Animal Shelter Officials Alerted of Problems Early On

FAST FACTS:

• Memphis Animal Shelter received email concerns about problems early-on
• News Channel 3 gets access to the emails between administrators
• Animal supporters say they warned that problems needed attention

april.thompson@wreg.com
(Memphis 1/5/2010) Problems at the Memphis Animal Shelter made headlines last summer. But apparently the complaints started long before.

Emails sent by concerned citizens back in 2008 complained of paperwork problems like no labels showing which dogs received vaccines and other dogs already slated for adoption being adopted out to someone else.


"A lot of problems hadn't been fixed and really it was going down hill." says Sylvia Cox. She was one of those voicing concerns.

Her letter to Division Director Ken Moody and the City Council complained of dogs lying injured in cages unattended and unnoticed, animals going hungry and over all poor conditions in the kennels.

"There is nothing documented with any consistency where staff can go and know where they stand and what they are suppose to do." says Cox.

Division Director Ken Moody responded, calling for a shelter open house to show the city's commitment to the best animal care.

But in 2009, there were more emails about inaccurate notations that had animals listed as euthanized, when they were waiting for adoption, and the shelter allowing people to adopt sick dogs.

By July, Ken Moody and Yalanda McFadgon resigned.

But it was the picture of a dog, that reportedly starved to death at the shelter, that set everyone off.

"The starvation was really the kicker. I was so thankful to see the raid the D.A.'s office performed." says Cox.

No word yet on whether charges will come from that raid.

There are thousands more emails that we still haven't gone through.

They highlight what many people saw early on.

Now they are hoping, with a new administration, things at the animal shelter will improve.