Home 4 Spot gets van

A 2005 Chevrolet van that was used to take customers from Findlay Chevrolet to various parts of the valley has become the godsend of a heartwarming group of animal lovers that concentrates on saving homeless dogs.

However, it took a teamwork effort on the part of a technician at the dealership along with the donation of the van to fill the need for A Home 4 Spot. When A Home 4 Spot volunteer Mandy Dawson mentioned to her husband and technician, Jason, that the group needed a van, help was on the way.

“Jason went to someone with the dealership and asked if the van could be donated,” said Diana England, who founded A Home 4 Spot in 2009. “They gave us an estimate of what it would take to fix the engine and we called Chuck Worrell and he wrote us a check to fix the engine, add new tires and clean up the van.

“Jason dedicated his time off to fix the engine. The van runs perfectly now. Before we got the van, I transported the dogs in my 2005 Hyundai. I cannot tell you how thankful we are for having the van.”

England’s group has certainly left its mark since the group was started.

“We have saved about 2,000 dogs of all kinds from the smallest to the biggest,” England said. “Just in 2013, we spent $78,000 on medical bills for the dogs that we have rescued.”

The van is heavily used every day taking the dogs to various sites such as veterinarians Spencer Springs Animal Hospital in Henderson and Island Pet Hospital on the north side.

“It takes a team effort, for sure,” she said. “Just inputting the information into a computer is a full-time job. When the economy crashed in 2008, another crisis was created because of the pets that were left behind. I would estimate that we lost more than 140,000 dogs in the past several years.”

To find homes for the dogs, England’s group visits various locations such as PetSmart stores at 9775 W. Charleston Blvd. and Hualapai Way along with another at Stephanie Street and Warm Springs Road in Henderson.

The group also takes the dogs to Tivoli Village at Alta Drive and Rampart Boulevard the first Sunday of each month for pet adoption events.

Rebecca Grigsby, who is manager of the PetSmart on West Charleston Boulevard, praised England’s group.

“They do a great job,” Grigsby said. “We love having them in our store and really appreciate what they do for homeless dogs.”

“We’re going to be putting a lot of miles on this van,” said England, who has lived in Las Vegas for 53 years. “But with the new engine and the rest of the improvements, we’re in great shape. It’s all good.”

Spearheaded by General Manager Jamaal McCoy, Findlay Chevrolet is at 6800 S. Torrey Pines Drive just south of the 215 Beltway and is part of Findlay Automotive Group founded more than 50 years ago by the late Pete Findlay, whose son, Cliff, heads dealerships in Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Idaho.

For more information on Findlay Chevrolet, call 702-982-4100 or visit www.findlayChevy.com.

For more information on A Home 4 Spot, call England at 702-239-7986 or visit www.ahome4spot.com.