Oct. 1—SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. — Car enthusiasts showcased their treasures on a sun-splashed Sunday afternoon to help provide animals with access to critical care.
More than 140 cars were sprawled across the grounds of Redline Truck and Trailer during the Mutts and Motors Car Show to benefit the neighboring Griffin Pond Animal Shelter's new veterinary clinic.
Sherry Crolly, the shelter development director, expected the organization to bring in more than $2,000 through the event. The funding will allow animals to be treated inside the facility, cutting down on exorbitant costs, she said.
"We'll be able to spay and neuter our own animals, do dental work, and we have an X-ray and ultrasound machine, so we'll be able to do a lot of in-house (procedures) instead of going outside where the cost is triple," Crolly said.
Crolly added the shelter aims to eventually open the clinic to the public for low-cost spay and neuter,
vaccines and checkups, but noted that's likely months away.
Ashley Wolo Ottaviani, Griffin Pond's executive director, stressed the community's support is vital to making the clinic a reality.
"The turnout was amazing," she said. "It's expensive to start something like that but we look at the big picture and the long-term goals. We already started doing surgeries on our own animals."
The ability to perform procedures on site proves critical in many circumstances, Wolo Ottaviani said.
"There are situations we're in sometimes where it's literally life and death if we have to drive far away to receive veterinary care," she said. "Having it right at our fingertips is the most perfect situation."
Wolo Ottaviani appreciates the thoughtfulness from Redline officials who graciously provided a space for the car show.
"They offered up their property, which was the perfect location," she said. "It's right down the road from the shelter, so we were able to have staff and volunteers walk a lot of our adoptable dogs over here. It got them a lot of exposure."
Patrick Miller, general manager of Redline Truck and Trailer, praised the valuable work done by the shelter's employees.
"They're helping so many animals over there," he said. "We see them walking the dogs all the time and we let them walk up here. Anything we can do to help them, we do."
Among those in attendance were Bill Briefs, 70, of Old Forge, and his wife, Joan. The couple showed off their 1956 Ford Thunderbird purchased six years ago to fulfill a longtime wish.