Come to the animal shelter Sat. Aug 27 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. to meet our pets, help support AWC in the ASPCA Challenge and help save lives. Potential adopters will draw thermometers [...]]]> Learn about pet care, basic obedience and draw for sizzling adoption discounts during AWC’s Beat the Heat event on Sat. Aug. 27.

Come to the animal shelter Sat. Aug 27 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. to meet our pets, help support AWC in the ASPCA Challenge and help save lives. Potential adopters will draw thermometers displaying not summer temps but discounts of 25, 50 and 100% savings on adoptable animals that can be redeemed throughout the ASPCA Challenge period which runs until Oct. 31.

Participate in our shelter open house and on site behavior and care clinic, too. Gain tips on basic obedience and pet grooming care. AWC hopes to educate owners on pet care in order to reduce the surrender of owned animals to the shelter by people who can no longer care for their pets.

Thus far in 2011, 970 owned pets have been surrendered to AWC.
“AWC wants to be a winner in the Challenge, but more importantly we hope to use this competition as a vehicle to educate pet owners,” said shelter coordinator Gretchen Sherrill. “Too often owners fail to provide basic pet care, such as regular grooming of long haired, fluffy dogs, and then surrender their pets when matted fur and skin infections due to poor grooming arise. They can’t understand what happened to their cute pet. We want owners to realize that pets depend on them to maintain good health.”
Remember Free Cat Fridays with approved applications is ongoing throughout 2011.

Help St. Croix compete in the ASPCA Challenge. To learn more, volunteer or donate visit www.StCroixAWC.org or find us on Facebook. To inquire about an adoptable pet contact our adoptions department at adoptions@stcroixawc.org.

Celebrate Crucian pets—join your friends at the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center (AWC) for a Challenge Carnival.

On Saturday, July 30 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. the pets and staff at the animal shelter will hold a mini carnival to honor local culture [...]]]> St. Croix Animal Welfare Center Kicks
Off National Adoptions Event with “Challenge Carnival”

Celebrate Crucian pets—join your friends at the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center (AWC) for a Challenge Carnival.

On Saturday, July 30 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. the pets and staff at the animal shelter will hold a mini carnival to honor local culture and promote adoptions as part of the ASPCA Challenge.

The event will feature food, music, a mock tramp of animal shelter pets, prize raffles. Free microchips will be offered to the first 50 pet owners who request this service. As an added bonus, adoption fees will be wiaved for approved applicants.

“A portion of the competition is community outreach and AWC staff felt that holding a mini carnival was a great way to welcome the public and highlight our local culture as part of this national competition,” said shelter coordinator, Gretchen Sherrill. “Besides, shelter pets, like all Crucians, love to fete.”

AWC is one of 49 shelters nationwide competing for $300, 000 in grant awards from the ASPCA. AWC will be judged on the number of adoptions, reunions of lost pets to owners and transfers to other rescues that takes place during the review period of Aug. 1 to Oct. 31, 2011.

Not able to adopt? Consider supporting AWC with a gift. No amount is too small. For example, $10 buys a heartworm test, $25 a microchip, $50 buys 2 bags of dog food, $100 sponsors an adoption and $250 buys an airline ticket for a pet to fly cargo to a new home via pets from paradise.

Donate via Paypal on this website or mail gifts to St. Croix Animal Welfare Center RR2 #32 Clifton Hill, Kingshill, VI 00850. AWC is a registered 501 c 3 non profit in good standing. Gifts are tax deductable.

For more information about this event or how you can donate, please contactl Gretchen Sherrill at communications@stcroixawc.org.

St. Croix Animal Welfare Center (AWC) participated in two hurricane preparedness events last week. On June 2, AWC staff attended the VITEMA expo held at Sunny Isles. In addition to providing information and hand outs to the hundreds of patrons who visited the event, AWC provided pet licenses to attendees. [...]]]>

AWC Staff at VITEMA event

St. Croix Animal Welfare Center (AWC) participated in two hurricane preparedness events last week. On June 2, AWC staff attended the VITEMA expo held at Sunny Isles. In addition to providing information and hand outs to the hundreds of patrons who visited the event, AWC provided pet licenses to attendees. Stray intake at the shelter facility dramatically increases after weather events. AWC provides rescue and shelter to pets affected by storms; however, if owners fail to license pets, reuniting lost pets with their families is incredibly difficult. More than 20 attendees picked up pet licenses in addition to valuable information about including one’s pet in disaster preparedness.

