MEMPHIS ANIMAL SHELTER WORKERS
ARRESTED
AND INDICTED
FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY
- While SOS Memphis fervently applauds the Mayor, Police Director and District Attorney General for this first step towards removing and prosecuting employees who perform these and other brutal acts against shelter animals; citizens and advocates remain frustrated that these and other atrocities have continued for so long at Memphis Animal Services.
- Animal advocates throughout the country, who have been witnessing animal cruelty at the hands of employees of Memphis Animal Services since 2009 via webcams and most recently through video surveillance received through the Freedom of Information Act, find it incomprehensible that the Mayor and his administration have seemingly defended MAS employees and their actions. SOS Memphis continues to hold the Mayor and his administration responsible for allowing these employees with documented problems to remain at Memphis Animal Services for years and for the animals who have suffered abuse at their hands.
- SOS Memphis demands that Mayor Wharton order a full and complete investigation of ALL shelter employees, including an internal audit and examination of security footage, in order to rid Memphis Animal Shelter of those who continue in illegal activities, especially animal abuse. The prevailing attitude of defiance and reproach from the City towards citizens and advocates who have continually reported problems at the shelter and beseeched the Mayor and his staff for immediate action must stop. Otherwise, the problems at MAS will continue as a bottomless well.
Quotes from Mayor A.C. Wharton Regarding Memphis Animal Services and Employees
At the grand opening ceremony of the new $7.2 million shelter facility in December 2011, Mayor A.C. Wharton in his speech, turned to face shelter workers and said, "The staff here, we know what you go through. We're going to keep working with you." Citizens and animal advocates were stunned to hear the Mayor pledge the City's commitment to shelter workers rather than to the welfare of the animals inside.
Following an incident in 2011, Mayor was quoted as saying, "…we can assure you our employees are well trained and compassionate. Further, we are looking into this matter. Should we conclude that disciplinary action is needed, we will take the appropriate action. The city of Memphis has made great improvements to the facility and will continue to do so."
Download and share this press release (March 8, 2012).Shelter Volunteer Says City Officials Were Dismissive
- City officials met with volunteers who had previously expressed their concerns via City email regarding inadequate conditions at the Memphis Animal Shelter, including starving dogs. The volunteers were stunned by the reaction they received from Deputy Director LaSonya Hall, who according to the volunteer chastised them for using her City email address as this would enter the document into public record. Unfortunately, the Mayor's policy of transparency does not seem to have filtered down to this particular Deputy Director.
- The volunteer was so disheartened with the lack of response from the City, she resigned. "Everyone felt completely deflated", she said. If the City administration continues to treat volunteers and their legitimate concerns in this manner, they will lose the very volunteers that Mayor Wharton, Director Hooks, and Deputy Director Hall have stated they cannot run the shelter without.
- Just one week after the MAS volunteer meeting, an MAS employee filed a report with the Memphis Police Department claiming the shelter was starving dogs located in the Court Hold area. The allegations of starvation, which the MPD is currently investigating, mirror those which triggered a raid of the shelter in 2009 by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department.
- Mayor Wharton and his Administration have consistently disregarded the concerns of citizens regarding the animal shelter. The City's mantra has been consistent and unyielding… "issues are unfounded", "allegations are unsubstantiated". The interviewed volunteer stated it best, "Somehow they always put a spin on it, explain it away or ride it out and it goes away."
- Taxpaying citizens, the Rotary Club, shelter employees and volunteers have tried to bring the existing mismanagement of MAS to the attention of the Mayor, to no avail. In July of 2011, the Mayor was quoted, "We will stand up and take responsibility for our shortcomings…" The taxpaying citizens of Memphis demand our Mayor to be true to his word.
Download and share this press release (February 21, 2012).
ALLEGATIONS MADE OF ANIMALS
STILL BEING STARVED AT SHELTER
Following the raid on Memphis Animal Services in 2009, citizens and animal advocates trusted Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton when he stated that he would take the shelter from "worst to first". Today, the realization has set in that the proclamation by the Mayor was just another empty promise. Once again, incomprehensible news has surfaced from Memphis ABC News affiliate, abc24, that the Memphis Police Department is investigating allegations at Memphis Animal Shelter of dogs being abused by means of starvation and lack of medical attention.
