As in past, Memphis city leaders are hiding from the public. The next shelter advisory board meeting open to the public was scheduled for this coming Wednesday, September 12. In light of the outcry over the former MAS workers’ animal torture confessions in court yesterday, the city and the advisory board are once again shutting out taxpayers and have cancelled the open meeting.
Supposedly, the city will open the October 10 meeting to the public, assuming they don’t chicken out before then. I guess they figure all you annoying pet advocates will have forgotten about the cruelty, lies and shame by that time.
If you are in Memphis, don’t stand for this. Organize your own public meeting next Wednesday. Hold it at the mayor’s office or on the street in front of city hall. Do something.
I think a large group of Memphis animal advocates need to march into Rogers’ or Wharton’s office and MAKE a meeting!
That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!
I agree.. wish I lived close enough to attend..
Trust me, we would promptly be led out by security. Rogers would probably run and Wharton would hide. Can’t get close to either one.
I don’t care if you get led out by security or if Rogers lets you sit on his desk and fixes you pancakes – if you (any Memphians) go in there and protest, you will be my heroes. Someone – and I realize it may only be ONE – needs to take a stand. I’d much rather have one person than zero people standing up for the pets.
Well then, I guess I will have to march down to city hall and demand to meet with Wharton and sit there until he does. I think I will do just that on Monday. I’ll let you know what happens.
Take video. Or a photo. Or anything you can. I’ll post it! Power to the people!
Okay, wonder if I should make an appointment???? Uh huh.
Your comment has brought me to tears. I feel so useless and ashamed that I can’t be there. I have so many excuses.. I have no car to drive.. I have no money to pay someone to take me.. I have no one that I trust to care for my animals to make the trip. I am so ashamed of myself.. I hope someone, anyone… that lives near the shelter will go there and represent me. Of all the people commenting on this thread..is there anyone from Memphis?
Will anyone stand with Denise for the animals of MAS?
I am an out-of-state resident – hoping for some local support for anyone who is willing to face these cowards, face-to-face.
Anyone that would like to meet me at City Hall on Monday, 10:00 am, please meet me out front. We can go in and ask to meet with Wharton and stay in the lobby until he does. Is anyone game?
This story brought me to tears last night and that doesn’t happen very often. The comments to the other thread echo my anger, hurt, confusion and general disappointment. I, too, want to help and only live about 45 miles south of Memphis, so I feel compelled to speak up. However, I do not trust myself (or anyone in the Mayor’s office, for that matter) to act in a civil manner about this issue and I cannot put my job and professional license at risk with an arrest. If you think that that the mayor’s office won’t have you arrested for doing something as simple as raising your voice, you should probably think again. (MAS is not the only city agency with corruption issues.) With that said, please let me know what I can do to help from across the state line.
I am sorry that you feel that way. The Mayor is OUR employee. We taxpayers PAY his salary. HE WORKS FOR US, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. If I cannot get him to meet with me on Monday, then I will demand that he schedule a time for us to meet. We must demand responsibility and accountability of our elected officials. Of course, I know about the corruption issue, but this will be a peaceful request to meet and discuss MAS. No violence or loud protesters allowed. We cannot be arrested for asking to meet with the Mayor.
I can take the morning off on Tuesday, Sept 11 to go, but the rest of the week I cannot get out of work. :(
Hear hear!
Why am I not surprised at their response? How long can they hide? I agree – Memphis animal advocates, now is your chance to take action. People are watching.
Interesting – now I have to pay to read/comment on the story at the Commercial Appeal. Not gonna pay – so if someone else can let the folks know about the meeting being cancelled, please do so.
Hope it’s just policy and not the long arms of wharton, et al reaching into the media . . . or should I not be surprised?
db, it still works fine for me – maybe a glitch?
The CA allows you to click their links a limited # of times per month before you hit the paywall. db must have gone over the limit.
Really? Huh. That’s crappy.
I’ve found I can often get around limits by purging my browser’s history. Those few times this has failed, a purge using CCleaner ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCleaner ) has done the trick.
However, that said, our internet account does use dynamic IP addresses, so this is likely also a factor.
Pet-Abuse.com has the story up as well, for those who can’t access the CA –
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/19511/TN/US/
Typical. It seems to be standard operating procedure in Memphis to sweep things under the rug, rather than deal with them head on and get them handled once and for all.
Cowards all.
Dirty politics at work with taxpayer dollars
Second that: DO SOMETHING!
And this surprises you? MAS fires volunteers, hires felons, and turns a deaf ear and blind eye to those of us who want change. They consider Yesbiscuit a thorn in their side. No wonder, it exposes what they want to hide. I honestly do not know what it will take to bring about any changes at MAS. I am totally at a loss here.
didn’t they pull this the last time.. but it wasn’t forgotten was it? I’ll be sharing this on FB thanks for sharing
Oh yes, many times. Hiding is like – their thing.
They’re going to make the decision and THEN tell you what they are going to do. You’re not going to have one single say in the matter. It happens here in my little town all the time…especially when everyone they speak to is against the topic that is to be discussed.. Don’t it just piss you off? I know it does me! “Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawakened” Kathie
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I just recently spoke with a former board member of my local shelter. Everyone I have spoken to wants to get rid of the shelter director, but the board won’t get rid of her because they don’t have anyone that is trained to euthanize. The director is the only one certified. Instead of letting volunteers advocate for the animals they would rather kill them. I can’t get anyone to help me stand up to the board they are afraid she will quit and then second of three employees will also quit leaving only one kennel person.
