Memphis Animal Services interim director lobbies for new shelter
Asbury is one of hundreds of dogs and cats available for adoption or foster at Memphis Animal Services. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Rylance never had a chance.
The 6-month-old puppy found with 10 other dogs in a locked house Dec. 30, 2024, has been identified as patient zero in Memphis Animal Services’ recent outbreak of canine distemper virus. The outbreak led to the euthanasia of more than 100 dogs and closed the shelter to dog intakes for more than a week.
MAS Interim Director Mary Claire Borys said the outbreak might never have happened if not for the inadequacies at the city’s nearly 14-year-old animal shelter in Northeast Memphis. That’s why Borys said she thinks the city should construct a new shelter, which she estimates would cost between $25 million and $30 million.
“In my personal opinion, it was very poorly designed and constructed,” Borys said. “They did it on the cheap.”
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Jody Callahan
Jody Callahan graduated with degrees in journalism and economics from what is now known as the University of Memphis. He has covered news in Memphis for more than 25 years.
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