In June, Gateway Pet Guardians teamed up with GreaterGood.org and Rescue Bank to become the St. Louis region’s Affiliate partner, sharing resources with animal welfare agencies all over the bi-state region. Thanks to this partnership, we are able to bring more low-cost pet food and litter to the area, allowing rescues and pantries to stretch their dollars further and impact even more pets and people. Food and supplies are donated by the truckload from gracious donors, shipped to our partner warehouse and later distributed to qualified Rescue Bank recipients.
We are so excited for this partnership as it not only empowers other organizations in the area to put food in the bellies of homeless and at-risk animals, but also fuels our internal pet food pantry and feral feeder programs, helping us bring much-needed resources to the East St. Louis area. This partnership is a life-saving resource, allowing organizations to cut supply costs and putting those savings directly into the care of animals. As one group puts it, “Caring for homeless animals while waiting to be adopted comes with many challenges. Being able to have food and other supplies available at an affordable price is helpful beyond words!”
And due to the pandemic, pet food pantries have seen an increase in need, requiring more dog and cat food to support families during this crisis. One pantry comments, “The donations mean the world to so many very elderly, low income seniors and their beloved pets that are sometimes their only family members.”
Since June, we have been able to distribute 109,000+ pounds of dog food, 70,000+ pounds of cat food, and 48,000+ pounds of kitty litter to area organizations, as well as truckloads of shelter essential supplies like puppy pads, crates, pens, beds, toys, clothes, etc. The St. Louis Affiliate serves 125 recipient organizations, with 58 groups making the trip to the warehouse in 2020 to receive donations. Groups include rescues, shelters, pet food pantries, and feral cat feeders, with the majority residing in Missouri and Illinois.
2020 brought the COVID-19 pandemic, but made us a stronger partner in the community. We are eager to see how many pets, families, and organizations are impacted through this incredible program in 2021. We are so thankful to GreaterGood.org and Rescue Bank for allowing us to serve in this capacity, and to the donors who support the many animal welfare groups in the St. Louis region.