We even know about and follow this down here in New Zealand and regularly repost your stories to our page for the edification of all. How many of these perverts are running shelters and hiding their dirty deeds behind closed doors in other countries around the world? Thank you for the excellent work you do for all of our animals everywhere.
@Denise would love to go with you
I was at the shelter today looking for my dog and as i was getting in my car i saw an MAS employee outside smoking- he was on the phone cursing about someone looking for their God *amn dog, continued to curse and complain about perople looking for their dogs and he negativity was heartbreaking. here i am at the shelter looking for my dog, im beyond upset and i hear this employee saying these horrible things. why would they have an employee who is so hateful in regrards of people looking for their beloved pets? We all need to go down there and put a fire under their a$$!
They hire these people because they are cousins, relatives or friends of other employees who don’t give a damn. Also, they collect their cushy paychecks and don’t care about the animals. Care to join me at City Hall on Monday, 10:00am? I am going to request a meeting with Wharton.
Please contact me , I’d like to get involved. Do you know of any efforts to organize a group? I’m willing to accompany anyone that is going to city hall for a meeting etc. My schedule is flexible.
contact me too brandonandbobbie@yahoo.com
Bran, I encourage you to contact Mr. Rogers and tell him about your experience. Remind him that getting lost animals back to their owners should be one of the employee’s top priorities, not an “inconvenience” in their day.
Were you able to see a name badge?
did you see that persons name badge?
no he was standing four spaces away but he was wearing a black brim hat scrubs and his id badge hanging around his neck
Bran, you should still report it. The fact that reuniting lost animals with their owners is annoying to these people needs to be known.
This was a black man, wearing a black straw-like hat, NOT a mas hat like the others technicians wear, wearing light blue scrubs his ID badge was hanging around his neck in a clear pouch. i do believe he had facial hair, He really stared me down when i started looking at him cause i was trying to get my child buckled in.
Don’t they have an “Open Meetings” law in Tennessee……this is a public agency, holding a meeting that is required to be open to the public in most places…….if it isn’t….start a recall on the mayor and anybody else that is elected and party to this.
This topic was brought up just before the “Advisory Committee” decided to go from monthly open meetings to quarterly ones that would allow the public in. Their little city lawyer deemed it fact that since they were “advisory” they weren’t required to hold open meetings. Guess city government can do whatever it wants there!
PUT THEM IN PRISON ! Let’s march
I strongly urge anyone in Memphis who wants to “DO SOMETHING” to download Ryan Clinton’s guide to grassroots shelter reform and DO WHAT IT SAYS. It outlines how to create social and political change in the face of obstacles, from how to dress to how to get an appointment with a legislator.
http://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/politadvocacy.pdf
All of you saying they won’t listen and it can’t change are WRONG. You have to make them listen. It’s not easy, but it is uncomplicated. You just have to follow the steps in that guide and above all, NEVER EVER GO AWAY.
Things like this will keep happening until you — not someone else, YOU — make it stop. You can do it, even if you think it’s an overwhelming task. People do it every day. We need to become more effective at lobbying, at protesting, and at getting media coverage. Turn your grief and rage and nausea to effective action.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead.
I will also volunteer to write media releases and letters to legislators, and serve as a media contact person, for any group in Memphis who is tackling this issue. Just email me at christiekeith@gmail.com. If there is no such organization, I’ll tell you how to create one.
Right on Christie!
The fat ass shelter worker that was carrying the puppy with that dog pole, needs to have that loop from that pole around her neck and someone should lift her fat ass off the ground and try and carry her . But she would surely die , because she is so fat she would definately choke!!!! She probably got off hurting this little baby!!!! They will all be judged one fine day!! Oh Sweet Jesus…. Have mercy on this animals, and there will be justice!!! Bless all the animals!!
There is a No Kill Memphis. They have 1400 likes on Facebook. What is the nexus if any between those commenting here and that group?
I bet we could turn all this outrage into some positive action. Pretty sure between us all we could get the dollars together for some newspaper ads or legal action.
DAMNIT. I absolutely cannot get out of work Monday – or I would take the day and go with you. It seems every time something occurs I’m out of town or obligated in a way I cannot change. I could go next Tuesday or Friday if you want company.
Shirley are you involved in No Kill Memphis? I don’t understand why they are not being brought into or involved with any of these discussions. In fact I rarely even see citizens from Memphis comment on anything regarding in any of these Memphis threads. If you are looking for traction that would appear any obvious place to start.
I know the people at No Kill Memphis. They are primarily functioning as an info sharing group at this time. They do read the blog and occasionally comment but tend to e-mail me privately more. I think possibly b/c the city schmucks monitor the blog and they fear retaliation against shelter pets if they make themselves too visible here.
so some poeple want to go up there monday?
Bran, please contact Mr. Rogers and report what the MAS employee said within the hearing of a citizen who was looking for a lost pet. Also, please tell him what the employee was wearing and exactly where the employee was smoking. Your story is interesting. Employees are only allowed to smoke on the rear loading dock where the public is not allowed. Also, when in uniform (and this includes scrubs) employees are not allowed to wear any headcovering other than hats that are part of the official uniform. Please include this in an email so there is a written record. I know this sounds trivial, but it is actually documentation of continued defiance of the rules and inadequate supervision.
Has anyone gone to Memphis? I’m in Ashland, City (4 hours away) – and am interested. Thanks!
These bastards need a come to Jesus meeting in the worst way!