The Purple Paw Society
When Sonia Young, Chattanooga’s Purple Lady, passed away on December 22, 2022, McKamey Animal Center lost one of its oldest and dearest advocates. Sonia was instrumental in the creation of McKamey Animal Center, and served MAC and its mission, Saving Animals, Helping People, every day. She often called her dog Cheerio, adopted from MAC, her “McKamey Miracle,” but to us she was a miracle in her own right.
In Sonia’s memory, we are honored to launch MAC’s new Purple Paw Society, designed to keep Sonia’s commitment to the animals alive by supporting a new and innovative program expansion every year. This new giving society is something that Sonia always envisioned and shared with our staff on many occasions.
The Purple Paw Society is established in Sonia’s memory as an annual support fund for MAC’s life-saving work, program expansions and much more. Each year, as you renew your commitment, the program you are supporting will change dependent upon the needs of MAC.
This year’s commitments to the Purple Paw Society will support a new sensory enrichment garden and memorial garden at MAC. Designed to give MAC’s animals a place to roam, explore and just enjoy life, we know Sonia would have been thrilled to learn of this new initiative. As one of only a handful of shelters around the county with such a garden, this project is sure to keep MAC at the forefront of innovation and will help to enrich the lives of the thousands of animals who will walk through MAC’s doors for years to come.
Requirements & Purple Paw Perks
- Special communications (e-mail, letters, etc.) just for members.
- Special invitations to exclusive special events.
- Insider updates on internal programs and projects at MAC that you are helping to support.
- A special gift for joining the Purple Paw Society.
- All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of U.S. Law.
- Your name, if you so desire, displayed on our Purple Paw Society Wall Display in our lobby outside the entry to our Community Room.
- And more!
- A minimum commitment donation of $1,000.
- Gifts must be renewed on an annual basis to maintain Purple Paw Society member status.
- Donations can be made online by clicking the “Join” button on this webpage, by mailing a check to our Center, or by stopping by the Center in person.
2024 Project: The New Life-Saving Medical Isolation Wing Renovation Campaign
We are excited to announce the 2024 Purple Paw Society giving project, the launch of a new lifesaving effort aimed at transforming a critical space within our shelter…. The New Life-Saving Medical Isolation Wing Renovation Campaign.
Parvovirus, or parvo, is a highly contagious and often fatal disease among puppies and dogs, and poses a significant threat to the well-being of our furry friends and those who reside within the shelter. As it stands now, we do not have space to provide isolated, supportive medical care and risk infecting our entire population within the shelter. The risk is simply too great, and it’s something that breaks our hearts every time a parvo positive puppy or dog comes to our doors. We want to change this. We want to save more lives. With your help, we believe we can.
Creating this dedicated space, equipped with new medical equipment, kennels and resources to effectively treat and combat this deadly virus will cost the Center roughly $150,000. That’s why we need our Purple Paw Society members like you, now more than ever. Your 2024 giving as a Society member will directly support this critical lifesaving project.
Your 2024 Annual Support Will Ensure:
- Enhanced Treatment Facility: Your donation will enable us to upgrade our facilities with specialized equipment and resources tailored to the unique needs of parvo-infected puppies and dogs, ensuring they receive the highest quality care possible, helping them to fight off this deadly virus.
- Expert Medical Care: Your support will help us recruit and retain skilled medical staff who specialize in treating parvo, ensuring that every infected puppy and dog receives the supportive care and attention they deserve.
- Increased Capacity: With your help, we can expand our capacity to treat a greater number of parvo cases simultaneously, saving more lives in the process.
- Education and Prevention: Your donation will support educational initiatives aimed at raising awareness about parvovirus, its symptoms, and preventive measures within our community, ultimately reducing the prevalence of this devastating yet preventable disease.
Have a question about The Purple Paw Society? Please email MAC Director of Advancement, Lauren Mann at directorofadvancement@mckameyanimalcenter.org or call (423) 305-6500 x8.
Past Projects Supported by The Purple Paw Society
2023: The MAC Memorial & Reflection Gardens
In 2023, thanks to our special Purple Paw Society members and donors, MAC was able to give the front of our Adoptions Entrance a face lift and provide a space of solitude and reflection for all pet lovers in our community. The community-centric garden boasts gorgeous shrubs, and flowering native plants, an arbor, and a quaint spot to sit and reflect. Those who wish to support the upkeep of the garden and the Center can order a personalized stone. Thank you again to those who helped to make this garden a possibility!
Contact Us
McKamey Animal Center
4500 N. Access Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37415
(423) 305-6500
McKamey Animal Center was founded in 2008, serving the pets and people of the cities of Chattanooga, Red Bank and Lakesite, Tennessee. MAC is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization.
