These services are funded through grants and donations and are specifically intended for pet owners who are unable to provide these resources on their own. We ask that if you do not need assistance, you do not use these resources as it could prevent others from accessing them if funding were to run out.
If this is an emergency, like the pet is in need of immediate medical care or is a threat to public safety, please call 901-545-COPS immediately. If human lives are in danger, please call 911.
We don’t want you to give up your pet. You love them. They love you. Your home may be the only home they’ve ever known, and it’s probably the best place for them to be. MAS is here for you as your Pet Resource Center to help keep them there. If you’re in a tough spot financially, and there’s something you need help with in order to be able to keep your pet, we can connect you with:
- Pet food
- Spay/neuter
- Necessary pet medical care
- Pet deposits/pet fees for housing
- Behavior counseling
- Short-term boarding if you’re in between housing
- Minor fence repair
f you reside in Shelby County (excluding Bartlett, Germantown, and Collierville), you are eligible for the services above and can request them by filling out this form*. Please note that having a pending request for help from MAS does not exempt you from following the law. You must still ensure your pet is in legal compliance.
*If you’re not able to fill out the form because your entry matches an existing record, please email mas@memphistn.gov with subject line “PRC form help” and include your name, address, and phone number. Once we have corrected the issue, we will let you know and you can then fill out the form.
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU KEEP YOUR PET
See below for a list of common reasons people surrender pets, as well as how to get help.
My pet has behavior issues.
Memphis Animal Services offers a behavior helpline staffed by an animal behaviorist to help pet owners in Memphis work through behavior issues in the hopes we can keep pets with the families who love them. Click here to take advantage of this free service which is funded by a grant from Maddie’s Fund!
I’m moving and can’t take my pet.
There are many pet-friendly housing options in the Memphis area. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time when you know you’ll be moving to check around for pet policies that will allow your pet. Some helpful resources are the lists of pet-friendly options at Apartment List, Apartment Guide, Zillow, and Rent to Own Labs.
If you’ve been forced to move and can’t afford the pet deposit at a new place, you may qualify for the Throw Me a Bone project, funded by ALIVE Rescue Memphis. This program exists to provide funds or supplies to keep pets in loving families instead of being surrendered to shelters. Click here to request assistance from this program. Please allow 72 hours for a response.
MAS can also assist with pet deposits and pet fees if you’re moving and can’t find an affordable place to take your pet.
My pet is injured or sick and I don’t know where to take them.
There are many veterinarians in the Memphis area; click here for a Google search of Memphis veterinarians. Memphis also has several emergency vets who see sick/injured pets after hours and on weekends and holidays.
Our local emergency veterinary offices include:
- Animal Emergency Center – 3767 Summer Avenue
- PETMED Emergency Center – 555 Trinity Creek Cove
I can’t afford to care for my pet.
CareCredit – The CareCredit healthcare credit card helps to manage veterinary expenses— everything from routine exams to unforeseen emergencies. It is subject to credit approval, the amount of credit extended depends on your credit rating, and you must make sure the veterinarian you’re using accepts CareCredit (not all do).
Throw Me a Bone project (funded by ALIVE Rescue Memphis) – This is a fund set up to help loving families keep their pets instead of surrendering to a shelter when there is some expense they can’t handle, either because an emergency has come up or because the family has fallen on hard times. They can provide funding or supplies ranging from veterinary care, food, kennel, fencing, training, etc. Click here to apply for assistance. Please allow 72 hours for a response.
Memphis Animal Services can assist you if there is some necessary medical care your pet needs that you can’t afford.
Spay/Neuter Assistance
Memphis Animal Services
MAS offers free spay/neuter for dogs over 30 lbs.
Mid-South Spay Neuter Services
Mid-South Spay Neuter’s regular prices for spay/neuter are $55 & up for cats ($35 for feral cats) and $80 & up for dogs. Click here for the breakdown of prices. But they often have grants to help even more for certain people and pet owners. Check here to see if any of the current grants apply to you.
My pet has behavior problems I don’t know how to deal with.
See above for our FREE Behavior Helpline, but we’ve listed many common behavior issues below with tips on how to address them.
COMMON DOG BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
- House-soiling
- Being destructive in the home
- Separation anxiety
- Barking
- Jumping
- Resource Guarding
- Aggression toward humans
- Aggression toward other animals
- Pulling on the leash
- Nipping
- Counter surfing
- Eating poop
COMMON CAT BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
- Litter box problems/ House-soiling
- Urine-marking/spraying
- Destructive scratching
- Excessive meowing
- Biting
IF YOU MUST REHOME YOUR PET
The best thing for your pet is to stay out of the shelter. If none of our many Pet Resource Center services can help you keep your pet, you still have options for rehoming your pet without them ever having to spend one night in a shelter:
Find a new home for your pet with Home to Home
Join thousands of pet parents who have successfully used Home To Home™ to find a new home for their pet. Finding a new home for your pet and keeping it out of a shelter can be as easy as 1, 2, 3.
1. Start by creating a user and pet profile.
2. Next, upload a picture of your pet and submit it to Home To Home™.
3. Finally, respond to people who are interested in your pet.
Click here to get started!
Foster the pet through MAS until they’re adopted
This means your pet will continue to stay with you until they get adopted, but the pet will receive all wellness services at MAS at no cost to you (if needed), will be listed for adoption on our website (which gets about 15,000 visits per month!), and will have their adoption processed through us.
Make use of your own network and social media
Wouldn’t it be great if your pet was adopted by someone you know so you could keep up with them? Try to get the pet adopted by someone in your personal network!
Take a great photo and/or video of your pet, write a nice bio all about their personality, and post it on any social media available to you, and ask everyone to share! Send it to email contacts, print flyers and post around your neighborhood, tell friends and family about the pet. Be sure to include your contact information! Here are some great resources for helping your pet put their best paw forward:
Memphis Animal Services – Marketing Your Foster Pet
Adoptimize photos
Foster Caregiver Marketing Guide (Maddie’s Fund)