With the opening of the new $7.2 million dollar building, Memphis Animal Services has reduced the hours the public can access the facility. Instead of opening at 10am, MAS now opens at 11am, citing the need for additional cleaning time due to a larger building. A reader visited MAS last week and took this photo at 11:19am:
There are too many puppies in this cage and it has obviously not been cleaned in accordance with standard shelter practices to promote good health. If these puppies get sick and/or get their neighbor dogs sick, will MAS kill them and blame the irresponsible public and “pet overpopulation”?
If these pups were placed in this cage in order to spotlight them for adoption – fail. (Would you want to pick up one of these pups and love on him?) If MAS thinks it’s going to reduce its abhorrent kill rate by decreasing the hours the public can access the pound – fail. (The shelters I know of who have increased their live release rate have done so partly by increasing their open hours to the public.) If MAS thinks that the public is going to accept its lame “more cleaning time” excuse for opening later while showing pets sitting in filth at 11:19am – fail. (Looks like the same failed practices in an expensive new building to me.)
If a Memphis ACO visited a home and found the pups just as they appear in the above photo, I imagine action would be taken to protect the pups from this kind of inhumane treatment. Who will take action to protect the pups at MAS?