Photo and Story by Rick Hiduk
Bradford County Humane Society director Jennifer Spencer (left) and community outreach coordinator Megan Snell hold “Pete” and “Penny” at the recent meeting of the Bradford County Commissioners. The friendly strays were selected as this year’s mascot for the Shop for Pete and Penny campaign.
A relatively short agenda for the Oct. 31 meeting of the Bradford County Commissioners provided ample time for the commissioners and others in attendance to get to know this year’s mascots for the annual Shop for Pete and Penny campaign. The board officially acknowledged Nov. 3 to 9 as National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week.
The Bradford County Humane Society (BCHS) traditionally marks the occasion by conducting a supplies drive. Shelter director Jennifer Spencer and community outreach coordinator Megan Snell provided details of the fundraiser and brought a Chihuahua/beagle mix named Penny and a domestic short-hair cat named Pete to the meeting at the courthouse in Towanda. Both are strays who were rescued with siblings, and both are available for adoption.
From Sunday to Saturday, Nov. 3 to 9, supporters can visit any Tops Market in Bradford County and purchase items from the BCHS wish list to help the shelter. Some of the needed items include non-clumping cat litter, kitten food, puppy chow, cat food and dog food (both canned and dry), laundry detergent, dishwashing soap, bleach for cleaning, 40/50 gallon garbage bags, collars and leashes, latex gloves and sponges for cleaning.
The local recognition of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week will culminate with a six-hour event at Tops Markets in the Bradford Towne Center shopping plaza in Wysox Township. BCHS personnel will be on hand to meet supporters from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This is the 16th year that the agency has held the event.
In a press release, Spencer described the Shop for Pete and Penny campaign as a “great way for those that maybe can’t adopt an animal right now to still be able to help out our shelter and to shop for our homeless and abandoned animals.”
To learn more about BCHS and to see photos of available pets, interested readers can log on to bradfordchs.blogspot.com.