Saving (or Not Saving) Dogs at Memphis Animal Services Shelter

The challenges of saving (or not saving) dogs at Memphis Animal Services Shelter are vast. MAS is struggling for multiple reasons and is euthanizing for space every week. In fact, they euthanized dogs while we were visiting them in February 2025.

Meet a few heroes

For years, I’ve been watching the efforts of a remarkable woman named Torie as she has advocated for MAS dogs. Meeting Torie in person was a treat – she is energetic, positive, and committed to helping change the story here. She volunteers at the shelter, stays in contact with staff, and just never gives up, working every lead and every connection to save every possible life.

Torie introduced me to the Facebook page Critical Memphis Animals, which is run by an incredibly committed group of advocates. The page posts urgent dogs and their euthanasia dates, inviting rescues to pull dogs, supporters to pledge funds for individual dogs, and pretty much anyone to help. As the shelter struggles more than ever, they only double-down on their efforts.

Following our visit, I worked with X-Port Paws to pull a dog I met there when his name appeared on the Euthanasia list. I had the chance to see these remarkable heroes at work first-hand as they helped to get Jolly Jack out of the shelter, into boarding, to a vet for care, and eventually on a transport to me. He was adopted in less than two weeks. And now X-Port Paws and I have another Memphis dog who owes his life the work of these people relentlessly working to save as many lives as possible.

At MAS we met Jessie, who is the Customer Care and volunteer Supervisor, which is a long title that says she handles pretty much anything involving the people who come to MAS, whether that’s to adopt, surrender, complain, or help.

What her title doesn’t give away is that she is a passionate advocate for the dogs in the shelter. That her heart gets broken on a daily basis and she brings it back the next day for more.

MAS is the public open intake shelter for the city of Memphis and also takes dogs from all over Shelby County and the municipalities within it. They are the only municipal shelter for a city of 600,000. At the time of our visit, they had 739 dogs in their care, 385 in foster care and 358 on site (plus 36 cats) in a facility that should comfortably house 150. But spend time on the streets of Memphis and you will see plenty of stray dogs who never make it to the shelter.

In January 2025 MAS took in 1181 dogs and euthanized 398. Transparency is powerful. MAS works to be open about their numbers, publishing them on their website. It’s tough to see, but they are open about the fact they are euthanizing about a third of the animals that come through their doors.

The Challenge of Saving Dogs at MAS

It’s not that MAS is not trying to save dogs. It’s just that the task is overwhelming. Abrupt leadership and policy changes over the last few years, plus a few serious distemper outbreaks have increased the challenge.

Until about 18 months ago, the shelter had been practicing the HASS model of sheltering, which promoted managed intake and community-based sheltering. This translated into many animals being left where they were found, dogs being turned away at the door, and animal control calls going unanswered. Consequently, the stray population of Memphis boomed. 80% of animals brought to shelters are unspayed/unneutered so the numbers quickly multiplied.

The shelter is working toward changing those practices, but progress is slow. They’ve had three distemper outbreaks in the last four months, and remain closed to intake. Animal Control only picks up animals that are deemed dangerous to the public or seriously injured, leaving thousands to roam the streets and fend for themselves.

The pet resource center at MAS helps people with pet deposits, medical needs, spay/neuter, food, supplies, and can assist with rehoming by listing the pet on the MAS website.

MAS has 400 rescue partners, and 53 have pulled at least one dog so far in 2025, but they need partners who can move bigger numbers of dogs faster.

MAS has seven play areas, play groups, and enrichment activities like frozen kongs, but with only a dozen active volunteers (there are 400 signed up to volunteer), it is hard to give enough attention to the huge number of dogs they handle.

All dogs are vaccinated on intake, microchipped, and dewormed. Dogs are adopted out, spayed/neutered, and any dog that turns up at MAS will be spayed/neutered before its owner can collect it unless the owner can provide AKC registration papers.

Because they are so full, they’ve got dogs stashed pretty much anywhere. But that means that some dogs are kenneled in areas off limits to the public, like the area where dogs being held pending legal cases are held. The only chance for adoptable dogs who land in that kennel is if someone spots them among the hundreds on the website.

