PRIORITY AUTOMOTIVE TO HELP HUNDREDS OF SHELTER PETS FIND HOMES DURING THE HOLIDAYS

For the 12th straight year, Priority Automotive is teaming up with local animal shelters to find homes for shelter pets during the holiday season.

Starting December 5,​ ​Priority will pay half of the adoption fees at four area shelters to help families and individuals reduce the initial cost of bringing a new pet home. Priority has committed $40,000 to the
effort. The program will continue through New Year’s, or until the funds run out.

“Finding homes for shelter pets during the holidays has become a Priority family tradition,” said Priority Automotive President Dennis Ellmer. “These wonderful animals need homes, and there are many loving homes across Hampton Roads ready to make them part of their family.”

COVID-19 restrictions have led to some changes this year. At the Peninsula SPCA, adoptive families are asked to make online appointments and schedule a time to see adoptable pets at the shelter.

Participating shelter locations are as follows:
Virginia Beach SPCA – 3040 Holland Road
Norfolk SPCA – 916 Ballentine Boulevard
Chesapeake Animal Services – 2100 S. Military Highway
Peninsula SPCA – 523 J Clyde Morris Blvd.

ABOUT PRIORITY AUTOMOTIVE
Priority Automotive was founded in 1999 by Dennis Ellmer with the acquisition of Chevrolet and Toyota
dealerships in Chesapeake, Virginia. Today, Priority owns and operates 18 dealerships and numerous collision repair centers throughout Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia, representing 10 brands –
Acura, BraunAbility, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota. Priority has
more than 200,000 Priorities for Life customers throughout Virginia and employs more than 2,000
people. For more information, visit PriorityAuto.com.

In the last few years, we have noticed more and more owner surrender requests due to a temporary circumstance.  We have had families that found themselves in between housing situations after being laid off from their job and they had no place for their pets to stay while they searched for new lodging. We had instances of individuals being hospitalized and no one to care for their pet.  One couple was being forced to surrender their dog because it was a couple pounds over the weight limit at their apartment complex.  The reasons varied but they all had the same thing in common.  They were dealing with some type of temporary challenge and they were facing the heart-wrenching decision to surrender their pet. It became very clear that we needed to do something to help these people keep their pets.  From this need “Safekeepers” was born. 

In just six months we had already helped ten pets with temporary shelter, food, and medical care.  They received vaccinations and spay/neuter surgery prior to being returned to their owners.  We are here to help pets AND their people. We have found there is a definite need in our community for this type of emergency sheltering.

We hope to continue growing this program in order to meet our community’s needs. 

Safekeepers wouldn’t be possible without the support from our partners The Petco Foundation and the Karie Ermatinger Family who supported our efforts from the very beginning.  Their support has ensured that we could keep these pets safe and return them to their owners in order to preserve the pet and people bond they have formed with their families.  We know this is just the beginning of many bonds that will not be broken due to a temporary circumstance. 

If you are interested in supporting the Peninsula SPCA’s Safekeepers program please e-mail megan@peninsulaspca.org

Saturday Morning Camps at the Peninsula SPCA

October 28, 2017

November 18, 2017

December 16, 2017

9:00am to 12:00pm – Grades 2-5

Cost: $20 per session

Join us for three hours of fun time with the Humane Ed and Barnyard animals, visit with the shelter pets, and enjoy some fun crafts and hands-on activities!

Register Now

Join us Saturday, August 6, 2-5pm at Peninsula Fine Arts Center

A project benefiting PFAC and the Peninsula SPCA

Tickets: $35 for Humans, Pets are free.

Event features: afternoon barbecue, raffle prizes, on-site pet portraits, gourmet pet snacks, cash bar with beer and wine.

See unique dog houses, cat condos, rabbit hutches, bird houses, chicken coops, and pet furniture, designed and built by local builders, architects, artists, and students!

Entries will be featured in the RAISE THE WOOF silent auction and sold to benefit PFAC and the Peninsula SPCA. Entries will also be eligible for cash prizes totaling $1000, selected by our celebrity judges. Each entry submission receives 2 tickets to the event!

More event info!

Call for Raise the Woof Entries

Entry Guidelines

cnu bingo

The birds were chirping and the sun was shining- it was a perfect day for the SPCA Egg Hunt! The 2^nd Annual SPCA Easter Egg Hunt was on Saturday, April 12, 2014. In attendance were nearly 200 children and their parents, representing the largest number of people to be in the Petting Zoo at one time. Additional parking was available thanks to Hampton Roads Crane & Rigging and Richmond Steel. At the event, children could take pictures with the “Easter Puppy”, snack on baked-goods from the bake sale, and of course, hunt for eggs. The SPCA Easter Egg Hunt took place in the petting zoo- animals and all! Alongside our goats and llama, children looked high and low for colorful Easter eggs, which were hidden throughout the entire barnyard. Fitting with the theme, the even cow from the Chick-Fila-A at Christopher Newport made an appearance. Every child received a goody bag filled with candy, free petting zoo passes, and items from the YMCA, Newport News Libraries, and Rebounderz. With a registration fee of just $5 per child, the Easter Egg Hunt raised $1,001 for the homeless animals of the Peninsula. On July 1, the Peninsula SPCA will become an “Adoption Guarantee shelter” and will rely solely on donations and support from the surrounding community. Save the date for next year’s egg hunt: March 28, 2015!