As the holiday season approaches, Reading & Northern Railroad is closing in on another successful year. Specific details regarding this have been widely publicized in prior news releases.

This time, the company would like to focus on a cause near and dear to the hearts of owner and CEO Andy Muller, his family, and the entire Reading & Northern community.

Reading & Northern Railroad is pleased to announce that it is once again partnering with the Hillside SPCA of Pottsville in an animal adoption event now through Jan. 15, 2026. During this time, Reading & Northern will cover all adoption fees for anyone seeking to give these rescued animals good and safe homes this holiday season.

Anyone who wants to give a rescued animal a home forever should visit the Hillside SPCA located at 51 SPCA Road, Pottsville. Its open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Interested adopters should submit their application at https://www.hillsidespca.com. For people who do not live in the Pottsville area, they are asked to please find a friend at a shelter near their home.

Those unable or not wishing to adopt an animal at this time also can help in another way. Hillside SPCA has an Amazon wish list that can be accessed from the same website at the top of the home page. Donations of these much-needed items are gladly accepted.

Reading & Northern owner/CEO Andy Muller said, “The railroad is committed to protecting the Earth and the creatures living in on it. Our friends at Hillside SPCA have been dealing with an astronomical number of stray drop-offs, dumped animals, and long-term residents in the past few months. We would love to see them find a place to call home for the rest of their lives! Who knows — maybe we can even clear the kennels! We can’t wait to see how the community rallies together and helps our furry friends!”

Reading & Northern Railroad, with its corporate headquarters in Port Clinton, is a privately held railroad company serving more than 80 customers in nine eastern Pennsylvania counties (Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Schuylkill, and Wyoming).

It has expanded its operations over the last 40 years and now transports nearly 35,000 carloads of freight, which removes more than 200,000 trucks from the highway. Its Passenger Department welcomes nearly 340,000 riders annually.

Reading & Northern operates its freight and steam- and diesel-powered passenger excursions over 400 miles of track, owns almost 2,000 freight cars, and employs more than 350 dedicated people. Reading & Northern has been repeatedly honored as one of the premier railroads in the nation, including being named Regional Railroad of the Year in 2020 by Railway Age magazine.