Thursday, November 3 was the last day Memphis Animal Services was open to the public for normal business at the old location. Many of us were concerned about what would happen to the pets left in the building during the closure and move to the new facility. The city reassured local media at the time, … Continue reading MAS Records Show Pets Killed for Space During Pound Transition
Category: memphis animal shelter
Misty Water Colored Memories
On an audio tape of a recent staff meeting, MAS supervisor David Johnson is heard telling workers: That old shit that we used to do is over with! I tell you every day, CYA - cover your ass. ABC24 ran a segment about the recording but I can't find the clip on their website. Here … Continue reading Misty Water Colored Memories
Memphis News Roundup
It is mind boggling to me that MAS is closed every Sunday, leaving only one weekend day - the busiest time for adoptions - for the public to access the pound. Yesterday (Saturday), the gates at MAS were locked. No signs were visible explaining the closure. No advance announcements had been made to the public. … Continue reading Memphis News Roundup
Pet Abuse and Killing Trickles Down in Memphis
The Memphis Rotary Club's audit of Memphis Animal Services ends its summary findings as follows: The last point is one that is not a problem within the Shelter, but one that impacts it directly, and will continue to cause major obstacles. This is the overriding, community wide issue of Pit Bulls, Dog Fighting, and the … Continue reading Pet Abuse and Killing Trickles Down in Memphis
MAS Webcams Were a Serious Problem
One of the things that struck me most from the Rotary Club's report on MAS was the universal call for the killing of the webcams by management. The club members went to interview city leaders individually and ask them about serious ethical and legal violations such as MAS staff's involvement in dogfighting and the selling … Continue reading MAS Webcams Were a Serious Problem
Memphis Rotary Club Reports Dogfighting and Theft at MAS
The Memphis Rotary Club's evaluation of Memphis Animal Services is available online. Read it and weep. The interviews with various members of management were conducted in August, while Matt Pepper was still director and the webcams were still in place. I'm providing a summary in my own words below but please read the original document … Continue reading Memphis Rotary Club Reports Dogfighting and Theft at MAS
Would You Like to Adopt These Dogs Immediately?
MAS sent out a plea last night for these dogs to be rescued TODAY between 2 and 5 pm. I know it's hard to tell much about the dogs from the photos that MAS provided, so let me share what I got: Hey Everybody! Whew, it has been hectic this week. We are moving into … Continue reading Would You Like to Adopt These Dogs Immediately?
Why Memphis Killed the Public’s View of the Stray Area
Video of Mari, a feral dog, being impounded at MAS on October 13, 2011: I showed this clip to Billy. He is not involved in shelter pet advocacy nor is he a trained animal handler - he's just an owner who loves pets and believes in being kind to them. After watching the video, Billy … Continue reading Why Memphis Killed the Public’s View of the Stray Area
National Animal Shelter Reform Week: Why TN Needs CAPA
The No Kill Advocacy Center designates this week as National Animal Shelter Reform Week. While pet advocates have long worked with their local pounds in hopes of winning the hearts and minds of public employees responsible for needless pet killing, the results have fallen short of expectations. In too many cases, those responsible for the … Continue reading National Animal Shelter Reform Week: Why TN Needs CAPA
What Cowards Do
When it was discovered that pets were suffering at the hands of MAS staff in 2009, Mayor Wharton promised transparency and reform at the pound. He never delivered on the reform and thus the transparency issue became problematic as the public could see images of his failure every day. So he killed the transparency too. … Continue reading What Cowards Do
YesBiscuit! 