Screenshot from the viral video of a MAS officer dragging a puppy
A Memphis Animal Services (MAS) field officer was caught on camera dragging a puppy on a leash after removing the dog from an abandoned home earlier this week. The video went viral on Facebook.
MAS Administrator Alexis Pugh has said three employees have been placed on administrative leave for multiple infractions, but she said couldn’t comment on the viral video.
Pugh made the announcement that the employees were suspended in a tearful apology to animal advocates gathered at the Benjamin L. Hooks Library Wednesday night for the quarterly meeting of the MAS Advisory Board.
“I’m heartbroken over what has happened,” she told the crowd.
The employees will face a fact-finding hearing, likely this week, to determine any penalties if they’re found to be responsible, she said. Pugh said she couldn’t discuss further details of the case.
However, one of the animal advocates at the meeting said the video was taken by a neighbor who lived next to a house from which the previous tenant had moved and left a mother dog and puppies behind. When the field officers arrived, at least one of the puppies was dragged on a leash to the field officer’s van. The neighbor is believed to be the one who recorded the video.
Three Animal Shelter Employees Suspended for ‘Multiple Infractions’
