Helping Others

Non-profit group seeks donations to save the dogs and cats of St. Clair County

By Compiled by Heidi Wiechert
Odie is the official mascot of the St. Clair County Animal Welfare Advocates and is owned by Dawn, one of the group’s board members. He was adopted from the St. Clair County Animal Adoption Center and had been scheduled for euthanasia. Odie’s owner describes him as a “sweet, cuddley, wiggle-butt, goofball.”
Odie is the official mascot of the St. Clair County Animal Welfare Advocates and is owned by Dawn, one of the group’s board members. He was adopted from the St. Clair County Animal Adoption Center and had been scheduled for euthanasia. Odie’s owner describes him as a “sweet, cuddley, wiggle-butt, goofball.” Provided

The Belleville News-Democrat features a different charity every day from the day after Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. If you know a charity that should be featured, contact Heidi Wiechert at hwiechert@bnd.com.

St. Clair County Animal Welfare Advocates

The St. Clair County Animal Welfare Advocates is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization seeking to make St. Clair County a “no-kill” community by the year 2021 through programs that raise community awareness, reduce the number of dogs and cats that enter the shelters and increase the number of animals that leave the shelter alive. The group seeks to reduce killing in shelters by providing treatment for treatable animals, supporting training, adoption, foster and rescue efforts, spaying and neutering, and supporting reclaiming, retention and re-homing efforts.

In a press release, Shelia Ford of the Animal Welfare Advocates said: “(The Advocates) believe that life is precious and death of an animal should truly be a last resort; that the term ‘euthanasia’ should be used only in reference to the death of hopelessly sick or injured domestic animals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy or for truly aggressive animals and should not be used for the killing of healthy or treatable animals.”

How to help

The Animal Welfare Advocates currently has a “Santa Paws” program for needy animals on its website at www.sccawa.com/santa-paws. The public can pay for vaccinations, spays and neuters, food and more, through donations submitted online.

Ford said the non-profit accepts donations year-round to help the animals of St. Clair County.

Contact information

▪ Website: www.sccawa.com.

▪ Mailing address: P.O. Box 744, Belleville, IL 62222.

▪ Phone: 314-339-7481.

▪ Email: advocates@sccawa.com.

This story was originally published December 6, 2017 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Non-profit group seeks donations to save the dogs and cats of St. Clair County."

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER