January 2, 2025.
From the desk of the Executive Director –
2024 will undoubtedly be remembered as a milestone year for Gateway Pet Guardians, as we celebrated 20 years of saving lives and serving our community. Reflecting on two decades of dedication, innovation, and compassion, we take immense pride in the impact we’ve made and the lives we’ve touched along the way.
This year, while we faced an unprecedented number of pets entering our shelter, we also celebrated record-breaking successes—more adoptions, more transfers to partner organizations, and more reunifications of pets with their families than ever before.
Our low-cost clinic expanded its services to four days per week, allowing us to provide essential medical care to a greater number of owned pets than ever before. We also reached new heights in spaying and neutering community cats and giving out free pet food, making a significant contribution to the well-being of our local pet population. These milestones wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering dedication of our volunteers, who collectively gave a record number of hours to furthering our mission.
On a personal note, I completed my Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a focus on Nonprofit Management, Animal Services Leadership, and Public Relations and was honored to serve as a closing main stage speaker at the Best Friends Animal Society National Conference. Our staff has also excelled, with several staff members attending professional conferences for the first time and benefiting from invaluable continuing education. Notably, our Operations Director, Jill Henke, represented us as a featured speaker at multiple prominent animal welfare conferences this year.
We also concluded our first year in the PetSmart Charities Accelerator Program, which has been instrumental in securing funding and strategic planning for our public clinic. These efforts, combined with the support of our community, led to 2024 being our most financially stable year on record—a testament to our commitment to sustainability and growth.
Of course, the year was not without its challenges. Dogs remained in the shelter longer than ever as they awaited foster or adoption placement. Additionally, we responded to another devastating flood at the St. Clair County municipal shelter, stepping in to rescue all dogs in their facility from deadly flood waters.
As we look ahead to 2025, we are committed to building on this year’s successes. We aim to expand our public clinic further as well as continue to invest in our talented staff through internal promotions and strengthen both our financial and operational foundations to ensure we can continue our mission for decades to come.
None of these achievements would have been possible without you—our exceptional community of supporters. Foster parents, volunteers, adopters, clients, board members, staff members and donors: from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being an essential part of this journey. Together, we have made an incredible difference over the past 20 years, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together in the years to come.
Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful and healthy 2025!
Alisha Vianello, Executive Director of Gateway Pet Guardians.
