Our History

It all began in the backyard of Mrs. William King, where a few stray dogs were sheltered from the storms of life. Then, once chartered by the State of Tennessee in 1933, the small Society oversaw the operation of the city pound until the city itself took over the responsibility.

In the 1940's, Ms. Adele K. Orgill stepped in, and for many years was the Memphis Humane Society, operating entirely from her home. She arranged for veterinary treatment for injured animals and placed them in good homes when she possibly could.

But Memphis was growing, as was the unwanted animal population. In 1974, the Memphis Humane Society struggled to go "public". In that exciting, but oh, so frustrating, year we had three very temporary homes in twelve months. After changing our address and telephone number three times, and feeling like we were only one step ahead of the little men in white coats, we realized that, sink or swim, we had to have a permanent home.

In July of 1975 we moved into 710 Philadelphia, the very first place of our own. Volunteers scrubbed and redecorated the building, turning it into a small gem in the heart of midtown. However, our animals had to be boarded at veterinary clinics, being brought in on Saturday mornings for adoption. This was so difficult, and expensive, that it became obvious that øsink or swimÓ time had come again.

In 1980, we leased 2238 Central Avenue, our present location. The house on Philadelphia became our Thrift Shop, open on weekends, where for every bargain found, a little animal had a chance for a better life. Now, the house on Philadelphia has been turned into our Cat Adoption Center, where our cats have freedom to roam around outside of their cages during the day.

Leasing the 2238 Central location was really an experiment to see if having our animals on-site would open the door to new opportunities for increased services to the animals and the community. It certainly did; but the rag-tag building was dark, rundown, cramped for space in some areas, and cavernous in others. Our kennel (we actually called it that with a straight face) consisted of donated cages, full of dogs, simply sitting on the floor of what had been a bay area. The cat cages were separated from the dogs by a sheet. Feeding and cleaning were mostly done on hands and knees.

In 1982, R. E. "Buster" Williams purchased and renovated the building, requiring us, once again, to move into temporary quarters. Thanks to this generous man, by 1983, we were moved back into our present facility and ready for business.

In the many years since that day, the work of the Memphis Shelby County Humane Society has literally exploded. With our veterinary care for injured animals, cruelty investigations, adoptions, pet-assisted therapy, low cost spay/neuter program, humane education program and other services, we have become an integral and indispensable part of the city.

Now, we have a new logo, a new name ¨ The Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County - and a new lease on life, thanks to former Mayor Jim Rout and the Shelby County Commissioners. We have leased several acres out at Shelby Farms on which to build a new facility. Our new facility will have a surgical wing (and a vet on staff to run it), conference rooms for humane education sessions and other meetings, and plenty of room (inside and out) for our animals.

We are pleased, and grateful, that you have chosen to become a part of our organization, especially at this exciting time of growth and change. We hope that you find working with us both enjoyable and enriching. All of us here at the Memphis Shelby County Humane Society, 2-legged and 4-legged alike, thank you for your support.