E N D
1. MEMPHIS ANIMAL SERVICESShelter Stats Crunching Numbers
To Resolve Problems
2. Shelter Intake, Euthanasias & Adoptions at Memphis Animal Services
3. We have a Problem Memphis’s intake to euthanasia rates are embarassingly high and our adoption rates are embarassing low -- compared to national averages
At 82% in 2003, our intake to euthanasia rate was 81.5% in 2009 -- Memphis consistently has one of the highest intake to euthanasia rates rates in the Country!
At 10.95% in 2003, our adoption to intake rate was 9.65% in 2009 -- Memphis consistently has one of the lowest adoption to intake rates in the Country!
At 46 animals killed per 1000 people, Memphis is fast approaching a rate of killing that is FOUR TIMES the national average (12.5)!
WE CAN DO BETTER!
4. Enforcement of the leash law would have solved all our problems as when a leash law is enforced, all kinds of good things will start to happen:
The number of animals running-at-large goes down significantly
The number of calls to animal control declines as most problems are caused by stray dogs
The number of aggressive incidents decline because a disproportionate number of stranger incidents involve animals running-at-large
That cannot be said about mandatory spay neuter laws which have been shown to increase the killing.
5. Where Do These Pets Come From?OWNERS! In 2003, approximately 40% of the animals at MAS were owner surrenders. Many surrendered for health and/or behavior problems. Year-to-date, the percentage has climbed to 47% -- likely due to the current economic downturn
And the surrender rate would be higher if many owners did not opt to turn their animals out on the streets rather than surrender them to MAS to be euthanized. These animals contribute to the number of stray animals on our streets.
6. What happens to them? At our adoption to intake rate was 9.65% in 2009 – so we are doing a really, really, really terrible job of getting animals adopted. What do we do? We kill them.
7. Why? One of the reasons our adoption rate is so bad is that most of the dogs at the shelter are pit bulls, a breed with a serious image problem.
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
We need to develop creative marketing campaigns to increase the image of and adoptability of this much maligned breed.
8. Owner Surrenders and Strays at Memphis Animal Services
9. Shelter Intake, Euthanasias & Adoptions at Memphis Animal Services
10. The Economy Is Having a Negative Impact on MAS Statistics Like everyone else, pet owners face rising costs and paychecks that cannot be stretched any further to keep up with inflation. And, when layoffs occur, owners’ budgets shreik to a halt and many owners find they can no longer afford pets. Some owners try to find a suitable home for their pet(s) but, when they can’t, they surrender their pets to shelters or abandon them on the streets.
The influence of the economy on MAS numbers is all to obvious.
Well, the spay neuter nazis have had their way and convinced the City Council to enact mandatory spay neuter laws forcing their extremist agenda down the throats of everyone, especially those demographics who are more prone to feel the pain in times of economic crises (certain ethnic groups and those on limited or fixed incomes) with mandatory spay neuter laws! Many can barely feed their pets, much less pay for mandatory altering of their pet(s).
11. But, we are not the only city to face these problems. . . A number of cities are going “No-Kill” and/or enforcing leash laws and solving problems that have historically proven difficult, if not impossible, to resolve any other way. They have saved money in the process
Problems being resolved include:
The number of animal-related complaint calls
The number of aggressive incidents,
The number of animals running-at-large
The number of animals killed in shelters
What does Memphis do? It enacts mandatory spay neuter laws (multiple as if one was not enough) which have been proven ineffective!
12. Those cities that went no-kill and/or enforced their leash laws did it without mandatory spay neuter laws, breeders licensing, limit laws, or other similarly restrictive legislation!
13. What we need to do: Establish a voluntary, low-cost, spay neuter program (this will save the City more than enough money to pay for the program – estimates are that for every $1 we invest in such programs, it will save us $3
Rewrite the animal code to remove restrictive laws and encourage citizen “buy-in”
Increase the funding and manpower of Memphis Animal Services
Enforce the leash law
14.
15. Most Pets In MemphisAre NOT Licensed!
16. We Also Need to Go No-Kill! No-Kill communities enjoy an increase in citizen “buy-in”, increased license compliance, a reduction in animals running at large, and fewer aggressive incidents
There is a growing grass-roots ground swell in support of converting Memphis’s shelter to a No-Kill shelter – GO FOR IT!
A commitment to go “No-Kill” will instantly dissipate the hostile dynamics related to recent controvery associated with MAS and enactment of the mandatory spay neuter laws
IT IS THE SMART THING TO DO!
17. At Least Someone Is Trying! There is a new website promoting no-kill at Memphis’s Animal Shelter! We offer our best wishes for their success in achieving that goal!
For more information, visit:
www.NoKillMemphis.org