New Play Yards at Memphis Animal Services 

On Saturday, February 4, 2023, Memphis Animal Services cut the ribbon on our new and improved play yards with the help of Memphis Tiger Football Head Coach Ryan Silverfield, four football players, and four Spirit Squad members, alongside MAS Director Alexis Pugh and Facility Specialist Christian Foster.

MAS has a total of nine play yards on our property for dogs to have solo playtime, to meet potential fosters or adopters, or to have playgroup with other dogs. There are three yards made of concrete, which did not require any improvements. The other six yards were grass yards, some of which got very muddy, making them uncomfortable for adopters, volunteers, and staff. Some of them were even completely unusable due to gates that did not close completely and safety issues due to the excessive mud.

Improvements to our new play yards include:

• Replacing the grass and mud areas with recently removed Liberty Bowl AstroTurf

• Installing two new shade structures

• Replacing the gravel walkways with concrete walkways

“While the AstroTurf may technically be too old for college football to be played on it, we think it still has many years left as a spot for shelter dogs to play, hang out with other pups, and meet their new families,” said Alexis Pugh, Memphis Animal Services Director. “This project is a really cool example of city agencies collaborating together. Instead of this turf ending up in a landfill, it’s getting a second life here at MAS, plus we love any way to keep our ties with Memphis Tiger Football going!”