The city of Memphis posted a document containing intake and current photos of court case dogs in response to charges that the dogs were being neglected and starved at MAS. The photos appeared dark to me so I lightened a couple of them and have posted both the originals and the lightened versions below:
These dogs do not look well to me. The first dog appears to have the sunken head look of a starving dog and there is diarrhea on the floor next to her. The second dog’s bones are prominent along the spine. If these are the best photos MAS could come up with to prove they aren’t neglecting dogs in their care, I’m worried.
The photos accompany a statement from the city regarding both the recent neglect allegations as well as the recording made of a Memphis city leader ordering all Pitbulls at the pound to be killed. The statement says, in part, that “rounds are done daily by the veterinarians to address all medical issues, including weight. Animals that require increased feeding are appropriately documented and fed by the techs.” So the vets and the techs are being thrown under the bus here?
Also in the statement, division director Janet Hooks says that “pit bulls and pit bull mixes represent the largest proportion of animals who enter MAS”. And yet, in a mystifying effort to refute the allegations that MAS targets the breed for destruction, Ms. Hooks touts the fact that MAS currently has 15 Pitbulls available for adoption. This is a facility which typically has more than 500 animals on hand at any given time. Most of the dogs are Pitbulls and yet there are only FIFTEEN available for adoption?
What do you make of the photos and the explanations from the city? Do you feel reassured?