An animal shelter in Tennessee has gone above and beyond for one of its furry residents, not only by reuniting her with her owner but also by helping the owner overcome her difficult financial situation.
On Jan. 24, 2022, the McKamey Animal Center in Chattanooga welcomed a new dog that had been found wandering the streets. A good Samaritan brought the dog to the center, where they found a note attached to her collar, written by her owner. It read:
“Please keep my name. My name is Lilo. Please love me. My mom can’t keep me and is homeless with 2 kids. 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 loved to be loved on. Please don’t abuse me.”
The center uploaded a photo of Lilo on its Facebook page, along with a message to her owner.
“We want you to know she is safe, and we will take the very best care of her. She will be loved by our staff and volunteers, we will keep her name, and we promise you we will do our best to find her a wonderful new home. But if you are reading this, we hope you will come forward to reclaim her. We will help you with whatever you need to care for her, to the best of our ability. Lilo definitely misses you, and we would like nothing more than to see her go back to the family she loves. Either way, please know that we understand, we will not judge, and we are here to help in any way we can,” the center wrote.
Soon, the center edited its post with some good news: the owner had been located!
After finding Lilo’s owner, the McKamey Animal Center uploaded a heartwarming photo of their reunion with the caption:
“We are actively working with the family to set them up with a safe haven, shelter, and resources to stay together and tackle homelessness. We are thankful for everyone who has advocated for the family, and shared our post.” The shelter added it was working with non-profit agencies to “find long-term solutions for their situation.”
Lilo’s story struck a chord with so many across the internet, leading to an outpouring of support and offers of donations for the family.
“Many of you have asked about a Go-Fund-Me campaign or other ways to directly support the family financially – that’s not something we here at McKamey can facilitate, ultimately that will be up to Lilo’s mom, but please know that finances will not be a barrier to any of the services MAC provides to them,” it wrote, and added Lilo’s story helped it come up with a new venture to help more animals in need.
“Sadly, we know that there are many other families in similar situations who don’t have this outpouring of love and support. For them, and in Lilo’s honor, we have decided to establish a fund dedicated to preventing as many families as possible from being separated from their beloved pets. Donations made to this new fund, tentatively called The MAC Cares Fund, will help people and their pets stay together when homelessness and financial hardship loom by providing things like pet deposits for housing, temporary boarding of animals, food, supplies and essential veterinary care, and more.”
The center also had some encouraging parting words: “If Lilo’s story moved you, please consider being a hero for a homeless animal (or family!) in your local community. ❤️”
McKamey Animal Center
about a year ago
Edit: Lilo’s mom has been located and we are working with the family. Please see our most recent post for further information.
A Note To Lilo’s Mom:
Lilo arrived at MAC a few days ago after a Good Samaritan found her wandering with her leash still attached, likely near where you left her. We are so sorry that you had to make the decision to leave her behind. We know many folks are struggling to care for their pets right now. We know how hard it must be to give up an animal you so clearly loved because you can’t provide the care she needs. We understand.
We want you to know she is safe, and we will take the very best care of her. She will be loved by our staff and volunteers, we will keep her name, and we promise you we will do our best to find her a wonderful new home. But if you are reading this, we hope you will come forward to reclaim her. We will help you with whatever you need to care for her, to the best of our ability. Lilo definitely misses you, and we would like nothing more than to see her go back to the family she loves. Either way, please know that we understand, we will not judge, and we are here to help in any way we can.
Edit: We would like to add that we are well connected with resources and agencies who are ready and willing to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
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Lilo was found with the note pictured here attached to her collar. While we understand what and why Lilo’s mom did what she did, we wish that she had come to us first for resources and help. We’re here to help and we want to see people and their pets stay together, no matter the circumstance.
We offer a community pet food pantry for when times are tough, low-cost (and sometimes free!) vaccines, microchips, and spay/neuter services. We also have lots of self-rehoming resources available for situations like these – you can see them here: mckameyanimalcenter.org/rehome-a-pet/ .
We want Chattanooga to be a community where pets are truly family, not just for the economically privileged, but for everyone. That means reaching out a hand of support to your neighbors, donating to emergency care funds like MAC’s Angel Fund, spreading the word about low-cost and free services, and supporting the lifesaving work MAC and other local organizations are doing every day. Please understand that as hard as we try, MAC cannot do it all alone, we need the community’s support — we need your support. ❤️
Please do NOT abandon your pet! Abandoning an animal is illegal, but more importantly, it should never have to be an option. We thank you for all your ongoing support, and appreciate the patience and kindness many of you have shown us during this national sheltering crisis. If you need help with your pet, please call us at (423) 305-6500 or visit our website for resources at www.mckameyanimalcenter.org .
We have an incredible update about Lilo to share with you all….her owner has been found!
While we can’t share a lot of the details with you yet, we are actively working with the family to set them up with a safe haven, shelter, and resources to stay together and tackle homelessness. We are thankful for everyone who has advocated for the family, and shared our post. We are amazed at the outpouring of support. It truly takes a community, and you all have certainly shown us how powerful ours is – thank you so much.
If Lilo’s story moved you, please consider being a hero for a homeless animal (or family!) in your local community. ❤️
Were you touched by Lilo’s story, too? Do you have a pet you would be devastated to part with? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to all the animal lovers you know.
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