In December 2012, a local pet advocate e-mailed MAS director James Rogers with a reminder about the Just One Day no kill event coming up in June 2013. He replied:
From: “James.Rogers@memphistn.gov”
To:
Sent: Wed, December 12, 2012 9:39:51 AM
Subject: RE: “Just One Day”Thanks for the reminder. MAS will plan accordingly.
MAS had “just one day” yesterday and last Thursday 12/6. We are trying really hard to improve monthly and weekly.
The director of MAS states that no pets were killed at the Memphis pound on December 6 and December 11, 2012. But a review of MAS records of all animals killed from December 5 through December 12, 2012, obtained via a FOIA request which the city took 3 months to fill and charged nearly $200 to complete, reveals some disturbing information. In raw numbers, here are the number of records provided by the city for animals killed at MAS that week:
- December 5, 2012: 15
- December 6, 2012: 6
- December 7, 2012: 25
- December 8 & 9, 2012 (weekend): 0
- December 10, 2012: 10
- December 11, 2012: 0
- December 12, 2012: 30
As you can see, the day after each of the purported “no kill days” saw a very high number of pets killed at MAS. Having a “no kill day” appears to be the city’s attempt to fool taxpayers into believing the pet killing facility is “trying really hard to improve” when it appears that the lack of killing on those particular days was simply compensated for the following days. It makes me wonder if the kill tech was out sick or had to take a personal day on those days. This is not an improvement. This is less killing one day and more killing the next.
One of the pets killed on the December 6 “no kill day” was dog ID #249124. She was described on her cage card as “emaciated and mangey”. The vet exam found she was very thin but would eat well when offered food. She also had some chronic, painful skin issues, including infection. I am not a vet but an emaciated dog who is willing to eat is a dog with a will to live to my mind. When considered in conjunction with the vet exam findings which revealed apparently treatable skin problems, I don’t understand why the dog wasn’t treated for the skin issues, given a pain reliever, and offered small, frequent meals. Nothing was offered to this dog to see if she could regain her health. The only thing the MAS vet offered this pet was death.
Dog #249124’s records indicate she was confiscated in a cruelty investigation. While I am in no way condoning the mistreatment of any pet, I fail to understand how the dog was better off being seized by MAS. Death is not an improvement to suffering when there is reasonable hope that standard care could result in a restoration of health. If MAS was unwilling to do its job and actually shelter this dog, they had no business taking her in the first place. The records for this dog can be viewed here. Although the impounding officer’s notes were requested, none were provided so presumably either the ACO made no notes or the city failed to fulfill the request. There are no notes indicating any rescue group was contacted or any type of plea issued on behalf of this pet.
Dog ID #249135 was picked up as a stray on December 6 and her vet exam notes are somewhat similar to the previous dog’s. And like the previous dog, this pet was offered nothing to see if her condition could be improved. Not one bag of fluids, not one injection of pain medicine, not one dose of antibiotic. Just Fatal Plus, administered by the vet. I wonder if her owner, if there was one, was looking for her. Her records can be viewed here. Although the impounding officer’s notes were requested, none were provided so presumably either the ACO made no notes or the city failed to fulfill the request. There are no notes indicating any rescue group was contacted or any type of plea issued on behalf of this pet.
Cat ID #249160 was also a stray who was impounded on December 6. She had an injured leg. The vet killed her. I wonder if this cat’s owner, if there was one, was looking for his lost pet. The records for cat ID #249160 can be viewed here. Although the impounding officer’s notes were requested, none were provided so presumably either the ACO made no notes or the city failed to fulfill the request. There are no notes indicating any rescue group was contacted or any type of plea issued on behalf of this pet.
I will be posting about additional pets killed during that one week period in December in upcoming posts. But for now, suffice to say: No Kill Day – you’re doing it wrong MAS.
what a shame!! all of these poor animals should have had a chance….euthananized to relieve their suffering…how about some love & medication/food…. will this world ever think of them as living, breathing creatures…
WHY?? YOU LIE AND WHY?? DID YOU KILL THESE INNOCENT BABIES!! AND SHAME ON YOU!
Let’s tell it like it is – these animals were KILLED, not euthanized. They don’t do that at MAS, they kill, kill, kill. It’s what they like to do.
Roger’s comment was nothing more than an attempt to fool the public.
Not buyin’ what they’re selling’!
C’mon, MAS, if you stop killing then you can stop lying.
they were murdered…
Again, taking the easy way out. And yes, when killing is your default, it becomes the EASY choice to make, time and time again.
There were no attempts to treat these animals, no attempts to comfort or heal. No pleas went out to local rescues (maybe because with MAS’s big ol’ medical wing, it looks bad to put out a call for help with animals needing medical assistance? I guess the medical wing is only for the PAYING customers, not the tax payers of the city who expect actual service to the community). No pleas went out to the public. Just kill them and bag them up and call it “euthanasia”.
The dogs were taken from abuse/neglect and killed. Instead of providing care and rehabilitation as they should have, MAS made them victims twice over.
That kitten could have lived a long and pain free life with a simple amputation. A little effort and they would have had a happy, healthy tripod calico kitten.
Memphis likes the easy way. And for them, killing has gotten very easy.
The truth is that Rogers has no compassion for the animals in the shelter whatsoever. If you look at Rogers previous job you understand why. For Rogers the animal shelter is like a warehouse and the animals are nothing more than cargo that needs to be moved in and out. Unfortunately that is exactly what the City Council of Memphis wants him to do, it is what he was hired for. I don’t think the City Council actually wants to have a compassionate person in that position because otherwise they would have hired one.
I had such hope for Rogers…thinking that at least he wasn’t someone with a history of killing like Pepper…
Unfortunately, like the rest of Memphis City Administration, he’s more interested in appearances than reality.
Rogers is not more than a puppet of the City Council. His response to the e-mail shows very clear that he doesn’t care. I don’t think he even took a moment to look at the “Just One Day” website and try to figure out the meaning of that campaign.
You speak the truth about Rogers. He doesn’t give a damn about the cats & dogs or what concerned citizens think. He’s a puppet of Wharton.
At board meetings he will look you straight in the eye and lie like a rug. His propaganda speeches are nothing more than bullshit to appease his masters & those who want change at MAS. As long as he runs MAS, nothing will or has changed. He and the administration that continues with the killing & abuse gives Memphis the bad name it deserves.
He’s well over-paid while many other Memphis employees are laid off. I guess killing IS an expensive job.