MAS over capacity after taking in cruelty rescues
For the second time in two months, Memphis Animal Services is in dire need of fosters after another animal cruelty case has dumped dozens of animals at their back door — some of which did not survive.
Memphis police say they have charged Mary Winstead, 45, with multiple counts of animal cruelty after she arrived at Memphis Animal Services with dozens of animals, some suffering from extreme heat exposure.
The staff was performing their regular morning duties when a U-haul van and U-haul moving truck pulled up in the back loading dock of MAS, driven by a mother and daughter, Winstead.
Winstead pressed the buzzer, and told the clerk they had been evicted from their home in Jackson, Tennessee, and arrived in Memphis only to find out their housing arrangements here had also fallen through.
MAS director Alexis Pugh said that standard intake policy requires owners to present a valid driver’s license with a Memphis address. Neither mother nor daughter had one, but Pugh said once her staff took a look inside the vehicles, it didn’t matter.
“The heat, the smell, the conditions ... they came to me and said, ‘We can’t turn these animals away,’ ” she said.
A total of 30 cats and dogs were inside the vehicles. Of those, 26 were still alive, and two were critically ill.
Based on the conditions and number of animals, MAS determined the owners were likely in violation of city ordinance, at a minimum, and called Memphis police.
While police declared the loading dock at MAS a crime scene, shelter employees went to work prepping an already full shelter to receive additional animals.
“As we started unloading them, that’s when we started finding dead animals,” Pugh said.
A call for community help
Pugh said the staff was already wellrehearsed in their efforts thanks to a similar animal abuse case in June, when the shelter rescued 40 German Shepherd mixes from inhumane conditions in a Berclair residence.
A resounding response from Memphis citizens, who flocked to MAS to adopt or foster animals by the dozens, dug the shelter out of capacity issues resulting from the Berclair house rescue.
Now, Pugh is hoping for a repeat response from Memphis.
“This is absolutely not something we were anticipating today,” Pugh said, “But one of the things I’ve learned in these tragedies, is that it sometimes takes the worst to bring out the best in people. The community here has shown us their best, and shown us that if we ask the community to help, we know we’ll see the best in the community.”
As they did in June, MAS is asking the public not only to adopt, but to foster an animal if they can, even for a few weeks. Donations of pet food and supplies are also accepted at MAS.
Memphis police said the animal cruelty case that brought in Tuesday’s group of animals is an ongoing investigation and no charges have been filed.
The MAS facility is open seven days a week at 2350 Appling City Cove. Donations from its Amazon supply wish list can be dropped off in person at the facility from noon to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday-sunday, and from noon-7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.