We walked down aisle after aisle full of dogs. I focused on the dogs inside, handing out treats and trying not to think that one in three would not get out alive. After a dog has been at the shelter for two weeks, they are considered urgent because they could be added to the euthanasia list that week if space is necessary.

The Challenge of Staffing the Shelter

As you can imagine, finding and retaining staff is an ongoing challenge, and MAS is always hiring. In fact, they are preparing to begin a search for a new director. Smartly, they are also reactivating their advisory board, made up of community members who can bring their own expertise and experience to assisting shelter leadership.

As we walked through the shelter with Jessie, I asked her why she took the job and why she stays. It comes down to the animals. Her background is working as a vet tech, but she’s wanted to help animals since she was small, even briefly running a rescue that pulled medical dogs from MAS, treating them in her home, and then flying them to new forever homes.

Now, when her heart feels like it will break, she brings a dog home to foster or calls a rescue in tears, begging them to take the dog. She will do the same for her volunteers – trying to protect their hearts and keep them coming back to MAS despite the hurt. Jessie is a warm, kind, person with a ready-smile who is probably braver than most. She is working hard to find new solutions and new ways to change the story here.

Meeting the Shelter’s Dogs

We spent time with some of the dogs who were kenneled with the court hold dogs, hoping to get them a little extra exposure. That’s where I met Jolly Jack. They zoomed around the play yard, jumped on us in excitement, and groaned with pleasure from butt scritches.

Every one of them was a nice dog I could imagine being adopted in most places. Just not Memphis Animal Services in the next few days, like they needed to be. Many of them would not leave MAS alive. It’s easy to be immobilized by that reality, even when we’re just here for a few hours.

I think that’s why so many people look away at the red lists on Facebook or don’t come to a shelter like MAS to adopt. But it’s also exactly why we need to. We need to come with arms and hearts full of resources and help. Because the challenge is so great, every single volunteer can make a difference – playing with the dogs, walking them, giving them the attention they crave prevents kennel stress. Getting good pictures, good information, good videos, and sharing them can mean life or death.

Even as the problem seems insurmountable, it will be solved by one tiny improvement after another. No one can come in here and wave a magic wand and make it all better, but everyone can come here and help in some way. And if lots of people did, things would change.

I don’t remember if it was Jessie or Tori who said it feels like MAS is caught in a riptide. No matter how hard they try, they just get pulled further under. When you are in a riptide, you need to swim parallel to the shore. Maybe what they need is for more people to come alongside them and help. To bring this dedicated staff and all the animals to safety.

How to Help Save Dogs at MAS

If you’re a rescue, reach out. If you’re local, step up and volunteer or foster. If you’re looking for a dog, give MAS a chance – look on the website or Critical Memphis Animals and find a soul to save.

Instead of feeling sad as we left, I felt hopeful. As hard as the story was, it’s not a dark place. It’s bright and busy and full of people who believe in what they are doing. They are not the enemy. They are the warriors waging a battle with not enough resources or space or staff or outside help. I think it is time for the tide to turn.

They just need the right leader and a community that believes in them. The challenge is not insurmountable. The first step is awareness. I invite you to learn about what is happening at MAS and instead of condemning or complaining or walking away, help.

If you love animals and love Memphis, then here is your opportunity to get involved. You can be a part of the problem or part of the solution.

Until each one has a home,

Cara

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Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues was published in January of 2025. It is filled with stories and ideas to help everyone be part of the solution. You can buy a hardback or paperback copy for yourself and/or buy a copy for a shelter or rescue through our website. It is also available on Amazon in paperback and ebook. We are looking for opportunities to share a presentation of the ideas in the book and facilitate conversations about how we can work together to find solutions for our shelters. If you have a dog-hearted group that would like to connect, contact Cara@wwldo.org.

To see our Emmy-nominated, award-winning short documentary, Amber’s Halfway Home, click here.

Did you know we have a podcast? I’m working at getting regular episodes up, including the audio version of the new book (narrated with additional info), and interviews with shelter heroes we meet. Find the podcast on Spotify and other podcast services.

For more information on any of our projects, to talk about rescue in your neck of the woods, or partner with us, please email cara@WWLDO.org.

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