Memphis Animal Services (MAS) is normally open only one weekend day (Saturday) which contributes to their abysmal live release rate since weekends are their greatest chance for increased traffic and adoptions. The pound is closing this weekend for mandatory employee training on pet killing. Sunday will be the practical – that is, killing actual pets.
It is impossible for a shelter to conduct a practical on “humane euthanasia” for 9 hours on a designated day. Here’s why: Because there is no way of knowing if any pets at MAS (or anywhere) will cross over into the medically hopeless and suffering category in which humane euthanasia is warranted on Sunday. Chances are very low that even one pet will suddenly be deemed by a vet to be medically hopeless and suffering on Sunday when there was still hope on Saturday – never mind enough pets to fill up a 9 hour practical. Therefore, it is impossible to conduct a day long practical on “humane euthanasia”. If MAS does hold this practical, what they will be doing is killing healthy/treatable pets. That is not “humane euthanasia” as the city is purporting the course to be.
The healthy/treatable pets who MAS is planning to kill on Sunday could potentially be adopted, fostered or rescued on Saturday if the city would keep the pound open. I have offered to help if they would post their pets online so I could network them. I know some of you would help too. Further – and I can not stress this enough – whether or not the city opens the pound on Saturday, it is ethically wrong to kill healthy/treatable pets for a class on Sunday or for any reason, any day.
MAS kills more than 11,000 pets a year. When will it be enough?
I say: today. Today is enough.
Please pick up the phone and speak for the pets at MAS who won’t be adopted this weekend but who will be killed in a practical for a killing course – call Memphis Mayor AC Wharton at (901) 576-6000. Politely explain that you are protesting both the closing of the pound on Saturday for a pet killing class and the needless killing of healthy/treatable pets on Sunday. If you are unable to call, please e-mail the mayor to make your voice heard: Mayor@memphistn.gov
