Steven Schillinger of Reno, NV, has worked as a collision repair industry consultant in different capacities for more than 40 years, as a compliance expert focusing on permits, license protection and record keeping.
As a member of the Government Regulatory Compliance (GRC) Board of Directors, Schillinger has tried to retire several times over the years but has failed miserably. He thought fishing and golf would be his activities after retirement, but discovered both are “boring,” he said. Losing his dog also created a void in his life.
During the COVID pandemic, Schillinger lost his beloved friend and canine mascot, George, at age 14, and it hit him hard. As a result, he began looking for a way for body shops and other auto repair businesses to help displaced pets.
Many people have been abandoning their pets during the pandemic by dumping them in the Nevada desert. When Schillinger kept seeing news stories about it, he decided to act, and that’s when he founded the Pet-Rescue-AutoShop.com campaign to help and promote animal rescue and shelter groups in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Pet-Rescue-AutoShop.com is an exclusive automotive aftermarket program in support of Adopt-a-Pet.com to help pets and people in local communities all over North America, and with auto repair facilities---including body shops---playing an integral role.
Approximately 7.6 million companion pets are surrendered to a shelter every year in the U.S. alone. That includes 4.2 million dogs abandoned---1.4 million of which are euthanized annually.
“Animals have no voice of their own, no social safety net and very few rights under the law,” Schillinger said. “They are vulnerable and, unfortunately, mistreated more often than most of us can even imagine. The Pet Rescue Campaign is focused on automotive service and repair shop owners in North America that has gained recognition with...
Ed Attanasio