Memphis Animal Services

What Memphis Animal Services does

Memphis Animal Services (MAS) is the only open-intake municipal animal shelter in Shelby County, Tennessee, operated as an agency of the City of Memphis. Established with statistics tracking from 2008 (and with operating history extending back to 1936 per firmographic records), MAS serves as the mandated safety-net intake facility for the City of Memphis, handling 8,000–10,000 animals annually — including dogs, cats, pigs, goats, horses, and chickens. In 2025 the shelter admitted 7,813 animals, placed 5,210 pets into new homes, and answered 22,125 service calls. Service lines span pet adoption, lost-and-found reunification (including a 72-hour stray hold), foster care placement, volunteer engagement, a Pet Resource Center (which served 3,637 families in 2025), $5 microchipping with registration, animal control officer response, and a Community Cats TNR referral program. Geographic service excludes Bartlett, Germantown, and Collierville.

The operating platform is built on a conventional municipal shelter technology stack: Shelterluv for animal management, intake, and adoption workflows (also powering online donations); ArcGIS/MEMEGIS and Survey123 for lost-and-found geospatial dashboards; Petco Love Lost for facial-recognition-based lost-pet matching; Better Impact for volunteer management; GivePulse for foster field-trip scheduling; and PawBoost for lost-pet alerting. Distribution is omnichannel: direct in-shelter adoptions at 2350 Appling City Cove (Tuesday–Friday 1–6pm, Saturday–Sunday 12–4pm), recurring off-site adoption events at PetSmart Wolfchase and Petco Poplar, rescue-partner transfers to 501(c)(3) organizations, and the Project Pawtect mobile outreach program launched August 2025.

Revenue mechanics are a hybrid public-funding model. Operating funds derive from City of Memphis appropriations, adoption fees ranging from $5 (chickens/rats) to $250 (horses), $5 microchipping, tax-deductible donations (EIN 62-6000361), and grants from national animal welfare foundations (notably a $22,000 Petco Foundation grant in August 2025 and a $10,000 Maddie's Fund grant in April 2023). The customer base is the general public of Memphis and Shelby County, segmented into pet adopters/fosters, underserved pet owners reached via mobile outreach, lost-pet owners, and 501(c)(3) rescue partners. Marketing relies on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, X), email via GovDelivery, and on-the-ground events rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Memphis Animal Services

Legal name

Memphis Animal Services (City of Memphis)

Website

https://memphisanimalservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Memphis Animal Services is the only open-intake municipal animal shelter in Shelby County, Tennessee, operated by the City of Memphis and providing animal control, adoption, foster, lost-and-found, and pet resource services to local residents while handling over 8,000 animals annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Animal Shelter Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animal Shelters & Rescue Operations (AFAEALAB), Spay/Neuter & Population Control Programs (BPAGAIAE)

Keywords

• Animal shelter services
• Pet adoption services
• Animal control response
• Lost and found pets
• Community pet welfare

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Adoption Fees: One-time adoption fees ranging from $5 to $250 depending on animal type. Fees include spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchip, and heartworm testing.
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible charitable contributions (EIN: 62-6000361) accepted online, via cash/check, and through supply drives. Under IRS Code section 170(c)(1), donations to municipal agencies for public purposes are tax-deductible.
3. Microchipping Services: $5 microchip services including registration provided during public hours.
4. Grants and Foundation Support: Received $22,000 grant from Petco Foundation to support lifesaving work. Additional grant funding supports programs like Project Pawtect.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Memphis Animal Services operates the only open-intake municipal animal shelter in Shelby County, providing pet adoption, lost and found reunification, foster placement, microchipping, animal control response, a Pet Resource Center with food pantry, and community cat TNR referrals for the City of Memphis and surrounding areas. It also runs the Project Pawtect community outreach initiative delivering pop-up vaccine and microchip clinics directly into neighborhoods.

Product overview

Memphis Animal Services operates as a municipal open-intake animal shelter providing a comprehensive suite of animal welfare services. The core offering centers on pet adoption services, with the organization managing intake, care, and placement of over 8,000 animals annually. Key product modules include: Lost & Found Pet Services (with 72-hour stray hold and owner reunification), Foster Care Program (providing temporary homes for pets), Volunteer Program (community engagement opportunities), Pet Resource Center (supporting pet owners in crisis), Microchipping Services ($5 microchips with registration), Animal Services Officer Response (animal control within Memphis), and Community Cats TNR Program (trap-neuter-return referrals). Additional programs include Donation/Supply Drives and Pet Placement Partners (rescue partner network). Project Pawtect represents a recent community health initiative combining pop-up vaccine clinics with outreach. Adoption events are conducted both on-site and at off-site retail partner locations (PetSmart Wolfchase and Petco Poplar).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Project Pawtect: Community pet health initiative bringing vaccinations and microchips directly into Memphis neighborhoods through pop-up clinics.

