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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — Another emergency intake of animals is testing the limits of Memphis Animal Services.
Thirty animals — 17 dogs and 13 cats — were surrendered to MAS on Tuesday by the same people, who was waiting outside MAS before it opened.
Four of the animals — two puppies and two kittens — were dead.
Alexis Pugh with MAS said two women in two U-Haul vans showed up Tuesday morning and said they had just been evicted from their home in Jackson, Tennessee and needed to surrender all animals.
The shelter doesn’t know at what point the dogs died. Pugh said there was a strong odor coming from the van.
“We couldn’t wait long because when we opened the van we could tell quickly the conditions were horrible. They were inhumane,” Pugh said. “The heat poured out of the van when we opened it. You could smell the feces and urine. You could see the condition these animals were in.”
Memphis police have closed down the parking lot and the kennel area where the dogs are for the moment, as it’s an active crime scene. One woman was seen in handcuffs, and MAS officials said she had surrendered the animals.
“At this point, what we’re looking at are state-level charges. We’re working on that with police,” Pugh said. “The extent of those charges we don’t know yet. Their investigation is ongoing.”
The healthy animals should be up for adoption in the next few weeks.
Katie Pemberton with MAS said owner surrenders are usually by appointment only, but with the number of animals in poor condition, MAS had no choice but to accept them.
MAS is encouraging anyone who would like to help and adopt at pet to come by this month, when all adoptions are $10.
MAS is open for adoptions daily from noon to 4 p.m. and until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The shelter will be closed Wednesday, July 10, for a staff in-service training.
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