Unclear how often city’s animal shelter board actually met
1 days ago
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A city’s internal investigation into Memphis Animal Services and the man who ran it has led to more questions — like, where was the board appointed to keep an eye on MAS and the animals?
WREG Investigators dug through Memphis City Council meeting archives. The last appointment we found to the Animal Shelter Advisory Board was in 2021. Keep in mind, the board member’s term is two years.
In March 2021, council members discussed and later approved two appointments the board, which is tasked with assisting shelter staff in the investigation and prosecution of complaints of animal cruelty or mistreatment and take charge of those animals if needed.
City ordinance also states the board advises the animal shelter administrator to make sure the shelter’s operation is efficient and humane.
The city’s website goes on to say the mayor appoints each member and the council approves them.
According to MAS’s website , the committee holds public meetings every other month. It doesn’t say when the next meeting is, and it’s unclear when the last one happened.
A MAS Facebook post from August 2021 stated the board would be going into “a different city council district” for those bi-monthly meetings and would even bring a “Mobile Pet Resource Center.”
In the comments, MAS stated another board meeting was set for February 2022, but we can’t find anything that says a meeting happened after that.
Tennessee law states “any public body consisting of two or more members with the authority to make decisions for or recommendations to a public body” has to give adequate public notice and take thorough minutes of the meetings.
On July 5, WREG Investigators asked for all minutes from the MAS advisory committee from the past two years. Seven weeks later, the city responded, “there are no responsive records to satisfy your request.”
“They have not met in some time. They were all appointed by the prior mayor,” the city’s Chief Operating Officer Antonio Adams said in a July city council committee meeting.
Also, add the 14 employees , including the shelter’s two vets, who left in the first six months of the year. One vet said in a resignation letter, “The environment as it exists is not one I find compatible with my values and processes.”
This week, Adams told the council that the city and now a state regulatory board have ongoing investigations. The director remains on leave.
This summer, WREG Investigators asked for state records regarding MAS and if any complaints were filed. They responded if the records exist, they’re confidential until there’s a proceeding questioning the license.
Interim MAS Director Mary Claire Borys also announced this week the shelter advisory board had been looked at, too.
“I think most importantly, and of interest to many people, nominations for the advisory board members will be presented at the council’s next meeting,” Borys said.
WREG Investigators asked city officials if the entire board was being replaced or if some would be reappointed but have yet to hear back. We also reached out to the last person listed as the chair. We are still waiting on a response.
It’s unclear who sits on the board right now. The list on MAS’ and the city’s websites are different.
MAS officials said the shelter advisory board would be discussed November 12 at a city council committee meeting.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.