McKamey Animal center offers help to victims of domestic violence by providing shelter to their pets while they seek shelter themselves. McKamey has been supporting victims of domestic violence since 2015 when they received a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga to provide kennels for emergency boarding and medical care to pets of those escaping a violent situation. Since 2015 MAC has sheltered and provided assistance to over 122 animals from these type situations.
Officials said, "According to the CDC, one in four women and one in seven men will experience physical violence by their intimate partner at some point during their lifetimes. About one in three women and nearly one in six men experience some form of sexual violence during their lifetimes. In Hamilton County it was recently reported there was an increase in domestic violence cases when comparing March 2019 to March 2020 during COVID19 stay-at-home orders.
"For some abuse victims, the decision to save their own lives becomes much more difficult when they have pets at home. Many victims say they 'would have left much sooner' if they knew they could protect their pets."
"No one in our community should ever feel as though they had to stay in a violent home because they fear for their pets' safety and lives if they were to leave--we are here for them and to protect their pets," said Jamie McAloon, executive director.
For more information, contact McKamey Animal Center at 423-305-6506 or 423-305-6500 ext 200; the local domestic abuse hotline with Partnership for Families, Children and Adults at 423-755-2700 or the national hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).