Message: 3        
   Date: Sat, 4 Sep 2004 00:30:56 -0400
   From: "Kricket" <kricket.mccarthy@verizon.net>
Subject: RE: More Memphis Heartbreak

Excellent thoughts and suggestions.  The following is from a post on 7/28
after a 'scheduled tour' of the facilities.  There are many trying to help
but an unbelievable amount of animals are brought in daily to this
'outgrown' urban facility.  There have been many plans for change but little
progress.  It's called bureaucracy .

It's also difficult to rescue dogs that are killed on the day they are
suppose to become available.  Please bring your insight and experience into
the group trying to do all that you suggest.  We could certainly use your
help
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MemphisShelterHelp/join

Thanks for your post.

Kricket


"Activists and citizens have been complaining about the
>Memphis Animal Shelter for months. Now some city
>council members have taken notice. The Memphis Animal
>Shelter is no stranger to scrutiny, from the public,
>from activists, and now from two lawmakers who took a
>field trip to the shelter Thursday to look into a
>recent string of complaints.
>
>After receiving several complaints about conditions at
>the Memphis Animal Shelter, Memphis Councilwoman Carol
>Chumney wanted a look for herself. "You could sit
>around a table and talk about what's happening at the
>animal shelter, but if you haven't gone and looked at
>it you really don't know." So on Thursday Chumney took
>a tour along with colleague TaJuan Stout Mitchell.
>"It's a good clean operation, I didn't even have to
>hold my nose," Mitchell said. But while pleased
>overall with the shelter's physical conditions,
>Chumney and Mitchell both expressed concerns over a
>lack of high-ticket supplies, space, and staff. A half
>dozen open positions right now include "director." The
>Shelter has been without one for more than a year.
>Mitchell said, "To have only one veterinarian for a
>city our size, with all the animals that we have in
>this city that come through this shelter, it's sad."
>Sadder still, Chumney says many of the complaints she
>got were about the shelter's policies. 75-percent of
>the animals that end up here are put to sleep, most
>after just four days. "One thing I would hope out of
>this discussion would be encouraging owners to take
>better care of their pets." In the meantime, Chumney
>she says she's going to push council for more funding
>for the shelter.
>
>City Council has already authorized funding for a
>brand new 8-million dollar, 30-thousand square-foot
>animal shelter, Nearly twice the size of the old one.
>It's scheduled to open in late 2006. The Memphis
>Public Services Director Keenan McKloy says the City
>expects to hire a new shelter director in the next few weeks