Two East Side businesses want to give back by supporting the Vancouver SPCA branch in any way they can, from fixing its service trucks to sponsoring fundraisers.
Art Hovanessian, owner of Art`s Automotive on Clark Drive, has been donating to the Vancouver SPCA ever since he got his family`s first puppy there nearly 15 years ago.
“I was so impressed with how dedicated the staff at the SPCA were towards the animals in their care. I decided I would try to help out with donations now and again,” Hovanessian said. “I want to contribute to my community in a positive way, and I believe in the work the SPCA does, from cruelty investigations, nursing sick animals back to health, to helping stray animals find good homes.”
The Vancouver SPCA held its annual pub fundraiser, now called Pints for Paws, at the Roxy Burger last night with Art’s Automotive and Bluestar Motors as the two main sponsors for the event.
Rob Libera, owner of Bluestar Motors and a pet owner who grew up on the East Side, said his strong connection to the neighbourhood paired with his love for animals means he contributes regularly to the Vancouver SPCA.
“There are all these charities out there for people, but I would like to have a voice for those who don’t have one,” Libera said. “We had a fundraiser party in January for the SPCA and I wanted to support that branch specifically to see where the money goes and to make sure it’s being used in the right ways.”
Vancouver SPCA branch manager Charlotte Ellice said that 100 per cent of proceeds for the event go to covering medical expenses for the animals. She said fundraisers like this are essential to the non-profit’s success.
“We are 100 per cent reliant on donations. People don’t realize that we aren’t government funded,” Ellice explained. “While we would like to be eventually, we aren’t there yet, but we are still expected to provide services for the community and we hope to continue to offer those services and support.”
The branch, located just down the street from the East Van cross on East Seventh Avenue, is the only one in Vancouver. Ellice says it takes in up to 180 animals per month including strays, owner surrender programs and through the Drive for Lives, a program that sees a truck of animals from rural branches get redistributed to the bigger cities every week, to increase their chance of adoption. Ellice said they are thankful to receive the support from the community, which comes in different forms.
“We have great community support. Art’s Auto has always been a huge supporter of the SPCA,” Ellice said. “He basically is our mechanic go-to guy. He fixes all our SPCA trucks for us and he donates to us every month. He is just a huge, huge animal lover.”
Hovanessian said he is happy to help and thinks that fundraising events like the Pints for Paws are great for getting many contributors on board at once, but noted other ways people can get involved with the cause.
“There is no shortage of animal lovers in this city, and it’s affordable for most folks to grab a burger and a beer for a good cause. It feels good to help, and I think every little bit does help. There are many ways to help the SPCA,” he said. “You can donate your time as a volunteer, donate what you can, when you can, or become a monthly contributor.”
