Gateway Pet Guardians

Gateway Pet Guardians was founded in 2004 through the combined efforts of five extraordinary women with a passion for rescuing animals, but our story really begins about ten years earlier. One fateful day in 1995 while driving through East St. Louis, P.J. Hightower-an avid animal lover-took notice of the numerous stray dogs running through the streets. But instead of shaking her head in disappointment, muttering a, "If only I could." and simply continuing her journey like so many before her, P.J. did something about it. On that day and nearly every day thereafter - and every single consecutive day over the last ten years - P.J. has made the trip across the river from her home in St. Louis, bags of dog food in tow, and fed the dogs she saw on the streets. When she had the chance, she'd rescue them, take them to the vet, and try to find a good home for them all the while paying for it out of her own pocket. And so it continued for nine years. PJ and stray pitbull in east st louis 300x203 About Us

Still on the street, this dog needs a foster home before he can be rescued.

In 2004, four ladies who had become acquainted with and contributed to P.J. and her efforts, fellow animal lovers themselves, decided to form a fundraising organization to take donations that would help rescue many more stray dogs and cats from the horrors of street life as well as allow their own dollars stretch that much further, and Gateway Pet Guardians was born.

Over the last six years the organization has blossomed into much more than its meager beginnings. With the help of volunteers and an administrator, we at Gateway Pet Guardians began raising enough money each year to begin filing a tax return. P.J. now goes through approximately 1,000 pounds of dog food per month and Gateway Pet Guardians currently rescues over 100 dogs and cats per year. We continue to evolve from a small organization to today's virtual animal shelter with expert management by our very first Executive Director and dozens of dedicated volunteers, an award winning documentary, and beyond to our future goal of building a physical animal shelter complete with a low cost spay/neuter clinic and education center in East St. Louis.

Adoption Application, Reference Checks, Adoption agreement, Home visit