Every year, the Pet Walk in downtown St. Petersburg is the biggest fundraiser for SPCA Tampa Bay, an annual celebration of furry loved ones. To jump start this year’s fundraiser, the for-all shelter is hosting a massive kickoff party at OCC Road House & Museum on Sunday, February 5 from 11 am – 1 pm, complete with free food and drinks inside the massive restaurant and motorcycle museum.
The kickoff party is free to attend, though guests must RSVP (and include names of anyone coming with them) by emailing [email protected]. In addition to the food, drink and games, the first 75 people will also receive swag for stopping by. For those who will participate in the 2023 Pet Walk on April 15, SPCA Tampa Bay will also use the event as an opportunity to share helpful fundraising tips and tricks.
While walking through downtown with hundreds of animals is the fun part of Pet Walk, it’s the sponsorship of teams and individuals that helps SPCA Tampa Bay raise the much-needed funding. Participants are able to join the walk either with a team or as an individual, and then recruit others to join their team or sponsor their walk. And to make it easy for those who simply want to give, you can donate directly to the fundraiser through their website. This year’s Pet Walk will actually take place in two locations on Saturday, April 15, with one at OCC Road House and another in North Straub Park, both at 8:30 am.
For those unfamiliar, OCC Road House & Museum opened in 2021 at 10575 49th Street North, bringing a massive new restaurant, entertainment venue and attraction based on Paul Teutul’s wildly popular Orange County Chopper brand.
Beyond the motorcycle showcases, OCC Road House has delivered a huge menu full of filling eats. Starters like fried frog legs, gator tail and carnitas nachos are joined by a long list of pizzas, burgers, smoked meats, salads and southern-style sides.
SPCA Tampa Bay welcomes all
Part of what makes supporting SPCA Tampa Bay so important is that they are Tampa Bay’s only For-All shelter, meaning they will take in any animal regardless of health, breed, age or other factors. As a result, the animal shelter in Largo is not only home to cats and dogs, but rabbits, mice, iguanas, birds, pigs, goats and much more. The center welcomes injured or ailing wild animals, as well, and treats them before returning them to the wild. On top of all that, the SPCA Veterinary Center in St. Pete provides stellar pet health care and services for dogs and cat.
SPCA Tampa Bay’s mission is to transform the lives of animals through passionate collaboration with the community, in order to create a community where every animal matters. Adoptions volunteers work to match families with animals that are a good fit with the family’s home, lifestyle and personalities. As part of their goal to welcome all animals, there is no time limit for an animal’s stay at the pet shelter, and every animal receives compassionate care, regardless of its breed or size.
Animals receive immunizations, medical care, behavior training, enrichment and loving care while they live at the animal shelter in Largo, and the animal adoption office is open from 1-6 pm Wednesday-Friday and 12-6 pm Saturday and Sunday. In addition to younger pets, SPCA Tampa Bay also has a Diamond Dogs program that offers special services and health screenings for any animal adopted over the age of seven.
Learn more at SPCATampaBay.org
