Amid leadership shakeup, Memphis Animal Services is currently without a full-time vet

Memphis Animal Services did not have its veterinary premise permit for a one-day period over the weekend, but according to City of Memphis officials the transfer of the permit did not interrupt clinical services as animals were transferred over to clinical partners. The permit lapsed due to the shelter having no full-time veterinarian on staff.

The city said it has identified a veterinarian who is willing to assume that role. The city said a new permit was in place as of July 2. A veterinary premise permit is tied to a specific vet, and the vet who it was tied to is no longer at the shelter, the city said.

The permit impacted the clinic’s operation, the city said, which allows a specific vet to run the clinic. It had no impact on the shelter’s operation.

This comes after a turbulent week for the shelter, with a dog dying in their care likely from heat, and Director Ty Coleman being placed on leave pending an “investigation." The city has not said exactly what the scope or focus of that investigation will be.

The city has not expanded upon what type of investigation will take place, and a timeline is currently not available.

Memphis Chief Operating Officer Antonio Adams and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Julius Muse are now in charge at MAS, the city said.

The turbulence at the shelter has been the topic of discussion for weeks among the tight-knit animal rescue community and with current and former employees.

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In addition to the shift in leadership, there are currently no full-time veterinarians on staff at MAS, according to multiple rescuers and current and previous staff members. The city said that part-time vets have been used by the shelter since June 1.

The city of Memphis confirmed this but said a part-time vet will begin work at the shelter this week. Recruitment for a full-time placement has begun, according to the city. Last week, the city said there was an interim vet at the shelter in addition to multiple part-time contract vets coming in four days a week.

Dog dies within MAS, investigation follows

Suzy Hollenbach, founder and CEO of All 4s Rescue League, said a dog who died while in the care of MAS on June 24 was microchipped to the rescue. All 4s Rescue League is a current pet placement partner with MAS.

Lulu, the dog who died, was surrendered to MAS by a family All 4s adopted her out to.

Lulu likely died from a heat-related incident, according to a statement posted to the MAS public Facebook account.

The rescue was informed that MAS had Lulu and contacted All 4s Rescue League to come and pick up the dog.

When Hollenbach sent someone within her rescue to retrieve Lulu from MAS, they were informed upon arrival that the dog had died.

Lulu was located in the outdoor play area, which at that point had no shade to protect the animals from the harsh sun. On June 24, the day Lulu died temperatures rose to 98 degrees, according to the National Weather Service , and a heat advisory was in place within the Greater Memphis Area.

MAS said in the statement posted on its Facebook page that the shelter "immediately adjusted" the outdoor play areas to include more shade.

After Lulu's death, Hollenbach said she tried multiple times to retrieve the dog's body. Because the microchip was listed to All 4's, Hollenbach said she is entitled to the dog's body.

Hollenbach said she was told that the dog's body had been transported to a university on June 25 as a part of the investigation of the death. According to information given to The Commercial Appeal, Lulu left the facility after noon on June 27.

Hollenbach, in addition to numerous other rescuers within Memphis and Shelby County, said leadership within MAS has ignored protocol and has put animals' lives in jeopardy because of their use of outdoor kennels.

MAS said they would be investigating the dog's death internally.

According to a source familiar with the matter, a pregnant dog was kept outside for a prolonged period which caused her ears to be bitten repeatedly by bugs.

The source requested to remain anonymous because of fears they could lose their job.

Employees asked for the dog to be brought inside, but leadership reportedly "ignored" their requests.

The source said after being ignored repeatedly, another employee brought the dog inside "without asking permission."

Spay and neuter procedures

There is no consensus among animal welfare stakeholders and the city on whether MAS has been completing spay and neuter surgeries. The city says MAS has been using relief vets and organizations to perform spay and neuter procedures, but current employees of MAS and rescuers say they are not.

If the procedures are not being performed, this potentially allows adopted or fostered pets to enter homes while pregnant.

In a statement, the city said as part of its "current operational model, we are only releasing adopted animals after they have been spayed/neutered."

The city said that they have been using relief vets and organizations to perform spay and neuter surgeries since June 1 but did not confirm or deny that unaltered dogs were previously being adopted out. As of July 1, MAS's current operational model is to only adopt out animals that have been fixed, vaccinated and microchipped, the city said.

In 2010, Memphis City Council passed an ordinance that required all dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered before they reached 6 months of age.

There are specific stipulations that exempt some animals from having to be spayed or neutered, like if they are being used by law enforcement and an owner must obtain an "unaltered animal permit," which is issued by the city according to the ordinance.

Dogs can be adopted out non-sterilized but must pay a $25 non-sterilized fee which can be returned if adoptees can provide proof of surgery or come back for their sterilization surgery within 30 days.

Issues with leadership, pattern from previous shelter

Coleman was appointed director of Memphis Animal Services in January, after serving as interim director since September 2023. He succeeded Alexis Pugh , who was credited with making significant improvements at the shelter.

Coleman was appointed as interim director by former Mayor Jim Strickland, and Young reappointed him to the position. The appointment was approved by the Memphis City Council .

"I'm impressed," Councilman J.B. Smiley said in January , "and it takes a lot to impress me."

Several staffers who requested to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation say that issues with Coleman started almost immediately.

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Staff members at MAS claim Coleman does not have the experience needed to run a city animal shelter as large as Memphis'. According to documents obtained by The CA, Coleman has worked within the animal welfare sphere since 2011, starting as a shelter attendant at a city animal shelter in Texas.

Coleman has less than the minimum required five years of experience supervising and training ten or more staff members, including managers, a source familiar with the matter said. The source said five years of experience is required for the job, per the City of Memphis job description.

Coleman's most recent employment within the animal service industry was as the director of Midland Animal Shelter, the city-run animal shelter in Midland, Texas. He was terminated because he did not meet his probationary period.

The city of Midland said the city had no comment on Coleman’s employment with the city.

According to reporting from the Midland Reporter-Telegram , under Coleman’s leadership, the city animal shelter had a “record of lower animal intakes and lower euthanasia totals.”

A source who worked with Coleman at the city of Midland said Coleman adopted a policy that limited dogs to be picked up off the streets. According to both current and former staff members at MAS, Coleman adopted a similar policy, which kept intake numbers low, but caused more dogs outside the shelter not to get the help they needed.

In a statement, the city of Memphis said it appreciated support from the community and asked for patience "as we work through the operational and procedural steps needed to create the best possible shelter experience."

"Currently, MAS is operating at a reduced capacity as an emergency intake shelter only. Our team is working to return to full shelter capacity, in alignment with our mission of keeping pets with families who love them," the city said.

Brooke Muckerman covers Shelby County Government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at (901) 484-6225, brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter @BrookeMuckerman.

Nell Rainer is a metro news intern for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach her at nell.rainer@commercialappeal.com

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Amid leadership shakeup, Memphis Animal Services is currently without a full-time vet