The idea behind animal shelters is simple. Sometimes people are jerks, or careless, or victims of bad luck -- and the dog they committed to "for life" ends up homeless. The animal shelter the last resort for animals that have nowhere else to go.
I could use this column to go on about how shelter kill more healthy dogs and cats than any other cause of death. They call it euthanasia, but the end result is still death for the animal.
But today I won't. Today I want to ask, what happens when the dogs end up in a shelter where the people who run the shelter who don't really care about animals? Where the abuse they suffer is worse than it would be if the dog was just left out on the street?
Sadly, it happens. And it apparently did in amazing fashion recently in Memphis. On August 18, the dog pictured to the left entered the Memphis Animal Shelter as a seemingly healthy, vibrant puppy.
On September 4th -- only 3 weeks later -- the dog was found starved to death in the shelter. And this puppy wasn't the only case -- but was actually one of three dogs in the shelter that was found starved to death. Veterinarian reports note that the dog had not eaten anything in at least 72 hours prior to his death.
What -- the- hell?
The city animal control department is responsible for actually enforcing the city's animal cruelty laws -- not violating them on their own. And apparently, problems have been going on for awhile --- as the death rates in the city shelter have risen sharply over the past few years -- from 75 animals dying in the shelter in 2006, to 119 in 2007 to 193 in 2008.
The Memphis Mayor, AC Wharton, seems legitimately concerned about the issue -- and has halted all shelter euthanasia (which is at 250 animals per week -- 13,000 animals a year) until the criminal investigation is complete.
We can, and must, demand better from our animal control departments. These departments are tasked with not only providing public safety from animals -- but providing safety for animals from the public, both in terms of cruelty and abuse, and in terms of minimizing and eliminating shelter euthanasia. Memphis is major need of a dramatic overhaul of the entire department -- and I hope someone sees jailtime over this one.
Hat tip to YesBiscuit! on this, who has been following the story from the start:
Here's her original coverage on the raid.
And her understandably emotional response to the story about the puppy above (including the "after" image)
And For the Love of Dogs has some very thorough coverage of the events there as well.
Thank you for covering this Brent. We need to spread the word on this travesty.
Posted by: YesBiscuit | November 05, 2009 at 09:29 AM
Although I want to be sick, I'm glad I now know about this.
Posted by: socialmange | November 05, 2009 at 07:36 PM
The Commercial Appeal, a Tennessee newspaper, has an article that the Memphis mayor, AC Wharton, fired the Animal Services Director Ernest Alexander today.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/nov/06/wharton-fires-animal-shelter-director-alexander/
Posted by: socialmange | November 06, 2009 at 05:48 PM
The petition to charge those employees that are responsible for this tragedy can be found here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/145/justice-for-dogs-starved-at-a-memphis-animal-shelter
Posted by: Teresa | November 11, 2009 at 01:46 PM
this is just a horrible thing to do to an animal who has been through even more than you have just because you are having a bad day
Posted by: susie | March 04, 2010 at 11:19 AM
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5462465&id=306889316822#!/pages/Sioux-City-IA/HELP-SAVE-W-I-G-G-L-E-S-BLANFORD/306889316822
Check out what is going on here!!!!! Something needs to be done!!
Posted by: HKoll | May 23, 2010 at 04:03 PM
Please continue to report on the Memphis Animal Shelter. The Memphis Animal Shelter is doing it again! They never stoped killing and abusing the animals. Enept employees and Director Pepper need to be reorganized, fired and this stopped. I think rescue groups should run it, frankly.
Memphis can not even run their schools why do we think they can run an animal shelter?
Citizens are upset but Mayor Whaton just passes the buck to others and thus begins the vicious circle of avoidance. Please continue to investigate, check out this issue.
The site http://yesbiscuit.wordpress.com/author/yesbiscuit/ - (thank goodness) it is keeping up with all they are doing through the web cam. Please do your own research and help us remove the director Pepper and reorganize the shelter.
It is a proven fact that most criminals first are animal abusers. Whether you are an animal lover or not this pertains to all of us - crime is crime. Also, most people have at least one pet so many many people care about this issue very much!
Please help us change this kill all animals to a safe house shelter!
Posted by: PM Martello | May 05, 2011 at 12:21 AM
PM - can you please explain why the hell the local AW groups supported giving this killing machine even more power by passing Mandatory Spay/Neuter laws?
Posted by: MichelleD | May 05, 2011 at 11:55 AM
I justed wanted to fill you in on the latest animal abuse story in Memphis, TN. Trust me, I have been harassing all of the local news outlets all day.
Melanie Dodd
Posted by: Melanie Dodd | May 18, 2011 at 01:53 PM
WOW PATHETIC, They should be ASHAMED of themselves..................BOOOOOOOO !!!!
Posted by: Leslie | August 16, 2011 at 08:01 AM
The canine and feline blood lines are FAR SUPERIOR TO MANY " humans"
This is DISPICABLE
SHUT IT DOWN!! Damn these guys do better LEFT ON THE STREET!!
Appauling
WHERE'S THE LOVE MEMPHIS????
Where's a REAL JUDGE AND MAYOR?
Posted by: Julie Brown | January 28, 2013 at 04:02 AM