As many of you know, Memphis pound director James Rogers has been shown the door. The mayor-elect has pledged to find a new director for the facility. Here are ten things I’d like to hear that person say on day one, minute one:
10. We do not kill animals here anymore. We will euthanize animals who are deemed medically hopeless and suffering by a veterinarian. They will be few and far between. Most of the animals we will shelter until they are released to an adopter, foster or rescue group.
9. We are posting photos of ALL THE ANIMALS online immediately upon impound. Lost animals picked up by ACOs will be photographed in the field so that the owners might find them online before the truck returns to the facility.
8. This place has public webcams? Turn those things back on!
7. Dust off all these unused cages. We’re going to be putting animals in them.
6. Unlock all the doors. The public paid for this facility and pays our salaries. When the public comes in, they get to see ALL THE ANIMALS.
5. Every dog in this place gets walked outside at least twice a day, preferably more. Socialized cats get petted regularly. Unsocialized kittens get tamed. Get moving.
4. Put all those chokepoles in storage. They will be used rarely and correctly – basically the opposite of how they’ve been used.
3. The shelter will now be open 7 days a week with extended hours on at least 5 of those days. Because we want the public to come here.
2. Shelter records are public information. If a member of the public asks to see an animal’s records, shelter statistics or any other documents, show them. Don’t tell someone trying to get an animal live released that she has to file a FOIA request to find out the pet’s medical condition. That’s just douchey.
And the number one thing I want to hear the new MAS director say immediately upon getting one foot in the door:
1. YOU. ARE. ALL. FIRED!
Feel free to add your own contributions in the comments.
Love, love, love this! Add: There will be a new group of volunteers. Volunteers will be welcomed in the facility!!! There will be a REAL Adoption Coordinator – someone that actually cares!! FMAS will NOT get preferential treatment. There will be a big sign that states: FMAS is NOT affiliated with MAS.
Shirley how can we paste this on Facebook?
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At the bottom of the post where it says “Share This”, there is a button for Facebook. Click on that.
“That’s just douchey.”
Douchey indeed. It’s almost like they DON’T want to help rescues get animals out alive. Actually, it’s VERY like they don’t want to help rescues get out alive. Not only does it sound like work (pulling paperwork or bringing something up on a screen – blah!), but denying such requests gives us another tool to punish those pesky rescuers who like to make us look bad by doing our jobs better than we do.
I’ll second the vote for a new volunteer group. FMAS has held entirely too much power over animal outcomes – including also being extremely douchey to others trying to help. Their leadership is completely corrupt and enabling of past shelter horrors and continued shelter failings. They could have been a force for good, instead they’re a force for status quo and self aggrandizement.
Most, if not all, of the staff need to be fired. They are mired in a mindset of “killing is what we do”. They show a shocking lack of compassion, both towards animals and the people they are supposed to be serving. That place could be taken over and run by volunteers today and you would see an immediate increase in the live release rates and positive outcomes.
I will single out especially the vets need to go. The people who should be most moved to ease suffering and promote welfare in their professional capacity have failed miserably. Worse, they have PROLONGED suffering on several documented occasions. They, who are supposed to be a driving force for improvement, instead ply their trade in the most callous and ineffective manner because they, too are mired in the “we’re only going to kill everything here anyway, so why bother?” attitude that has become the culture at MAS.
I have hope for Strickland’s changes at MAS. If he can find the right leadership to turn that slaughterhouse around, he will create a beacon of hope in Memphis.
Added: We are going to have a TNR program, complete with traps to lend free to the public. We will work hard to return lost cats to their owners, or find new homes for both them and surrendered cats. Our volunteers will socialize feral kittens so we can adopt them out. We will work actively with cat advocates to spay/neuter/vaccinate feral cats and return them to their caregivers.
Excellent one! Would be nice if they used their surgery area to help in the TNR effort, too!
YES very much. I wish I had the background to be able to take the job. Give me another 10 years :)
I want to help. Please contact me to help within the shelter. Walking dogs, socializing cats, taking care of them in general
Judy, you need to contact the shelter yourself to see if you;ll be allowed to volunteer. Don’t be surprised if no one there actually follows through, though, as there is a ‘friends’ group that doesn’t seem all that friendly. Good luck!
AND-all supervisors and certainly the Director
Need to be out at a school at least weekly throughout
Memphis educating kids of all ages on spay/neuter,
ADOPTION, committment to pet for it’s entire life
And general responsible animal care.
MAS NEEDS TO BE A REQUIRED FIELD TRIP
DESTINATION for grades 6 thru 12. And all MAS meetings
Needs to be open to public.
YES! And mikken – I applaud your idea that the vets need to go – and maybe even revoke their licenses….they are NOT compassionate – they DO prolong animal suffering and botch up more spay and neuters than I can count!
Excellent ideas Dea!
I can think of one particular FMAS person who has been there since the doors opened at the former facility — JC needs to go!
Agreed. The fact that she’s been there forever isn’t a badge of honor, it’s a sign of acceptance/enabling. If she had any love for the animals, she would have campaigned for massive changes years ago…
And I saw her hiding with TD behind that wall, giggling while a VOLUNTEER risked her safety to help a feral dog get out of there alive. That single act of malicious cowardice told me all I needed to know about those two.