Wednesday, October 28, 2009

MEMPHIS AREA! Animal shelter is being investigated for cruelty! ADOPT NOW!


There are a lot of things I read that make me sick, just sick, but this has to be one of the most disgusting reports of ALL time. People who were supposed to LOVE animals hurt them and starved them. What kind of people did Memphis hire? Don't tell me that there weren't good, kind people who applied for employment at that shelter. A city the size of Memphis should be ASHAMED, TOTALLY ASHAMED!

IF YOU LIVE IN THE TENNESSEE AREA FOR HERE TO CHECK OUT THE ANIMALS AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.  If I wasn't two days' drive from there I would be on my way NOW to bring one of those sweethearts home with me.

Memphis Animal Services
3456 Tchulahoma Road
Memphis, TN 38118
Phone: (901) 362-5310

ASPCA Forensics Team Sent to Tennessee

posted by: Sharon Seltzer 13 hours ago

The Forensics Team and Emergency Responders from the ASPCA were sent early Tuesday morning - October 27th to assist with an investigation being conducted by law enforcement officers at the City of Memphis Animal Shelter. The request for help came after a raid was made on the shelter by the local sheriff’s department because of allegations of animal cruelty.

The ASPCA Team was called in because of their expertise in collecting forensics evidence for criminal animal abuse cases. Their team is being run by Dr. Melinda Merck, who is a leading forensics veterinarian.

The Memphis Animal Shelter

This municipal shelter which opened its doors in the mid 1950’s is responsible for housing and adopting abandoned and abused pets throughout the entire city of Memphis. Their website states that they hope for a day "... keeping animals safe from mistreatment and abuse. Promoting, motivating and enforcing responsible pet ownership is our number one goal." But ironically, the cats and dogs in this shelter have allegedly suffered severe abuse from the very people who were hired to protect them.

The Investigation

The investigation began earlier this month after District Attorney Bill Gibbons received a tip from a concerned citizen about the conditions at the facility. He ordered a search warrant and contacted the sheriff’s office to conduct the raid.

According to the search warrant, “detectives have learned that some animals have been deprived of food and water while at the Memphis Animal Shelter..” and while in the shelter’s care, “some dogs have been starved to the point of requiring euthanasia.”

The warrant further accuses shelter employees of keeping “dogs that are to be quarantined for rabies with dogs that are not required to be quarantined in the same kennel.”

The ASPCA will scour the animal shelter for possible evidence that hopefully will lead to criminal charges against the facility and its employees. They have set up their “Mobile Animal Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Unit which will help them process the evidence. The unit is equipped with medical equipment that is specially designed for animal patients.

The Emergency Team will focus its responsibility on helping the animals at the shelter. They will see that each pet is examined by a veterinarian and that every animal has a safe and clean living environment. It is unclear yet, if the pets will have to be moved.

“Work like this is central to our mission, and the ASPCA is encouraged that Shelby County is raising its voice against animal cruelty,” said ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres.
National Canine Cancer Foundation

23 comments:

Sam said...

Man.. what is WRONG with the world?? If the people who are supposed to be taking care of these animals don't, then who is going to?

T said...

Isn't this so sad?! I network with a few rescues that pull from there, it is one of the most horrible shelters in the country.

Anonymous said...

OMG that sucks!!! What the hell is wrong with these people. A few weeks ago all the puppies held at BARC here in Houston had to be moved to the Human Society when they found a dead puppy that had fallen into a open pipe. BARC is a horrible place and I wished it was closed down.

The Oceanside Animals said...

So wrong.

♥I am Holly♥ said...

That makes me so sick. People that would do that should be locked up forever in my opinion...away from everyone.

Rocky Creek Scotties and Rocky Creek Ramblings said...

It makes me absolutely sick - the punishment should fit the crime - how would these people like to be starved to death and to go without water!

Sierra Rose said...

Wow! Heart breaking. And, to think that there are lots of places like this that are yet to be under investigation.
Give your special furries a hug right now, ok!?

Hugs and snaggle-tooth kissies,
Sierra Rose

Emma Rose said...

So sad and so terribly wrong. I hope they find out who is responsible. We are on the other side of the country or I would be tempted to march right down there!
Thanks for alerting us.

Arran, Arthur and Mum said...

oh how awful!
:(

^..^Corgidogmama said...

The management must have been extremely corrupt, and pocketing funds, or something. Why, in the name of humane...would they do this? The world can be so ugly...there needs to be a better watch dog situation so this never ever happens again. We just cringe, thinking about the abuse and poor treatment.
What a heart break!

BlackDog's Photographer said...

That's just sad! I'll have some friend check and see if there are any GSDs there they can help.

KB said...

Oh my, that's horrendous. How does a mission that probably started out with good intentions go so terribly awry? I hope that the dogs can be saved and find homes.

Sue said...

That is disgusting. People who abuse animals and children are beneath contempt.

Teddy Bear said...

What is wrong with these people???

Love,
Teddy Bear

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

The really sad part is that there are so many other stories out there with the same sad situation. We hope those poor pups find some really good and loving homes.

Hugs, the OP Pack

Yas said...

Sick!Sick!Sick!

Cheers,
Maxx

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

Sad
Sad
Sad

and so wrong -

Deborah said...

This makes me sick. My friend just reported a dog officer in her local town because she was being cruel to her own animals. It just makes me sick that people can be this horrible.

Euri said...

People never cease to amaze me - in a bad way. I don't get why humans can be so wonderful yet so horrible to animals. I wish more people would spay and neuter so the overpopulation problem would be controlled.

Andrea said...

That is SO wrong. Tears in my eyes as I read this. I hope those animals find loving, forever homes...it just breaks my heart.

Augie and Ti's mom said...

People are disgusting. They really are. How do they sleep at night??

Mogley G. Retriever said...

Thanks to so many people for helping when there is a need in the rescue world. Thanks to you for writing about all the good and the bad. The good so we can enjoy with you, the bad so we can all help.

Canine Crusader said...

A family in south Alabama went to the shelter looking for their lost dog. They were disgusted by the conditions, dogs feces and urine was all over. They walked through the back and saw a kennel with dogs and in the back lay a rotting dog! How do you feed the dogs and not see a dead dog rotting? It was on the news and I sent out a petition. Even the SPCA wants that shelter out of business. We need better regulations for our animal services. People are cruel.