MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mayor-elect Jim Strickland’s office would only issue a one-sentence statement when asked about the future of Memphis Animal Services after it was announced Director James Rogers will not be reappointed.

“There will be a national search for a new director at MAS, and the COO office will provide oversight to ongoing operations in the interim,” Strickland’s statement read.

The news of Rogers’ departure has some animal rescue groups in Memphis celebrating.

“It was the obvious decision that needed to be made,” Cindy Sanders with Community Action for Animals said.

Those same groups note there is a lot of work to be done to turn MAS’ reputation around, especially after accidental euthanizations, which included a dog featured in a magazine article about adoption being put down right before the magazine came out.

“We need a director who understands sheltering, understands animals, but also understands how how to control a workforce and actually get them to work,” Sanders said.

Rogers told WREG he is proud of the work MAS has done.

It is that response that has some scoffing.

“I think that certainly says a lot about his level of expectation,” Sanders said. “If he’s proud of the job that he did, he should have been up here, and he was down here, and he’s proud of that?”

However, Sanders said she does have faith in the new administration.

“We’ll select a good director, and then that director can lay out the whole plan of his or her vision for the shelter.”