Written by Olivia Smith
McKamey Animal Center is ten miles from Alton Park, one of the poorest zip codes in Tennessee. The Center is a thirty-minute drive but without other means of transportation, a three-and-a-half-hour walk, one way.
During MAC C.A.R.E.S grand opening, Heather Hensley, the Community Solutions Manager at McKamey said, “Being at MetMin [Metropolitan Ministries] is such a big relief, we are closer to Alton Park and other populations that are looking for this assistance… We can spread the love so much better by being here with MetMin.”
In late January McKamey Animal Center and Metropolitan Ministries Impact Hub partnered to open MAC C.A.R.E.S Center. Located at 4001 Rossville Blvd., less than two miles from Alton Park.
The grand opening being at noon, staff spent their morning giving pet supplies to people in need.
“More than half of MetMins clients have pets, they were already talking about this,” Hensley said. “As we were unloading food this morning people were coming to us, so we were giving it out.”
MAC C.A.R.E.S Center acknowledges that the area they are assisting with is a desert for pet supplies and other resources that are needed to care for pets.
Their website states “We estimate there are more than 14,000 pets living with their owners below the federal poverty line in Chattanooga. But in most of these neighborhoods, there are no veterinary offices, no pet supply stores, and no easy access to pet care resources. We aim to change that.”
The only other place to purchase pet food in the Alton Park area is a Dollar General store.
“They do not have a veterinary office, there are no pet supplies stores, like PetSmart or Petco and the closest veterinary office charges $75 to be seen.” Lauren Mann, Director of Advancement at McKamey Animal Center said. “We wanted to be boots on the ground with this for the people that need assistance with their pets.”
Alyssia Rich, the Community Outreach coordinator and Pets for Life coordinator said that in the two weeks they’ve been at the center they have been able to help 35 families with food and supplies.
Rich spends her days going door-to-door building relationships with pet owners in the community, specifically the Alton Park area, and seeing what people need for their pets.
“Being at this location not only makes us available to the population that needs us most, but we’re only a seven-minute drive away from Alton Park!”Rich said. “As the Pets for Life coordinator, this only increases my availability to help more members of our community instead of spending half of a work day driving.”
At this time MetMin offers dog and cat food, leashes, harnesses, bowls, potty pads, collars, treats, grooming supplies, and toys.
Weekly low-cost vaccine and microchip clinics are hosted every Wednesday from 1 PM to 5 PM with no appointment necessary. While the center does not offer veterinary services at this time, they do host periodic free and low-cost clinics in locations throughout the community.
There are currently no income or residency requirements at the MAC C.A.R.E.S Center.
A partnership with Greater Good Charities and funding through grants and community donations has allowed MAC C.A.R.E.S. Center to thrive and provide more than adequate care to animals and their loving families in the area.
The grand opening was accompanied by a ribbon cutting and cheers from workers from both MetMin and McKamey Animal Center.
“To support the center we are happy to take any type of supplies you might think of when it comes to caring for a pet,”
The MAC C.A.R.E.S. Center is open six days a week; Tuesday through Friday 12 pm-6 pm and Saturday and Sunday 10 am- 4 pm. To learn more about the MAC C.A.R.E.S. Center and fund, visit mckameyanimalcenter.org
Lilo’s Legacy
Written by Olivia Smith
In 2023, McKamey Animal Center dedicated the Mac Cares Fund to Lilo, a furry friend who melted the hearts of many people in Chattanooga and around the country. She was wandering around Chattanooga with a note around her neck that explained her owner’s decision to abandon the family’s beloved dog.
“My mom can’t keep me and is homeless with two kids.” the note said. “She tried her best but can’t get help. I cost too much for her. She really loves me and I’m a great dog and love to be loved on. Please don’t abuse me.”
The story of Lilo spread throughout the internet and she was reconnected with her family the next day, McKamey Animal Center decided that they wanted to help pets stay with their families.
McKamey Animal Center opened the MAC C.A.R.E.S Center in late January 2023. The Center, partnered with Metropolitan Ministries [MetMin] to provide for a more specific area in Chattanooga, Alton Park.
The inspiration for the C.A.R.E.S acronym comes from the words community, awareness, resources, education, and service.
“Last year we had a story that blew up and it kind of launched everything for us,” Lauren Mann, Director of Advancement at McKamey Animal Center said. “We established the MAC Cares Fund and we were able to use those generous donations to get the ball rolling on creating this concept of partnering with another agency in town (MetMin).”
The MAC Cares Fund helps families struggling with low income keep their four-legged friends. The Fund provides low-income families and individuals with pet supplies, veterinary care, temporary boarding assistance, vaccines, spay and neutering, pet deposit assistance, and many other resources that could help someone keep their pets.
According to McKamey Animal Center, the Cares Fund has helped more than forty-five families and their beloved pets stay together by providing temporary boarding for cats and dogs, thousands of meals, and connections with life-changing agencies.
Within a year, the MAC Care Fund has raised over $100,000 that has been used throughout the community.
“We believe that pets are family members just like any other person is and we want to do whatever we can to keep those families intact,” Mann said.
The center provides pet food, supplies, and weekly vaccine and microchip clinics. While the center does not provide veterinary care for the MAC Cares Fund, Mckamey Animal Center will continue to.
To learn more about the MAC Cares Fund and the MAC C.A.R.E.S Center, visit https://mckameyanimalcenter.org/
Meet the Storytellers
David Harman is a Senior at UTC studying communication with a minor in professional writing. Harman has written for the UTC Echo and runs an automotive blog, Student Driven, highlighting his writing and photography skills. Harman enjoys telling stories and capturing moments. To get in contact with Harman, email him at kxp957@mocs.utc.edu.
Noah Camacho, a Junior communication major with a minor in marketing studying at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Serves as a staff photographer at the University Echo and is also a member of UTC’s Rising Rock program. He is passionate about capturing moments throughout the Chattanooga community and campus life through photojournalism. He aspires to one day pursue a career in journalism with hopes to travel to different countries and document people and their cultures. You can reach Noah by email at dkl677@mocs.utc.edu.
Ethan Johnson is a senior pursuing a degree in communications with a minor in art history at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Johnson works as a staff photographer with the UTC Echo, specifically at UTC football games. He is also doing work for Rising Rock. He has a
passion for life and capturing its ordinary and non ordinary moments. After college, Ethan’s goal is to work in Chattanooga. To contact Ethan, email him at vsn613@mocs.utc.edu.
Alex Newton is a junior at UTC majoring in communication and minoring in psychology. He is currently a staff photographer for the University Echo. Newton utilizes his passion for photojournalism to tell stories that impact people across the community in a way that gives the viewer a unique perspective. Newton is a freelance concert photographer on the side and he hopes to share his passion in the professional world through multimedia storytelling. For questions and inquiries, reach out to alex@newtonius.com.
Olivia Smith is a senior communication major currently working as a staff feature writer and photographer for the University Echo. Smith is passionate about feature writing and excels in finding extraordinary stories within ordinary people’s lives. Smith is driven, hard-working, and energetic. She hopes to continue sharing amazing stories through journalism after graduation. To contact her, please reach out to qpq455@mocs.utc.edu