CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — Much of it is now boarded up, with a wooden frame supporting the building where a critical section of the brick wall once stood. A pickup truck plowed through the Chesapeake Humane Society building on Feb. 6. The wreck shocked the people and pets inside. For some, it was a close call.

“It’s still traumatic to see a vehicle coming through when you feel like you’re safe,” said Lacy Shirey, executive director of the Chesapeake Humane Society.

The crash was caught on surveillance video. In the footage, the pickup was seen going straight through the wall, smashing through desks on the other side.

“These desks kind of folded in on each other,” Shirey said. “So, like I said, so grateful that no staff member was there.”

One of the staff members managed to shuffle out of the way without even getting a scratch. The other workers who normally sit where the truck crashed got up about 10 seconds earlier to visit with dogs in the lobby. Nobody was hurt, not even the driver.

“It was truly an accident,” Shirey said. “It was a case where the brakes were meant to be hit but the gas was actually hit instead. The driver feels really bad for everything that happened, but we are still helping the driver and his pet out with surgical services, because that’s why he was here.”

Shirey told 10 On Your Side they had to close for two days. Their contractor and city crews worked to secure the building and make sure it was safe to occupy. Now the clinic is back open, but they lost an estimated $18,000 to $20,000 in revenue.

“Any time a nonprofit loses revenue, it is a hit to the organization,” Shirey said.

That money goes to more than just running the clinic. It also supports shelters, programs for low-income families who cannot afford vet care and for families being impacted by domestic violence. Even though repairs are expected to take several weeks, they received the green light to stay open — business as usual.

Want to help?

The Chesapeake Humane Society is taking donations to make up for the lost revenue. You can find a link to the donation page on their website.