Simone made the transition from foster care to therapy dog, most other Memphis shelter animals aren’t so lucky

Elijah Schaffzin

March 26, 2025

Tail wagging and playfully barking through the Orgel Educational Center, Simone the pit bull terrier is a new but already cherished member of the University Schools community.

 “For many children, Simone is something they can look forward to every day,” said Dr. Sally Parish, a vice provost and director of schools at the University of Memphis. But as much service as she provides her school, Simone was not always in a helping role.

Found in between trash cans with two siblings, Simone faced a flurry of health issues including malnourishment and burned feet from the Memphis summer. She was given a second chance at life by Tails of Hope, a local pet rescue organization.

When University Schools secured the Beyond Ordinary Learning Opportunities grant, which funded a therapy dog role, Parish was quick to reach out to Tails of Hope, who she had adopted two previous dogs from.

Simone’s and her siblings' trash to treasure story is certainly an outlier in Memphis. Disease stricken, overrun, and over capacity, most of Memphis Animal Services (MAS) shelters starkly contrasts Simone’s adoption process.

Most recently, nearly one hundred dogs were euthanized at a local shelter for carrying distemper, stated Shelter Director Mary Claire Borys. “It is with heavy hearts that we have to make this difficult decision,” she continued. “Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that affects dogs and other animals; this measure has been taken to contain the spread of the virus, [and] protect the health of the remaining animals in our care.”

MAS currently supports over nine thousand dogs in shelters and foster homes yearly. Often, these shelter facilities are hundreds of dogs over capacity, even after adoption drives.

One solution could be basing an adoption process on Simone’s experience. Dogs provide immeasurable community service through roles like service for the impaired, firefighting, police, rescue and more. 

Some UHS students think expanding funding for dogs to fill these roles in our community would be valuable. “I think if they see the dog making a change, there should be more dogs,” said Lily Parks, UHS Junior. “Maybe the highschool could have a therapy dog too!”