Mayer has melded a unique and multi-faceted writing style, a distinctive voice, and inspired musicianship to create compelling and accessible music that is electrifying in live performance. Mayer has culled influences from his childhood in India that ranged from traditional Indian music to The Beatles, and from his studying and teaching Jazz guitar at Webster University in St. Louis, MO. Add the many years that he has shared the stage with Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, James Taylor, Mac McAnally, Sonny Landreth, Don Henley and others, and you begin to trace the musical storyline of the Peter Mayer Group.

Each December, the Peter Mayer Group embarks on its Christmas Tour, Stars and Promises. For many, these 16 or 17 performances kick off the Christmas-Holiday season and have become both a thrilling and meaningful part of their celebration. These performances feature a collection of original and traditional Christmas music played by an expanded musical cast that include guest artists such as noted Native Flute player Mark Holland, local children’s and bell choirs in select areas, and the beautiful scenery and sonic presentation brought on board by the production of Chad Stewart and Stewart Sound.

The Stars and Promises tour has continued to grow, seeing frequent sellout crowds since its inception in 2000. In 2010, the group rang in the holiday season with its most ambitious tour to date, celebrating its tenth anniversary with a tour that thrilled audiences across the country.

A favorite part of the evening for the audiences is the Meet and Greet after each performance. “I don’t believe music in live performance is just a process of rolling into town, playing a show for the people, taking a bow, and then rolling out again,” says Mayer. “I believe each time we, the musicians, play we should be part of the audience of those who came for a one-night-only experience, and I consider the audience to be a part of the band in the sense that they take the music in and give it back to us with their unique energy, making it come alive in a brand new way each time.“

Due to the Meet and Greet seating is limited, so log onto http://peteyspromise.org/shop/en/45-stars-and-promises-concert.html for tickets before Petey sells them all!

You can still access the system using the following methods:

1. From the 04.18.10 section of the News Archives
2. From the footer of most pages on the Petey’s Promise website
3. By visiting the link at http://peteyspromise.clickbook.net

The user experience on ClickBook is much friendlier and easier than it was on GenBook, but please let us know if you have any questions or problems by emailing us at peteyspromise@gmail.com.

2.) Failure to Spay or Neuter a New Cat – The overwhelming cat population problem society faces is reason alone to spay and neuter. Add the medical problems averted by S/N and there is no reason not to do so.

3.) Neglecting Needed Veterinary Treatment – Although cats may quickly recover from minor illnesses, they can just as quickly pass away if an emergency isn’t recognized.

4.) False Economy in Cat Food Choices – Money saved by buying cheap food will be spent hundreds of times over on veterinary care.

5.) Declawing without all the Facts- Some veterinarians consider declawing a “routine” surgery, while cat advocates consider it cruel, inhumane and unnecessary. Learn the facts so that you can make an informed decision.

6.) Allowing a Cat to Roam Free Outdoors -  While cats enjoy the sunshine and outdoors, cats who live totally indoors can be very happy and healthy. However, the outdoors offers dangers. Fortunately, there are a number of compromises that will give your cat the best of both worlds while keeping them happy and safe.

7.) Neglecting Litter Box Maintenance – Carefully maintaining your cat’s litter box will almost guarantee you that you will not be faced with litter box avoidance problems.

8.) Considering a Cat Property – You can no more “own” a cat than you can own another a human being. If you haven’t figured out the distinction, your new cal will let you know in quick order.

9.) Not allowing a Cat to be a Cat – A cat is not a child, and a cat is not a dog. Cat’s unique ways make them the endearing creatures they are. Our job is to accommodate those needs in acceptable ways.

Petey’s Promise announced today its first annual “Petey’s Promise Pet Awareness” Commercial Contest sponsored by Wiley X Eyewear®.

The contest is open to all University of North Carolina at Charlotte students, and will consist of one 30-second commercial promoting Petey’s Promise and responsible pet ownership and awareness.

“We are really excited about this opportunity to see what the creative and fresh minds of the UNC Charlotte students produce,” said Liz Mellott, president and founder of Petey’s Promise.

