MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In Shelby County, Memphis Animal Services is experiencing one of its biggest increases in animals.
There are more coming in than going out, which has now become a space crisis. The shelter takes anywhere from 25 to 30 animals a day.
Both cats and dogs need homes, and there is just enough space for the cats that they have right now.
Four out of every five animals that come in are dogs, and there are no more available kennels. So many are being put in wired crates in the hallways and in employees’ offices, which is not an ideal housing environment for a dog.
“Our staff, everybody’s on overtime. Everybody is burnt out and exhausted. Everyone is devastated looking at these dogs in crates and saying, ‘This isn’t how a dog should live.’ We want to make their lives better,” Memphis Animal Services Director Alexis Pugh expressed.
But that is their biggest struggle right now. Pugh said generally by this time of year, the demand for intake decreases, but this year is proving to be an exception.
“There are two ways. One way is to get animals to have live outcomes through adoption, transport fostering, transfer to rescue, and things like that. The other way is the way that no one wants to go, which is euthanizing more animals,” Pugh said.
Particularly animals that have nothing wrong with them, but are being considered for euthanasia due to the lack of space.
“Dogs that due to the seriousness of the behavior that they exhibited. Perhaps they’ve been dangerous by a core, they’ve bitten or attacked someone or bitten or killed another animal, that there is a threshold that we as a public safety agency can’t save and place those,” Pugh stated.
Those are dogs that unfortunately Pugh said have to be considered for euthanasia automatically.
However, those that are not as severe, and may show abnormal behavior or anxiety, will go on the Deadline Plea list that is posted to the shelter’s Facebook page. It asks the public to adopt a dog on the list within 72 hours.
“Being compassionate to our team that had to do that horrible thing,” Pugh said. “And saying, 'what can I do to help so it doesn’t happen again,' is the answer.”
Pugh added that, unlike some shelters, the adoption and foster process is simple. Just come in and fill out a basic application and speak with a representative about your lifestyle so they know which animal to match you with.
“We see groups that have those long application processes, that have the same exact return rates that shelters that use an open adoption process have, so it’s really not screening out people for the right reasons,” Pugh said.
Right now there is a $10 special with spaying, neutering, microchipping, and vaccination. They are also in need of wire crates.
Pugh explained that about nine out of 10 dogs that get adopted find their forever homes.