Our focus for the last few years has been the number of animals killed annually at Memphis Animal Shelter. And, although euthanasias have been reduced dramatically (Thanks to Phil Snyder, the new shelter administrator!), RAOT volunteers still go to the shelter and photograph the animals. Pictures are uploaded to Petfinders and Webshots and information about animals that need special attention to get adopted are posted to various email lists. (RAOT owns and maintains over 50+ email lists to facilitate rescue nationwide.)
Studies prove education is the most effective way to prevent animals ending up a "statistic." RAOT offers many programs and services to help owners with pet problems and enhance the human/animal bond. Most people get animals because they want them, however, far too many owners do not understand their pets’ normal behaviors or needs. When problems occur, if owners cannot find help, animals are abandoned, dumped or surrendered.
Volunteers staff an education booth at an event at left. Literature on virtually every aspect of responsible animal ownership is distributed. A trainer is usually available to assist the public with pet behavior problems, including common problems, like barking, jumping and housebreaking.
Another program, our Kidz'n'Dogs Safety Program, teaches children learn how to be safe around dogs. The program has been a huge hit with children in area libraries and in the County's Head Start Program! Lynn Dunlap and her dog, Styler, review the proper procedure for meeting and
greeting a dog in the picture at right. Children learn to ask permission before petting a dog and avoid strange dogs running at large.
RAOT when possible helps owners who may need assistance, due to circumstances (medical, financial, or otherwise) beyond their control, to keep or place pets. Our philosophy is that it is far better for all concerned if an animal can stay with its owner than for it to end up a statistic!
For example, we were contacted by a senior facility with an elderly tenant who has a pet but only gets $122 a month in retirement. They had let the woman move in, to get her off the streets, on her promise to pay $5 a month toward a pet deposit. She was facing eviction but, rather than give up her dog, she would move out and live on the streets in the dead of winter! RAOT raised the deposit, plus a little extra for some food, treats and a toy. There was not a dry eye in the house when the deposit and food were delivered. In this picture, the woman radiates joy for the acts of charity that allowed her to keep her dog.
RAOT supports any and all legal and humane owner/pet related activities. have been shown to enhance the human/animal bond and reduce the probability that owners will relinquish their pets to shelters.
RAOT offers telephone counseling when owners have problems. We offer obedience classes. We have a reference library of books and videos.
In this picture volunteers greet the shelter truck when it delivers animals to an off-site adoption day hosted by RAOT. Every adoption days that RAOT hosts for Memphis Animal Shelter has been a 100% success story! At the end of each adoption day, so far, every animal has found a home and none have had to go back to the shelter!
Our "Homeward Bound" program assists other groups and individuals, who live outside the area, who learned about an animal on the Internet and want to adopt it, adopt the animal from the shelter. We handle everything for them here, from the adoption, to arranging for fostering or boarding, transportation from shelter to foster to vet (to obtain a health certificate), and, often, help transport the animal to its new home.
We support the voluntary spay/neutering of all pet quality animals, but do not oppose responsible breeding. We are against the use of animals for fighting, legal or not.
We hope, in the near future, to have a shelter that will enhance our ability to truly address the needs of both owners and animals, especially animals that are injured, abandoned, abused, injured, or neglected.