Grieger's Motor Sales teamed up with Lakeshore PAWS to bring a dog adoption event to its dealership on Saturday, November 23. This is the first time that Grieger's Motor Sales hosted an event like this. Families who came into the shop were introduced to a dozen dogs from local animal shelters.
Nate Niswander, sales consultant at Grieger's Motor Sales, has been looking forward to hosting this adoption event at the dealership for several weeks.
“We had reached out to Lakeshore PAWS about sponsoring some dogs or doing something to help them out,” Niswander said. “It kind of turned into this event where everyone can come out and meet the dogs. Any dog that anybody goes home with, we’re going to pay for the adoption fees as well.”
When Niswander first brought this idea to the attention of the Grieger's Motor Sales team, everyone was on board with this collaborative effort between the dealership and Lakeshore PAWS.
“It was a super positive reaction all-around,” Niswander said. “Everybody here loves dogs and most of us are dog owners. Some of us even have dogs from Lakeshore PAWS, so this collaboration means a lot to us. Our slogan is that we’re community driven for community drivers. There’s a ton of dogs out there that need to be taken care of. We’re starting to get donations coming in as well and we’re grateful for the support.”
Kara Barney, social media coordinator for Lakeshore PAWS, echoed the same appreciation about this collaboration with Grieger's Motor Sales. With this being the first event like this that they’ve put together, the hope is that this can become a tradition to continue helping out the dogs.
“This is a great opportunity for us to get out in the community while working,” Barney said. “A lot of people might see pictures of dogs online from the shelter, but they can actually get an idea for who the dogs are in person. We love to engage with the community and events like this are an important way to do so.”
There’s nothing that puts a smile on Barney’s face more than a dog who finds its home, especially when the dog has patiently waited for the opportunity.
“It’s so incredibly rewarding to have an opportunity like this for the dogs," Barney said. “Some of them may sit in the shelter for a very long time until they finally come across their perfect fit. We had one dog that was there for about a year and a half until recently finding a home. It’s the best feeling and an emotional day for the dogs, us and the families who adopt them.”
While Lakeshore PAWS is based in Valparaiso, families in attendance were able to meet dogs from animal control services all throughout the Region. Along with Valparaiso, the dogs at this event also came from shelters in La Porte, Merrillville, Highland and Gary.
“We love to give the dogs a chance to get out of the shelter for a day and interact with people in a different environment,” Barney said. “You never know where a dog can cross paths with a family that decides to bring them home. We love to see how friendly and interactive they are with these families, especially the kids.”
For more information on Greiger Motor Sales or Lakeshore PAWS, you can visit their websites.