LEHIGH VALLEY, PA— The only thing better than a can of mead is a can of mead with your next furry companion on it.
The Colony Meadery - a Lehigh Valley producer of the gluten-free craft beverage, mead - has teamed up with two Philadelphia area shelters by putting images of adoptable dogs and cats on their next can release.
The shelters, Providence Animal Center and the Brandywine Valley SPCA, were connected to the meadery via their shared relationship with the Rights to Ricky Sanchez, a podcast about the Philadelphia 76ers hosted by Spike Eskin and Mike Levin.
"Our podcast is really about two things; basketball and dogs,” said Eskin. “When the basketball is bad, the dogs are always good. We're so proud to partner with Colony Meadery, Providence Animal Center and Brandywine Valley SPCA to raise awareness, and help find some pets forever homes."
Inspired by similar efforts by Fargo Brewing Company and Motorworks Brewing, Eskin made the connection, and a shared love of animals took care of the rest.
“We were thrilled to be able to steal this incredible idea from the breweries who came up with it,” said Colony Meadery CEO Greg Heller-LaBelle. “We know seeing these faces on cans will help these good boys and girls find their forever homes.”
“We love the passion the folks at Colony Meadery have for rescue,” said Adam Lamb, BVSPCA CEO. “It’s creative initiatives like this that make the biggest difference in raising awareness for adoption and saving more lives.”
“Providence Animal Center is honored to have our pets featured on Colony Meadery’s cans,” said Justina Calgiano, Director of Advancement & Public Relations at Providence Animal Center. "This sort of collaboration helps us reach a larger population of potential adopters, ones who may have never considered adoption. In essence, these cans are truly lifesaving.”
As part of the efforts to raise awareness, the first 76 purchasers of a case will receive a poster “signed” by one of the pets of the Meadery’s management team. Tucker, Monkey and Disraeli were not available for comment, but are assumed to be grudgingly on board with the stunt.
The cans will be released online March 16 at bit.ly/colonyship, and released to the public on March 20 at the Meadery’s Allentown Location at 905 Harrison St Suite 115 Allentown, PA 18103. A portion of the proceeds from can sales will benefit the shelter partners.
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About the Colony Meadery: The Colony Meadery's mission is to produce the boldest and most innovative meads in the world. Since 2013, they have been making award-winning gluten-free honey-based beverages that burst with flavor. They have locations in Allentown, Bethlehem and Scranton, and are available on shelves in four states. For more information: colonymeadery.com
About the Providence Animal Center: Providence Animal Center (PAC), formerly the Delco SPCA, is a lifesaving nonprofit animal welfare organization. Since 2010, PAC has found homes for over 34,000 cats and dogs. PAC’s adoption center and low-cost wellness clinic are located at 555 Sandy Bank Road, in Media, PA. To learn more about PAC’s lifesaving mission and meet animals available for adoption, visit ProvidenceAC.org.
About the Brandywine Valley SPCA: Founded in 1929, the Brandywine Valley SPCA is the first open admission no-kill shelter in Pennsylvania and Delaware. In 2019, the BVSPCA cared for more than 13,000 stray, owner-surrendered, wayward owned, and abused and neglected animals while achieving a 96% live release rate. The BVSPCA provides animal protective services for Chester County and much of Delaware County in Pennsylvania, and it holds a five-year contract with the Delaware Office of Animal Welfare to provide state-wide animal services for dogs. Animals are placed through three adoption centers: the West Chester Campus, the New Castle Campus, and the Georgetown Campus. In addition, the BVSPCA provides families with safety net and low-cost veterinary services at its three clinic locations: the Malvern Animal Health Center, the New Castle Animal Health Center, and the Georgetown Animal Health Center. The BVSPCA also operates the Animal Rescue Center (ARC), a facility dedicated to helping animals with additional needs prior to being ready for adoption, such as cruelty cases, disaster victims, and infants. bvspca.org.
About the Rights to Ricky Sanchez: The Rights to Ricky Sanchez is the only dog-focused podcast about the Philadelphia 76ers sponsored by a gluten-free alcoholic beverage made from honey. Rightstorickysanchez.com.
