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
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.
.jpg)
