Pet Save thrift shop moves to bigger location in Sudbury

Sudbury -

Pet Save in Sudbury is a not-for-profit charity that helps over 1,000 animals every year, and caring for the rescued cats and dogs is very costly.

To cover those expenses, it operates a thrift shop that is on the move to a new location.

'It's big and bright'

The new store, located at 685 Notre Dame Avenue, is just down the street from the former location and is triple the size.

"Now with the new location, we are able to carry 2-3 times our inventory and we also have space to now do small furniture. So we are excited to open on June 14 and we are hopeful for even a few days early," said Jill Pessot, Pet Save's director.

One room is holiday-themed featuring all seasons, all year.

The store is staffed by volunteers who said it offers customers a unique shopping experience.

"We don't get government grants, funding, anything like that. So by donation, this is a great way for people to clear out their house, help at the same time. So it's a win-win. People love thrifting. They love to find a good treasure, a good deal," said Kari Fabiilli, a Pet Save volunteer.

The thrift shop is the major income generator for the charity which operates on a budget of over $600,000 annually to cover vet, food, and operational costs.

"With this third lockdown, Pet Save is down about $100,000 in the third lockdown - which is a big impact to us. So our volunteers run this store and this drives our revenue and it's really hurt us this year with the number of lockdowns and the extent of this one. This one has gone on longer than anticipated," Pessot said.

The thrift store generates over $250,000 a year and the charity expects to double that with the bigger store.

Donations are welcome by contacting Pet Save on social media to make an appointment.