After four seasons in Nashville, Weber moved on to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and wanting to pick up where his former teammate left off, Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson and his wife, Moa Arvidsson, enthusiastically stepped in.
When starting the program, Arvidsson said it was his love of animals that got the ideas flowing.
"My wife and I decided that if we are in a position to help animals in any way we can, we were going to do it," Arvidsson said. "Both Moa and I love animals - I've had a dog all my life, we fostered a few dogs before the season started, so it's a cause that means a lot to both of us."
After expressing interest in the idea to the Foundation during the offseason, Arvy's A.R.C. came together perfectly.
"It was a natural fit," Predators Community Relations Senior Manager Kristen Finch said. "They wanted to take over the club and it was an easy, easy transition because they were very eager to be on board with it too."
With an eager player and a smooth transition, the only thing left to face were the restrictions of COVID-19. Previously, members were able to interact with the players and their pups - often meeting up at a local dog park during off days - but due to the pandemic, everything has become completely virtual for the remainder of the season.
Instead of meeting up in person, the group does monthly virtual dog park meetups, where members can jump on with their dogs and ask Arvidsson or one of his teammates a question. In addition to the virtual experience, members of Arvy's A.R.C. can submit a photo of their dog, and one will be randomly chosen to be highlighted and featured as the pet of the game, which gives members another added benefit.
Along with owning a potential pet of the game, when members sign up, they will receive a Preds tennis ball toy, a Preds retractable pet brush, Preds pet travel water bottle, invitations to the virtual meetups, the opportunity to win autographed memorabilia, and a Preds pet shammy towel that could be signed by Arvidsson.
For more information or to sign up for Arvy's A.R.C, visit the Nashville Predators Foundation website at
https://www.nhl.com/predators/fans/foundation/animal-rescue-club
and follow the foundation on social media @predsfoundation for the pet of the game!