“Initially, we are opening this up to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte students. Hopefully we will encourage other Nationwide colleges to participate and promote the need for pet food banks across the Country in the future.”

The contest will be held on the Petey’s Promise page on the online social media site YouTube.com (www.youtube.com/peteyspromise). Voters of all ages will be encouraged to log onto the page and vote for their favorite submission.

Petey’s Promise will not limit the total number of entries. However, the starting top 50 commercials to be considered for voting will be selected solely by the Petey’s Promise team. Public voting will begin April 5th, 2010, with eliminations announced in the following order until the Grand Prize winner is announced. The top 50 will be posted April 5^th, the top 25 announced April 12^th, top 10 April 19^th, top five April 26^th, and the Grand Prize team will be announced Monday, May 3^rd.

Contest teams may consist of one to four people (not including pets), and entrants should be between 18-24 years of age. Send submissions to peteyspromise@gmail.com from March 8th-26^th via YouSendIt.com. Please, legitimate entries only!

The Grand Prize team will receive two men’s and two women’s pieces of Wiley X custom eyewear, along with other contributions from local vendors, such as Foster’s Grille of Concord, NC. Wiley X Eyewear®, a leading provider of protective eyewear systems, offers a full range of high-performance protective eyewear products which has lead to increased brand recognition and growing use among enthusiasts of a wide variety of demanding outdoor sports and activities, including boating, fishing, motorcycle riding, mountain biking, rock climbing and more. For further information about Wiley X or to view its product line, please log onto www.wileyx.com.

Petey’s Promise, Provisions for Pets in Need, is a 501c3 non-profit that provides pet food and supplies for pet owners in the Greater Carolina area who require assistance to care for their beloved animals, versus having to surrender them to a shelter or foster home. For further information regarding Petey’s Promise or the contest please log onto www.peteyspromise.org or email us at peteyspromise@gmail.com.

REDUCE animal products in your diet by eating more fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

SAVE money (and animals!) by using an egg substitute. Once 16-ounce box of egg replacer costs about $6 and equals about 100 eggs.

ADOPT a “Meat-Free Sunday” or another tradition to incorporate humane eating at your dinner table.

KNOW your egg carton lables. Caged, cage-free, free-range, organic?

For more info check out http://www.humanesociety.org/egglabels!

I always get so emotional when I think of all the animals that have been helped since the one fateful day I dreamed up the idea of Petey’s Promise. Thinking I surely had lost my mind, I emailed my dear friend Corinne about the crazy idea of starting a pet food bank. When she said it was a great idea, I turned to my forever partner in crime, Sara, with my crazy idea. Surely, she would talk me out of it. No chance! She was just as excited as I was, and instantly offered to help. Little did she know I would drag her just as deep into the depths of this as I went, and luckily for me she went along willingly.

You see, without help and support of  friends and loved ones, like all of you, this would never have been possible. So, remember in these trying times to surround yourself with positive people who will not only encourage you to live your dream, but will hold your hand along the path just as my friends have.

First, October 14th, from 11am-7pm Petey’s Promise has been invited to participate in the Greg Biffle Foundation Day at Roush-Fenway Racing. This is going to be a very exciting day for all racing fans! Potential drivers and special appearances will be made by Greg and Nicole Biffle, Matt and Katie Kenseth, Jamie and Christ McMurray, and Carl Edwards.

There will be live bands, horse/dog training seminars, booths full of local pet care providers, NC Agility Dogs and best of all FOOD! This is one event you will not want to miss! Please come by the Petey’s Promise booth and say hello!

Next up, on October 24th is Concord’s Dogs’ Day Out festival at Les Myers Park from 11am-2pm at Les Myers Park. There will be tons of vendors and non-profit groups participating. Also, this year we will have a group of Concord youth helping build dog houses for those in need of help keeping their animals warm this winter. If you are interested in signing up for a free dog house you can email us at peteyspromise@gmail.com or sign up at Kitty City.

I will keep everyone updated as plans fall into place for the two events.

