As promised, another installment featuring records for some of the pets needlessly killed by the Memphis pound during the week of December 5 – December 12, 2012. A dog named Tigger was impounded on November 20, 2012 by MAS and his cage card says “Quarantine/Bite”. The city provided no records indicating that this dog bit anyone. Although the impounding ACO’s notes were requested, none were provided so presumably either the officer failed to make any notes or the city failed to provide the requested records.
Tigger’s owner obviously wanted him back and there are notes documenting this. The owner was told it would cost him $468 to reclaim his pet after the quarantine hold expired on November 30. Apparently finances were an issue and the owner requested additional time, until December 4, to come up with the money. On December 4, there is a note stating that the owner called and said he would not be reclaiming Tigger because he didn’t want him neutered. I have no idea if the owner was being truthful or if he was attempting to hide any shame he felt over not being able to come up with the $468 ransom. In any case, there are no notes to indicate MAS offered the owner any options – no option for vasectomy in lieu of neuter surgery, no option for having the dog neutered at his own vet, no option for a payment plan so Tigger could go home.
The only option Tigger was offered was the kill room. MAS killed him on December 10. He was apparently healthy at the time of killing.
Grace was surrendered to MAS on Saturday, December 8. She was a healthy, 10 month old black Lab who was already spayed. MAS determined she was heartworm negative on December 8. A rescuer was immediately interested in Grace and requested to pull her on the day she was surrendered. But it was a Saturday and you know, who wants to do paperwork on a Saturday? Grace’s records indicate Glenn Andrews told the rescuer to come back on Tuesday. Grace was killed on December 12 because there was “no note in computer to hold”. Oops.
Gee, if only someone at MAS had been willing to do their job and send Grace out the front door with the rescuer who wanted her on Saturday. Or, if only someone had been willing to do their job to at least place a hold on the dog so she didn’t get routed to the default disposition at MAS. Failing both of these tasks, one would hope that someone, ANYONE at MAS would be willing to do their job and market a healthy, spayed black Lab for adoption, rescue or foster. That’s money in the bank, right? But doing their jobs is clearly not on the agenda at MAS. So Grace went out the back door in a garbage bag, like most of the other pets at MAS.
But remember, don’t criticize. Nobody wants to kill pets.
So Tunstall, the shelter supervisor, did not put a note in Grace’s file to save her life. Was she reprimanded for her fatal oversight? I’m sure she wasn’t because killing is the default at MAS.
No attempt to arrange with Tigger’s owner a way to get his dog back. An owned and wanted dog and they killed him. Because killing is the default at MAS.
Killing is easy for the staff at MAS. They tell you it’s hard, that nobody wants to do it, but that’s a lie. It’s easy for them. Easy because they do it every day, day in and day out. Easy for them because they are not a shelter, they are a processor. They process animals through – a few live, most die. Processed to death by people who see killing as normal. Killing is the default. Killing is easy and they do it every single day.
If you work at MAS and you’re reading this right now, please, for your own sake, stand up and say, “No. This is wrong and we need to change right now.” There are tools out there to teach you how! Go to http://www.thenokillnation.org/ and see. You can be the force for change – especially if you can get together and unite against the killing. You can become a force for good.
If you can’t say no, if you can’t demand change, then get out. Save yourself, at least. Don’t become like the others that have been there for so many years and put as much thought into killing a kitten as they put into pouring a cup of coffee. You still have a soul. Protect it from the slaughterhouse for pets that is MAS. Save yourself.
Tigger was probably there for biting someone, which requires a 10 day hold. He is not required to have his dog neutered, but the redemption fee is more if the dog is not fixed and they “can” fix the dog there. I can’t understand why the fee is SO high, even if the dog is not neutered.
It seems as if the fees are so high to prevent folks from being able to afford to get them back. It’s either, squeeze every dime possible from “owners” or it’s cheap for them to just kill the dogs. Either way, MAS comes out on top. To hell with the dogs or their owners.
MAS & everything about it is still nothing but a failure.
Unfortunately, I have heard people say that high fees are needed to penalize owners for letting their animal stray (by people even in animal welfare), which contributes to overpopulation. Usually, it just leads to more animal killing by owners who can’t afford to get it back but would be happy and *really* want their animal back. Sometimes accidents happen. I don’t happen to have $500 bucks just lying around if my animal ended up in a shelter. I would have to beg, borrow and steal for that kind of money in 4 days? The difficult pill to swallow is that there are shelters similar to MAS all over America.
I am impressed that they were able to document that the owner called back since they really can’t seem to document anything else. Probably concerned with a possible “situation”. I feel sorry for the rescue community and the owner in that situation.
I am beyond sick of hearing the old tired mantra “Nobody wants to kill pets. We are all on the same side.” NO, actually, we are most definitely NOT on the same side (and some DO apparently want to kill pets because they certainly aren’t doing anything to change it!) There are those of us who truly do love animals and we intend to see that shelter laws are changed to insist that they be pro-animal and not an animal slaughterhouse. Anyone who stands against that best move out of the way because the no-kill train will run right over them! Shelter employees take note: if you don’t want to do EVERYTHING and I do mean EVERYTHING you possibly can to get animals adopted, you’d better look for something else to do with your lives because taxpayers are sick of the slaughter and we want and will insist on change!!
AMEN!
Too bad there aren’t enough of those folks in Memphis to really make a difference. Killing has been sop for so long. RIP Grace and Tigger – your lives mattered and you were loved. I’m so sorry that you ended up with at the pet killing facility that is MAs
ended up at (oops)
You know that NO ONE at MAS wants to do their job. It is protocol for all city employees. Saunter in late, stand around talking, only doing what you have to do to appear busy. City workers are lazy, blaze, smug, arrogant and dumb. It’s a miracle anyone has not lost their job. Of course, it is the status quo for Memphis, being corrupt and all and making those outrageous salaries. It just goes on and on and on.
What ever happened to customer service? These animals were not found sweatshirts to be thrown in the lost and found box until cleaning day, then tossed out in the trash. It happens in our shelter too. It’s unspeakable and we are going to do something about it. Our group is attending our Wisconsin state government Humane Lobby Day in Madison to ask our legislators to enact protective measures for our companion animals. Our group is giving presentations at our local libraries on how No-Kill programs can save lives. Our group is educating local school children on how to be responsible companion animal caregivers. These are the actions of citizens who care. There are more of us than there are of them. Together we will succeed. Sincerely, the Shelter Community Action Team of Polk County Wisconsin.
Tanya: I sure wish you guys in Polk County would come down here & do some of the same stuff you’re doing up there. There doesn’t seem to be enough action going on to really make a difference here. But then MAS is so determined to kill as many as possible, it dosn’t matter what anyone does. And of course their employees will never do their jobs anyway, so any amount of community action is barely an annoyance to them.
We’re dealing with a gang of corrupt, lazy, negligent, determined killers that has the backing of the same type of city officials. I’m sure you’ve heard enough about MAS to know. When the city learns how notorious MAS has made Memphis, maybe they’ll get off their ass & do something about it.
Yes they DO. My experience w pounds is the ones who choose to work there are either animal haters OR have personal issues w people in their lives they cannot control n take their anger out on these animals. It’s the damndest thing. Guess real animal lovers would find pounds too painful to work in.