- The dogs were being held in the 'Court Case' area of the shelter. This area is also where dogs were found starved beyond saving in 2009, which led to the raid on the shelter by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department. The Veterinarians and kennel workers are responsible for the care and feeding of all shelter animals, including those in the 'Court Case' area.
- SOS Memphis strongly believes the Memphis Police Department will conduct a thorough investigation and if warranted arrest those found responsible. In the meantime, shelter employees and Veterinarians who are involved should be immediately placed on administrative leave until the investigation is complete.
- The taxpaying citizens of Memphis are fed up with the deception and insincerity which have come from the Mayor and his administration for over 2 years now. They continue to blame the public, social media and animal advocates for problems at the shelter instead of taking responsibility for inept management and failing to terminate certain cruel and corrupt employees. Mayor Wharton, Director Janet Hooks and Deputy Director Hall have consistently ignored warnings of wrong-doing at the shelter by animal advocates and concerned citizens. The City dismissed the Rotary Club Report and its findings as allegedly based on gossip and innuendo, and continues to deflect responsibility from those workers that Mayor Wharton claims are "passionate and well-trained".
Download and share this press release (February 16, 2012).
Mass Killing of Pit Bulls at Animal Shelter
Ordered by Memphis City Administration
A shocking audio recording was made public last night, released by Memphis ABC News affiliate, ABC24. A member of Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton's administration is heard issuing an order to staff members at the Memphis Animal Shelter to specifically "euthanize every pit bull or dog that looks like a pit bull…"
- In October of 2011, the Memphis Rotary Club presented its evaluation of the Memphis Animal Shelter to Mayor Wharton. In it, the summary states that MAS employees at every level , while not willing to say so on record, readily told Rotary Club members that there has been a relationship between certain individuals (at MAS) and the illicit dog fighting rings in the community. This ordered-killing of one specific breed of dog comes suspiciously after the findings of the Rotary Club report were made public.
- The attitude of Mayor Wharton and his administration appears now to have morphed into a belief that instead of pursuing the truth and firing corrupt employees, they will instead order the purposeful killing of dogs most likely to be used by shelter employees in this illegal activity, as alleged in the Rotary Club Report.
- In a September interview, Deputy Director LaSonya Hall was quoted, "We are moving into a new facility, we are re-imaging the new shelter…". "This is something we want the City to be proud of..." "We want to set the national standard in terms of animal shelters in the United States." Unfortunately, these are undertakings that cannot be achieved under the control of the current shelter management and staff, who have continuously failed at improving conditions at MAS. Once again, our City has been tarnished by the inadequate actions toward Memphis Animal Services by the Mayor and his administration.
- We ask Mayor Wharton to take the shelter from "worst to first" as he promised at the press conference on his first day in office. Further, the taxpaying citizens of Memphis should demand accountability from the City of Memphis for the continual mishandling, incompetence and cruelty perpetrated at Memphis Animal Shelter.
Download and share this press release (February 15, 2012).
'Fact-finding hearing' for Memphis Animal Services employee postponed
"As Carol Lynch nervously sat on a bench inside the new Memphis animal shelter Thursday afternoon, awaiting her fate, her planned disciplinary hearing was postponed.
Lynch, the Memphis Animal Services employee who filed a police report alleging cruelty at the facility, was accused of a "major infraction" in a charge letter issued by the city.
Lynch, who has worked for Memphis Animal Services for 22 years, is charged with failing to properly document a cruelty case. The letter, signed by MAS Field Supervisor David Johnson, also accuses her of being "incompetent, inefficient and unprofessional."
That charge letter was issued Feb. 14, eight days after Lynch filed the Feb. 6 police report alleging that animals weren't being cared for properly at the facility." The Commercial Appeal Article continued...
New Memphis Animal Shelter Leader Talks About Plans For the Troubled Facility
"...Rogers said, 'I have read the report and I have identified 10 items in the report that we will be addressing and I have an action plan to have those issues resolved.' "
It's a promise to fix some big problems from the new head of the animal shelter or as the mayor calls it Mr. Rogers' neighborhood.
Rogers says he plans to have his goals at the animal shelter met within 60 to 90 days
Read more about Mr. Rogers from WREG, New MAS Interim Director Speaks Out