There is a new group seeking reform and advocating for the right of pets to live at the Memphis pound. From the press release:
The Memphis No Kill Coalition is an organization of animal advocates in Memphis, Tenn., created to reform abusive practices at Memphis Animal Services and create a modern, progressive animal sheltering system in the city. For more information, visit their website at http://memphisnokillcoalition.org or their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MemphisNoKillCoalition.
I just love seeing the words No Kill next to the word Memphis. I hope the coalition is able to advance the efforts of meaningful reform and obliterating the status quo at MAS. I will be watching developments.
Jody,
I just got on my computer and was greeted by this fantastic news! Made my day!
Although I live in the Clarksville area and thus would not be able to do much on the scene, I’d like to join to lend support wherever and whenever I can. I (and several other readers) am also in contact with our local “Friends” group (Montgomery Cty Friends of the Shelter, or MCFOTS), which was started in response to the situation at the Clarksville shelter, and is going full steam ahead in this community. Perhaps we can forge an alliance of some sort…
Anyway, thanks to you and Peter and everyone else involved in this (I’ll bet Linda is in there, too, or will be soon)—I am feeling hopeful about Memphis for the first time since I found out about MAS!
Just let me know what I have to do to join!
WOW! Finally some good news out of Memphis. I agree that this is the first time I’ve felt encouraged about things at MAS. Interesting that those in power have felt the need to create a video to reassure everyone how “OK” things are at MAS. Although I live many miles away in Michigan, you have my support in any way I can provide it.
Thanks to all of you who are stepping out for the animals of Memphis. Don’t let the bad guys get you down!
BRAVO!!!
Ditto the Bravo
Thank God for this news. I hope this group really change things for the better at MAS. It has been a long time coming.
I’ve been on a tear about MAS this weekend, so this was some great news to sign on to this morning! I pray they will make a difference!
I’m really hoping and praying that this is the group that will finally put an end to the abuse and cruelty inflicted on the animals at MAS. They so deserve to have a better place to be. Good luck to you all.
So good to hear this! That video that they put out to tell everyone how wonderful the new shelter is was just unwatchable. Although I did like Rogers’ statement that the shelter can house “over 300 animals”. Yes, more like over 500, but we keep 200 cages empty because we’re at our “capacity to care” and kill for space every day.
Also how community outreach is a huge thing for them. Yep, so huge that they can’t be bothered to keep the Pet Harbor records updated and complete. So huge that they like to limit the time rescuers can spend there. So huge that they freak out if you try to video/photograph animals in certain areas. So huge that they like to lock the public out of meetings…
555 animals – but who’s counting, eh?
Why would a city build that large of a facility if they knew that they could not take care of that many animals? It costs extra money for the maintenance, utilities, etc. for a larger building. It also cost extra money for the design and building of it. This just proves that idiots are running the City of Memphis! If I lived in Memphis, I would definitely want to know why they wasted money in building it that large-a definite waste of taxpayers money. Someone should have done a cost analysis.
Jennifer, the new building was touted for years as the solution to all the sickness, suffering and killing at the old shelter. Like: Once we get into the new building, things will be SO MUCH BETTER! Now that they are in the magical new building and things are not SO MUCH BETTER, I think they’ve given up the pretense that spending $7.2 million of taxpayer money was in any way worthwhile to anyone but those to whom the city gave contracts to build the place.
Even if they can’t afford to hire more staff, why not use the extra space as an adoption facility run by volunteers? They would be responsible for all the care, feeding, and cleaning in that part of the building and they would help get animals out alive.
Perhaps b/c the only volunteers allowed to touch the animals at MAS are the “Friends” and they can’t even manage to keep a dog in the Pet of the Day cage on a Saturday.
Jennifer,
This is Memphis. Nothing makes sense.
That’s great, and I wish them the best of luck. The animals are depending on their success!