The man charged with animal cruelty in South Memphis last week was not just any resident. He was an animal control officer for Memphis Animal Services. His job was to protect animals. Instead, police executing a drug search warrant found 17 dogs and puppies at his home without adequate food or water. Three dogs were chained to a tree with short, thick chains. One dog's mouth was bleeding and could not reach the nearest water bowl. Nine puppies were penned in a bedroom filled with feces with no water at all. Dogs are buried in the backyard.

Detectives also found equipment consistent with dog fighting: tethers commonly used to train dogs to fight, an ear-cutting kit, and a dog with fresh bandages on both recently clipped ears. A former girlfriend told reporters that Isaiah Bethany had been operating this way for at least five years. She also said he took the job at MAS because he thought it would benefit his dog business, and that he stole medications and vaccines from the shelter to use on his own animals.

Memphis Animal Services says it has zero tolerance for animal cruelty. That statement means nothing if a man allegedly running a dog fighting operation for five years can be hired as an animal control officer without detection.

We are calling for three things. First: Memphis prosecutors must pursue the full scope of charges the evidence supports. An animal cruelty charge is a starting point. Dog fighting is a felony under Tennessee law, and the ear-cutting kit, tethers, and cropped ears point directly to it. The prosecution should reflect what the evidence shows.

Second: Memphis city government must order an immediate audit of MAS inventory. If medications and vaccines meant for shelter animals were stolen and diverted to an alleged fighting operation, the public has a right to know the full extent of it and what systems failed.

Third: MAS must overhaul its hiring process. Animal control officers have access to vulnerable animals, shelter resources, and the authority of the city. Hiring one requires more than a standard background check. Home inspections, references from veterinarians or animal welfare organizations, and ongoing welfare checks should be standard. They are not.

The animals found at that house deserved better. So do the animals in MAS's care right now.

Sign to demand full prosecution and real reform at Memphis Animal Services.