Dog Pound

Hours of Operation:

Monday thru Friday 7 am – 3 pm
Animal calls received during other hours are handled by police officers.

About the City Dog Pound:

The dog pound was formed to maintain stray and at large dogs within the city limits of Martin. Such animals are a nuisance to society and pose threats to the health of the community and to the safety of persons and property alike. The Code Enforcement Officer has the responsibility to control these nuisances through enforcement of city ordinances and Tennessee state statutes.

Animal Control Services:

The Code Enforcement Officer offers a variety of services for the community. Some of these services include retrieving stray animals, animals that run at large, or pose health or traffic hazards, or animals that pose a threat to themselves or others. The following services are also performed:

• Investigate complaints of Animal Cruelty and Dog Bites.
• Provide protection for animal owners as well as non-animal owners through the enforcement of state statues and local city ordinances.
• Ensuring humane treatment for all animals.

Care of Dogs:

Food and water is provided to all dogs in the pound at least once everyday of the week.

Care of the Pound:

The pound is washed every weekday and typically on weekends when the pound is busy. Appropriate disinfectants are used during cleaning. Additionally, special sprays are used when Parvo is identified in a dog that is housed at the pound.

Reuniting dogs with their owners:

Officer Edwards attempts to reunite the dogs with their owner’s by several different means. Dogs that have apparently been cared for are photographed and the pictures are forwarded to WCMT to post on their Pet Patrol Website. All dogs are scanned to determine if they have a microchip. If a microchip is found, he can easily locate the owner. A report is filled out for every dog that is placed in the Martin City Pound. The report is then compared with complaint cards made for lost dogs by the dispatcher.

Adoption of unclaimed dogs:

Officer Edwards works in cooperation with local animal shelters to provide a home for dogs that have not been claimed. If you are interested in adopting a dog, please contact Officer Edwards at 731-587-5355. All dogs must be spayed or neutered after adoption.

What occurs if a dog is unclaimed?

Dogs are kept at the pound for a minimum of 10 days. If an adoptive family cannot be found, the dog will be euthanized as a last resort.