Saint Louis, MO, November 9, 2010 – Four months after receiving the Humanitarian Award during the Cinema St. Louis Film Festival, Gateway Guardians: A Documentary will advance to the St. Louis International Film Festival on November 18th.
The documentary tells the story of the many homeless dogs that roam the streets in East St. Louis, and the volunteers who spend their time feeding, rescuing, fostering and promoting their adoption.
“The state of these dogs is something you wouldn’t believe. Malnourished, wounded from fights, being hit by cars, even gunshot wounds. And there are more puppies being born every day,” says Jamie Case, Executive Director of the organization. “Our goal is to rescue as many of the dogs as we can, give them veterinary care, and find a loving family for them to grow old with.”
“We strive to educate people in the East St. Louis community about the importance of spaying and neutering their pets. That’s what is perpetuating the problem,” says Amie Simmons, Gateway President.
The group hopes the documentary will serve as a call to action for community members on both sides of the river and aid in their efforts to implement a low-cost spay neuter program and shelter in East St. Louis.
The screening at Winnifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus will be coupled with a benefit gala at nearby Eden Theological Seminary called Soiree for Strays to help raise awareness among the St. Louis community.
“The objective of the gala is to not only get people to hear our story through the documentary, but also to challenge them to step up and become a part of what we are doing. We’re not just trying to tell a story, we’re trying to make a difference, to incur change,” says Simmons.
Rebecca Ormond, a film professor from Webster University, donated her personal time and her class of film students to help edit and produce the footage shot by Gateway volunteers. The video will also be featured at the Webster Film Festival on October 10.
For information on purchasing the documentary, tickets to the showing, or visit www.gatewayguardians.com or www.gatewaypets.com.
About Gateway Pet Guardians
Gateway Pet Guardians is a nonprofit virtual animal shelter that relies on donations and volunteer foster families to rescue starving and abandoned animals. For more information about Gateway Pet Guardians, events, purchasing tickets, or to donate, volunteer, or become a foster family, visit www.gatewaypets.com.