefits package making over $35,000+ per year. It must be a dream job if you can work unsupervised long enough to steal and relocate taxpayers’ family pets and cannot be located in a timely manner. It is obvious none of the MAS are held accountable for their unacceptable behavior – just Google MAS cruelty or animal abuse Memphis 2011 and she how our wonderful city is being represented worldwide! I am not an attorney like our mayor but it seems that the ACO who has abused her position of authority, committed theft, cruelty, abuse, fraud and a host of other infractions & seemingly broken laws and has even been reported by a neighbor to her having Kapone in her backyard just after the theft. Seems like she’s not too worried about her wrong doing or the consequences (or lack thereof).
She is now suspended from the MAS with pay during the investigation! Gee, I hope she’s not too stressed. Even now on the news tonight, the mayor said she was a protected civil employee (you’ve got to be kidding, really!). Again, I am not an attorney like our mayor but it is difficult to believe that a civil employee cannot be terminated with cause, I’m thinking even just a small portion of this situation would be cause! Poor Mayor Wharton, he looks like he has no clue what to do (scary). I know he wants to protect the “hard working” felons, however, I’m thinking he needs to readjust his thinking quickly because most of Memphis’ law-abiding taxpayers are animal lovers and those that were not aware of the injustice at the MAS are fully aware now. Taxpayers will not stand for the brazen attitude of entitlement of the city employees who are stealing and abusing taxpayers’ property and their beloved family members, their pets!
Next thing you know, Mayor Wharton will announce that the new MAS facility will not have the live webcams. I’ll bet he gives some dazzling reason and we will know he has forgotten that the animal lovers community supported him in his run for mayor because of the similar and terrible way the MAS was operating. One of his campaign promises was one of transparency at the MAS. One way to insure that transparency was the use of webcams in the facility. Those webcams have certainly been a real revelation! It will be very interesting to see how the mayor handles this unacceptable situation as well as the webcams at the new facility. The world is watching and right now, Memphis and its leaders are not looking very sharp! Remember, good news travels fast but bad news travels faster!
Hello, what’s this? A neighbor reported seeing Kapone in Demetria Hogan’s backyard after he was picked up and put in the MAS van? I’ve thought all along she took him to her house but this is the first I’ve heard of the neighbor’s report. Did any of the news stories pick up on it?
http://www.abc24.com/news/local/story/Neighbor-Says-She-Saw-Missing-Dog-in-Memphis/Fp2WCr1N3ECm2rhKW8d3uQ.cspx
Cool…I will look for it on the way to work tomorrow night. ;)
Whoaaaaa… YES… I Love It! This is perfect…his name in lights for all to see!
I’m doing a happy dance in KY! I just might have to make the drive down there and see it for myself.
This is great, now maybe MAS will know the shit stops here….Let everyone know what heartless people there tax $$$ are paying for…I wish I lived close enough to visit that shelter daily…
Any word on Kapone yet????
I sent Jody Callahan an email yesterday with information about the closing of the MAS Advisory Board meetings. I wasn’t sure that she got the message because I got an error but it looks like she may have.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/jul/14/cameras-irk-shelter-staff/
Do we know when the billboard is going up or is it already up? I can drive by this weekend and take a few shots.
It’s up!
those are pretty powerful
Isn’t the reward now $6000? If they update the reward maybe change “vanished after picked up by Memphis animal services” to “vanished after being picked up by Memphis animal services”. The first part of that scentence doesn’t make sense to me.
Just read on FB PETA upped reward to $8,000.
Yuck PETA, yay bigger reward.
Would someone safely pull over to the side of the road and snap some photos? I’m sure Yes Biscuit would post them if you’d email them to her.
Thanks to the anonymous photog.
Fantastic news about the billboard! I would love to see an actual photo too posted on here for us NZ people :)
The reward is $8000.00 PETA gave $2000.00 Today.
Yay!
As someone mentioned above; however, it makes me wonder how many of those 155 “missing” dogs she had something to do with.
I live in Desoto co ms too close to Memphis…The mayor is Memphis’s gang leader….nothing but a big huge covered up gang.
I drove by there today. I had to do two pass-bys. It looks like the billboards are electric and a few different messages rotate. I saw them both. Wow.
Our Kapone has his own billboard…..He fights for the cause….He will make a change for his breed and the evil that has a grip on the helpless animals of Memphis…..GO KAPONE!!
Where is the link to the second graphic? I saw it somewhere and now I can’t find it. I suggested to a group in CA that is trying to make drastic changes at the Devore shelter in San Bernardino that they do the same thing and they’d like to see what it looks like. Thanks!
Brenda – The graphic artist reworked both images slightly. The new ones were in my inbox this morning so I’m going to post them both.
The reward is fixed but “vanished after picked up” !?!? That still doesn’t sound right.
Thanks much! I hope that the group in California will be able to use it as a guide for themselves. You are awesome!!!!
I love these digital billboards that you can tweak!
Good messages and timely – I hope it’s enough to get some change.
Totally pawesome. Yes, Mayor Wharton is the gang leader which is why the employees are whining about their alleged safety…their backs are to the wall….
Let’s just remember, an animal with its back to the wall can strike out suddenly in a new direction, now everyone get their thinking caps on about that, and let’s be ready.
Personally, I would have rejected PETA’s money…their name stinks, and I wouldn’t want it connected with this, as they are such a target for people who call us all terrorists. Does anyone else think this?
One more question, does anyone know what the cost is and how long it will run? Who does the graphics – the digital billboard company or someone else? (sorry, that was more than one question). The group in CA is really interested in pursuing this idea but would like to know what they are looking at. Any info would be greatly appreciated!
I’m sorry I don’t know all the details Brenda but the ChipIn I remember was for $1200. So I assume that is what the billboard company charges for whatever the allotted time is (although I don’t know if that is the regular rate either). Digital billboard companies generally have graphic designers on staff. I’m sorry I don’t know more but I would suggest the CA folks just make some inquiries to companies in their area.
Thanks so much for the reply! After their adoption event this weekend she is going to start looking into companies out there. Keep up the good work!
right on!
Oh, btw … MAS? Where is Kapone?
And what did Demetria do in those three weeks you were fumphering around trying to decide whether or not the stink would get bad enough for you to pursue the matter of “just another missing dog”? Have you scrutinized her every move since then, perhaps assisting the authorities in their investigation? Perhaps finding out that she’s not the only one on staff to “disappear” animals that might fetch a price on the street?
Or did you just say, “Hey, we fired her. Good enough. Now it’s a police matter and we’ve washed our hands of it.”?
That sounds good – just a police matter now. That way they can get back to what they do best . . . killing cats and dogs.
(If I sound snarky it’s because I am beyond fed up with this whole mess!)
Probally the most useful tool animal activist has ever had here! THIS will get results! To keep the sign up or changed will be one of my donation priorites. Can this be done in more places in Memphis? PETA has used signs like this on the west coast sucessfully but Memphis, not known as a progressive city, is always lagging far behind and I don’t feel has had the support for activist necessary to accomplish much.
Thank everyone responsible for this wonderful sign.
Do the right thing Mayor…..we encourage our brethren by saying..
.
Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
The first use of ‘reveal’ in the Bible is extremely ‘revealing’. It occurs in De 29:29 in the middle of Moses’ farewell speech. Having narrated most of the history of the Jewish people to that point Moses suddenly interjects:
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
In Jesus name I pray for all, Amen