Saint Louis, MO, June 29, 2010 – After 11 months of filming on the streets of East St. Louis, Gateway Guardians: A Documentary is ready for debut at the Tivoli on July 18th at noon.
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 adopting them out.
“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 wakeup call for community members on both sides of the river, and bring a call to action. It is no coincidence that the premier is paired with another documentary showing called “Yes! In My Backyard” that brings to light the social and economic conditions of East St. Louis.
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 tickets to the event, visit www.gatewayguardians.com or www.landmarktheatres.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.