HALT! No more donations needed. We have reached our goal. Thank you everyone. I will keep everyone posted, as always. I had initially thought we had exceeded the goal because ChipIn sent me the “goal reached” notification before I received notification of the final donation. I guess ChipIn puts a stop to the collecting after you reach your goal.
Original post:
Memphis will allow us a brief look at what goes on behind closed doors at the pound – but it will cost about $200.
The webcams were installed at the Memphis pound to reassure the public that pets were not being abused after sheriff’s deputies raided the facility in 2009. But what they appeared to show was that pets were still being abused and the webcams became a thorn in the side of the city politicians and those caught perpetrating the abuse. So the webcams were removed in November 2011. There are however 48 security cameras throughout the pound which record footage 24/7. I don’t know how many people, if any, monitor these feeds. But I think someone should.
A TN resident, Lou Ann, has filed a request with the city to obtain 12 hours worth of footage from the security cameras at the pound. (Regular readers will remember Lou Ann helping to save Henry and Mario from being killed at MAS. She has also filed numerous FOIA requests as part of the effort to hold the city accountable for the needless killings at the pound.) The city has stated that it will take approximately 4 hours to copy the DVDs at a rate of $50.06/hr. They will also be charging 45 cents per DVD. So the good news is that despite a tough economy, someone in Memphis gets paid $50.06 an hour to copy DVDs. (You locals should be on the lookout in case this person ever vacates his position although I can’t imagine why anyone would leave that sweet job.) The bad news is it’s estimated to cost slightly over $200 to buy this security camera footage.
A ChipIn has been set up to help with this cost. Lou Ann has generously offered to put up the funds to pay the city but I’m hoping we can collect enough to reimburse her ASAP. If you would like to donate towards the effort to hold Memphis accountable for how they treat pets at the pound, please visit this ChipIn. (There is also a mailing address at the link for anyone who prefers to contribute via check.) Donations of one dollar or any amount that is comfortable for you are welcome and appreciated. I will post some (not all obviously) of the security camera footage on the blog so the public can see what’s going on at the pound. It’s not nearly as good as having the livestreaming webcams, but it’s something at least. And the pets in Memphis can use every little something they can get.
Please take note: Any funds raised will be used to reimburse Lou Ann for the purchase of security camera video from the Memphis pound. This money is not being used for any other purpose and no such alternative purpose is implied.
