Chattanooga area animal shelters take financial hit, brace for increase in homeless pets amid COVID-19 pandemic

Veterinarian Care Administrator Christy Ha, kneeling left, veterinarian technician Jill Tokay, center, and veterinarian technician Christina Tate check Pooh Bear while canine caretaker Makayla Locke, back center, and Merridy Lloyd, right, watch at McKamey Animal Center on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Canine caretaker and behavior assessor Kayla Bleil works at the computer. Thirteen dogs, evacuated from Greenville, S.C., due to Hurricane Florence as part of McKamey's second trip, were triaged early this morning. All the dogs will be available for adoption in the coming weeks. Veterinarian Care Administrator Christy Ha, kneeling left, veterinarian technician Jill Tokay, center, and veterinarian technician Christina Tate check Pooh Bear while canine caretaker Makayla Locke, back center, and Merridy Lloyd, right, watch at McKamey Animal Center on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Canine caretaker and behavior assessor Kayla Bleil works at the computer. Thirteen dogs, evacuated from Greenville, S.C., due to Hurricane Florence as part of McKamey's second trip, were triaged early this morning. All the dogs will be available for adoption in the coming weeks.

By Rosana Hughes March 24, 2020 6 min read

With large gatherings banned, businesses closing and people losing income, animal shelters are taking a hard hit amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

McKamey Animal Center and the Humane Educational Society of Chattanooga collectively have lost about $200,000 in income due to canceled or postponed fundraisers ahead of another storm on the horizon: kitten season.

Every spring, the shelters fill up with kittens – and puppies, too – due to large litters being born, and many people begin in the spring to move around, since that’s the end of the school year.

Only this year, with the loss of income affecting so many, shelters, rescue groups and veterinary clinics are bracing for an even greater spike in homeless pets, and some are contemplating layoffs.

While there has been an initial drop in pet surrenders, “we really anticipate the biggest pressure on us is going to come in about two to three weeks when people, due to economic hardship, start moving and their animals become displaced because they have to move in with a family member or a friend,” said Jamie McAloon, executive director of McKamey Animal Center.