McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center is competing in the $100K ASPCA Challenge. McKamey staff from left are director of operations Paula C. Hurn, volunteer and rescue coordinator Tricia Sebes, Executive Director Karen Walsh and adoption and foster coordinator Amy Nelson.
Photo by Katie WardMcKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center ranks in the top 10 of 45 other animal shelters across the United States in the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals $100K Challenge. McKamey is also competing for the ASPCA $25,000 Community Engagement Award and needs community members to vote Oct. 15-31 in order to win.
“The shelter that has the best community engagement gets $25,000,” said McKamey Executive Director Karen Walsh. “The website is www.votetosavelives.org for the community. It does not matter where you are from, you can vote for us.”
Walsh said the $100K Challenge will be determined by ASPCA solely. McKamey must beat its fall numbers from last year by adopting out more animals, returning more to their owners, sending more animals to rescue groups and conducting more spay/neuter a stray and release. McKamey has adopted out 800 animals, but the goal is 1,085 adoptions by the end of October.
“Win or lose, it’s a positive because the community knows who and what we are and how to care for their animals,” said McKamey’s director of operations Paula C. Hurn.
Adopt a McKamey animal• McKamey’s adoption fees include one/two adult cats for $5 total; kittens for $10; dogs for $25; and puppies for $40. Small breed dogs are $150 due to popular demand.• Adopt a pet and save a life: View animals for adoption here.• Spay a stray: The cost for two females is $25 and males are free. To date, McKamey has performed more than 1,000.• ID your pet for life: McKamey offers $25 microchipping to identify a pet for life.• McKamey Animal Care and Adoption volunteers will be taking Girl Scouts door to door in the Chattanooga area Oct. 16 to fill out identification tags and give collars to homeowners whose pets need ID’s.Help McKamey win ASPCA Challenges• Vote for McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center Oct. 15-31 here.• Become a Fan. Follow McKamey’s ASPCA profile and become a fan on McKamey’s ASPCA Challenge Facebook page.
McKamey adoption and foster coordinator Amy Nelson said the fall is the “hardest time of year” to adopt out animals.
“We are not in the business to exterminate animals,” said Walsh. “We vaccinate, de-worm, put a micro chip in for ID purposes, do heart worm prevention, spay and neuter and evaluate behavior. We dropped the adoption price because it costs more to hold them. Turning them out quicker is better. It keeps the population at McKamey healthier.”
Walsh said McKamey gives families a collar and tag for their pet once the adoption is complete. One in three pets that enter shelters has proper identification. Many of these pets never make it back to their original home.
“People have been really supportive of McKamey,” said Walsh. “People don’t realize how rare it is to have a nice shelter like this in Chattanooga. We are fortunate to have government people that support animals.”