SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — It’s not something most people get to see every day, but when they do, it often brings a smile to their face.
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, a 27-foot-long hotdog on wheels, has been making its way through South Padre Island this week.
The iconic Wienermobile made a visit to Friends of Animal Rescue (FOAR) on Thursday for an adoption and fundraising event.
According to FOAR Director of Operations Sherry Pindard, more than 300 people visited the event.
“The reaction has been unbelievable. So many people are excited and it’s people of all ages,” she said. “There’s people in their 90s visiting to see and get their picture taken with the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.”
FOAR is raising funds for a new animal recovery center and animal shelter that will be built next door to its current facility, which is located at 4908 Padre Blvd.
Shelter design
The main floor will provide housing of adoptable pets, intakes in isolation, animal quarantine and bite case quarantine.
There will also be a play area for adoptable dogs, an open roaming room for cats, meet and greet rooms, ADA bathrooms, office space and an outdoor holding area for wildlife.
The second floor will have a dog grooming station, doggy daycare, office space, storage, laundry facilities, staff lounge and a shower area.
According to personnel, the goal with this floor is to offer services that will better the lives of Island residents and their pets because the shelter receives a minimum of 20 calls per week asking about doggy daycare and boarding.
Shelter personnel said this will also provide additional income for FOAR.
The third floor will have an after hours veterinary clinic, spay and neuter surgery area and two condos.
One condo will be for the after hours veterinarian and the other will be a rental property for additional income.
There will also be a sleeping area for staff in case they are needed during an animal emergency, hurricane or when there are traffic issues.
“We were hoping to break ground in 2021, but COVID put a little halt on it so right now the new goal is to break ground in 2022,” Pindard said. “Mid next year, we’re hoping to start construction on the new building. We already purchased the land.”
According to Pindard, the shelter currently has 27 cats and seven dogs that are available for adoption.
“The last four weeks have been fantastic with adoptions,” she said. “The numbers vary all the time and we actually have an average of 800 coming through our shelter annually that we care for.”
Pindard said if anyone would like to support FOAR and make a donation, there are several ways they can.
“They can via PayPal, call us, or mail us a check and we would truly appreciate all of the support because we are the voice for the animals,” she said.
For more information about the shelter, visit www.spifriendsofanimalrescue.com.