Also, please check out our store if you haven’t lately! We are bringing in new merchandise everyday. Right now we have three new T-shirt designs that should be up in a few weeks, and also, my new book Cinderella is Dead and I don’t Feel so Good Either is for sale online. A portion of the proceeds from each book is going directly to Petey’s Promise!

Peace, Love, & Paws;
Liz and Petey

If you haven’t heard, NHRA Top Fuel driver, Cory McClenathan and Funny Car driver, Jack Beckman, are both going to be signing autographs and posing for pictures during the Petey’s Promise Night at the Chick-fil-a on Concord Mills Blvd., Concord, NC, this Wednesday, Sept. 16th from 5-7pm. Petey’s Promise will receive a portion of all the sales during that time. So, come out, wear your NHRA, NASCAR or Petey’s Promise gear and support us!

Also, we have several events coming up in October, so I will touch base with all of you and let you know more details about those next week.

Sara, Petey and I went back to college August 28th and had a ball. Actually, we were invited to speak to a couple of classes at Pfeiffer University regarding taking our love and passion for animals and turning it into a successful 501 (c) 3. It was so much fun, and Petey loved hanging out with all the college students. He is beginning to be think he is quite the celebrity, but Sara and I are going to keep him grounded. We will have pictures for you soon.

In case you haven’t checked out our website lately, we have fed 843 animals to date, and I want to thank all of you for your support! Although this is great news, I have a feeling we are just beginning as the cold weather and holidays approach.

That’s all for now, and we hope to see you Wednesday night!

Best Wishes,

Petey, and his secretary – Liz

Published: June 29, 2009

CONCORD — Sharon Carmichael was not sure if the trip from her home in Kannapolis to Foster’s Grille in Concord on Saturday would be worth it to receive free pet food.

“Because of the gas (prices) and (being) unemployed, I am on limited funds,” Carmichael said. “But it was well worth it.”

At the first mobile pet food drive for Petey’s Promise at Foster’s Grille, Carmichael received four three-pound bags of dog food, one bag of treatment for her dog’s dry skin and three bags of treats.

Carmichael is just the type of person Petey’s Promise was hoping to serve. The group started last July as a way to provide temporary food and pet-care items for pet owners who are having difficulty doing so.

“They don’t have to be unemployed,” said Liz Mellott, founder of Petey’s Promise. “All costs are going up, and if you need help to stretch your budget, that’s all we need (to know).”

Mellott started the group after reading about pets being abandoned by their owners. When she tried to donate to a pet food bank, she found there were not any and decided to create her own. She named the group after her rescued dog, Petey.

Since July 15, 2008, Petey’s Promise has fed 684 pets. At the first mobile food drive on Saturday, it fed 44 pets.

“We are tickled to death because that’s a lot of animals we fed,” Mellott said.

The group also benefited from having the drive at Foster’s Grille. The restaurant said it would donate 10 percent of the business proceeds on Saturday between 1 and 4 p.m.

Outside of the restaurant, Petey’s Promise had free pet toys, treats, cat litter, training spray, collars and other items it has received from donors.

Those who attended the mobile food drive were not only surprised by the items Petey’s Promise had available but also the amount of food they received.

“I was thinking we’d get a bag of dog food,” said Holly Mills, of Charlotte, who owns six rescued pets. “The amount (of food) and the generosity are awesome.”

Mills picked up cat food, litter, toys and treats. At a time when she and her husband are out of work, receiving these items for free helped.

“The last thing you think about when you lose your job is feeding your animals,” Mills said.

Mills said one of her dogs has an ear infection, and she has been unable to take the dog to the vet. Now, Mills thinks she will be able to do so with the money she saved.

Carmichael said she spent months putting off her dog, Zip’s, haircut and finally had to spend the $45 for it. Saving at least $70 on pet food made up for that expense, she said.

Those who received the food said they were grateful and expressed a desire to either donate what they could on Saturday to Petey’s Promise or promised to help in the future.

“I’ve never heard of anybody giving away food for pets,” said Bernetta Wright, of Kannapolis. “As soon as I’m able, I’m going to give back to these people.”