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SAINT LOUIS – “It takes a village,” is a common phrase in animal welfare, and a village of people is coming together to help 15 pets receive much-needed vet care so they can be adopted into loving families.

Banfield Pet Hospital is opening a new location in Richmond Heights, and as part of their grand opening, they’ve offered free vetting services to local animal welfare organizations including Gateway Pet Guardians.  

“We looked at what pets we had in our care and identified six pets who were in need of additional vet services in our organization,” said Jill Henke, Program Director at Gateway Pet Guardians. “As we were coordinating with Banfield, they said they had room for 10 more pets, so we got the idea to partner with our local municipal shelter, St. Clair County Animal Services in Illinois.”

In total, 18 pets will receive much-needed vet care completely free at Banfield this week. Fifteen of those pets will then be available for adoption–six through Gateway Pet Guardians and nine through St. Clair County Animal Services. Gateway Pet Guardians is providing the transportation and coordination for all 9 dogs to and from St. Clair County Animal Services, and they will be immediately available for rescue transfer or adoption. If you are interested in adopting one of these pets, you can head to Gateway Pet Guardians or St. Clair County Animal Services.

In addition to the 15 pets that will be available for adoption, three families with pets in the Metro East will also receive vetting. “East St. Louis is a resource desert and there are no veterinary clinics in the immediate area. Through our Community Outreach Program, we bring resources and pet supplies to low-income families in the Metro East. Thanks to this partnership with Banfield, three dogs received much-needed services and returned home to their owners,” said Janet Roberts, Gateway Pet Guardians Community Director.

Banfield, located at 6678 Clayton Road in Richmond Heights, is hosting an Open House on Friday, July 27th from 12-7 pm. They will be giving tours of the facility, hosting a meet and greet with the veterinarians and staff, and will have attendance prizes and giveaways for all attendees. They will also be waiving the membership fee on all Optimum Wellness Plans if you enroll on July 27th.

About Gateway Pet Guardians

Gateway Pet Guardians is 501(c)3 nonprofit animal shelter whose passionate and dedicated staff and volunteers care for animals on the streets of East St. Louis, Illinois, and surrounding areas. Our mission is to end homelessness for animals in the Metro East through rescue, rehabilitation, adoption, community outreach and education.

Jill Henke
Program Director | Gateway Pet Guardians
314-303-2777
jill@gatewaypets.com