Products and services

• Pet Adoption Services Animal adoption program placing dogs, cats, and other pets (pigs, goats, horses, chickens, rabbits, ferrets, birds, reptiles, small mammals) into new homes. Adoption fees range from $5 to $250 depending on animal type/age and include spay/neuter surgery, age-appropriate vaccinations, microchip with registration, and heartworm testing for dogs. Available for Memphis and Shelby County residents through in-shelter visits and off-site adoption events.
• Lost & Found Pet Services Comprehensive lost and found pet support including 72-hour stray hold, owner reunification, lost pet reporting, found pet reporting, and connections to regional shelters. Uses ArcGIS/MEMEGIS mapping, Survey123 forms, and the Petco Love Lost facial recognition platform, with PawBoost alerts for community-wide notification.
• Foster Care Program Temporary housing program placing shelter pets with approved foster families. Includes foster field trips, transport fostering, medical recovery fostering, and specialized care for puppies, kittens, and nursing moms. MAS supplies pet food and medical care; foster applications are submitted online through the Shelterluv platform and field trips are scheduled via GivePulse.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer opportunities at the shelter including dog walking, cat socialization, event support, enrichment preparation, group volunteering, and kids volunteering programs. Volunteer onboarding and time tracking are managed through Better Impact.
• Pet Resource Center Support services for pet owners facing hardship, including a pet food pantry, navigation assistance, and connections to community resources to help families keep their pets and avoid surrender. Helped 3,637 families in 2025.
• Microchipping Services $5 microchip implantation and registration service available during public hours at the shelter on a walk-in basis. Registration is provided with 24Petwatch; no appointment required.
• Animal Services Officer Response Municipal animal control services responding to animal-related emergencies, dangerous animal reports, animal cruelty, and dog bites within the City of Memphis. Service requests can be submitted online.
• Community Cats TNR Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,210 pets placed into new homes annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• All 4s Rescue LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2025Partnership for Project Pawtect initiative. All 4s Rescue League volunteers administer vaccinations at pop-up clinics while MAS provides microchips and outreach coordination. Combined neighborhood outreach with essential pet health services.
• Petco LovecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational animal welfare nonprofit providing funding and support. Listed as a key partner organization on MAS 'Our Partners' page.
• Best Friends Animal SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational animal welfare organization. Listed as a key partner supporting MAS mission and methodology.
• ASPCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. National animal welfare organization partnership.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor national animal welfare organization. Listed as a key partner.
• Petfinder FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline pet adoption platform foundation supporting shelter visibility and adoptions.
• Spay MemphiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal TNR resource for feral cats. Citizens can bring feral cats for spay/neuter surgery. Also rents feral cat traps.
• Kitty City, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal TNR organization that loans traps, educates the public, and coordinates Trap, Neuter and Return programs with veterinary clinics.
• Memphis Pets Alive!minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal rescue organization with TNR program helping cats in the MidSouth.
• Bluff City Feral FriendsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal advocacy group for community cats within Memphis city limits. Provides TNR education and referrals.
• ShelterluvcoreTechnology or IntegrationAnimal management software platform used for adoption listings, foster applications, lost and found tracking, and donation processing.
• Hollywood FeedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional pet supply retailer with wishlist support for shelter supplies.
• Superlo FoodsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal grocery chain with supply drive support for shelter donations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: National animal welfare organization partnering with MAS through grants and advocacy. Operates broader rescue, policy, and shelter support programs across the country.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization listed as a key MAS partner. Operates shelter and adoption programs across multiple states, providing overlapping services at broader geographic scale.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): National animal welfare advocacy and direct services organization listed as a MAS partner, with a broader policy, rescue, and shelter support mission that overlaps MAS's adoption and lifesaving work.
• Maddie's Fund: National animal welfare philanthropy providing grants to MAS and other shelters nationwide. Focused on achieving no-kill outcomes, with funding and programs aligned to MAS's mission.
• Petco Love: National animal welfare nonprofit funded by Petco that provides adoption and lifesaving grants to MAS and thousands of other shelters, with a national platform for lost pet reunification (Petco Love Lost).

Direct peers

• Austin Animal Center: Municipal open-intake animal shelter in Austin, Texas, performing the same core functions as MAS—stray intake, adoption, animal control, lost & found, and community pet services for a major US city.
• Houston BARC (Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care): Houston's municipal open-intake animal shelter, offering adoption, animal control, and sheltering services comparable to MAS in scale and mission for a large urban population.
• Dallas Animal Services: City of Dallas animal services agency providing open-intake sheltering, adoption events, and animal control closely paralleling MAS's mandate in another large Southern metro.
• Atlanta Fulton County Animal Services: Municipal open-intake animal shelter serving metro Atlanta with adoption, animal control, and community outreach services directly comparable to MAS's Tennessee operation.

Regional players

• Nashville Metro Animal Care and Control: Regional municipal animal shelter in Tennessee offering similar adoption, lost & found, and animal control services as MAS, serving the greater Nashville market in the same state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/adoptmas
• Facebookfacebook.com/memphisanimalservices
• Instagraminstagram.com/adoptmas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Memphis Animal Services