On June 4, more than 80 pets received microchips thanks to St. Croix AWC and EPayment America who sponsored the event. Microchips were provided to pets at no charge and volunteers  along side AWC staff and board members registered patrons and provided the chips. The event was held on the beach in Frederiksted at Rhythms at Rainbow Beach.

Puppy Tina gets a microchip with help from Senator Nellie O'Reilly and Epayment America's Todd Gentilucci

This event was a double bonus for Nikki, the lab mix, who’d been at AWC since January seeking a home. EPayment America employee, Heidi, is adopting Nikki who couldn’t be more excited about moving from STX (the big island) to NYC (the big apple). Congratulations, Nikki!

Epayment America Family with Nikki--l-r Todd, staff member Heidi (who adopted Nikki) company president Chris Reckert and daughter Olivia

More than 2500 strays entered the shelter in 2010, the majority lacking id tags or microchips. In an effort to increase registration and successful reunions, AWC promoted this successful event. A second event will be held mid island near the end of July.

“AWC wants to encourage St. Croix pets owners to get prepared for the hurricanes of life and remember to id your pet,” said Shelter Coordinator Gretchen Sherrill. “We commend the individuals who tagged or chipped their pets this week as part of our outreach and we encourage more owners to take responsibility and ensure the safety of their pet with proper identification.”

This special event is part of AWC’s participation in [...]]]> Join AWC beach side at Rhythms at Rainbow Beach on June 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Operation Crucian Companion–a free tag and chip event. Due to the gracious sponsorship of EPaymentAmerica, AWC is able to provide Free microchipping to the public during this special event.

This special event is part of AWC’s participation in the ASPCA Challenge. During the Challenge, the ASPCA will monitor AWC’s performance in returning lost pets to their owners. The Challenge monitoring period is Aug. 1 to Oct 31—which is also hurricane season. In order to prevent more strays now, AWC is reaching out to STX pet owners now.

Please join us on June 4 and ensure the safety of your pet via licensing and microchipping. Last year more than 2000 strays entered our shelter. Don’t let your pet become a sad statistic. Be Responsible! To voluneer, learn more about microchips, or how you can help email communications@stcroixawc.org.

The article copied below can be found in the St. Croix Source here.

The prospect of cash prizes and an opportunity to do some research about animals brought several children together for St. Croix’s first Animal Care Exposition. [...]]]>

Volunteers Julie Case (left) and Lucille Savarino with AWC puppies Nate and Drew, who are up for adoption.

The article copied below can be found in the St. Croix Source here.

The prospect of cash prizes and an opportunity to do some research about animals brought several children together for St. Croix’s first Animal Care Exposition. On Saturday, the Department of Agriculture grounds flourished with excited children and proud parents ready to display their artful works.

Learning Networks Foundation (LWF) partnered with the Animal Welfare Center (AWC) to create the expo, where children, grades K-8, were given an opportunity to design research projects related to animals that live on or around St. Croix. The projects were divided into three divisions by grade: K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. First, second, and third-place winners were awarded cash prizes of $100, $50, $25 respectively.

Children enjoyed the fun-filled day with a number of free events including a puppet show and climbing wall. The climbing wall was the most popular, and some children scurried up more than five times. Stephen O’Dea brought St. Croix’s favorite donkey, Eeyore, who always seems to provide children with laughs.

Program coordinator Wanda Banks of LWF hoped to get more involvement from the community, but was still pleased with the turnout.

“We mostly did this to promote the importance of kindness and awareness of animals, and this gave us the opportunity to do that,” she said.

Gretchen Sherrill, shelter coordinator of the AWC, said that the Expo not only gave the shelter the opportunity to try and get some pets adopted, but it was a chance to do educational outreach to the community, one of several ways that the AWC informs individuals about humane treatment of animals.

“We have an overpopulation of animals at the shelter, and this is one of several means to get people involved, to stop that from happening,” she said.

The day ended with a small award ceremony where the children were able to collect trophies and checks for their research projects.

Award winners:

K-2 Division – All from St. Croix Montessori

• 1st Place –Makari Matthew
• 2nd Place – Zack Bozzo and Jared Doran
• 3rd Place – Yahn Velazquez

3-5 Division

• 1st Place – Sheela Rikhye, Gabby Gomez and Sophia Alvarado – Good Hope School 4-H
• 2nd Place – Alexis Matarangas-King –St. Croix Montessori
• 3rd Place – Allanise Johannes –Juanita Gardine

6-8 Division

• 1st Place –Akilah Hodge, Juan Aponte, Raquan Carter, Javan Menzies –Juanita Gardine
• 2nd Place – Shamicka Delerme and Johanna Manon –Juanita Gardine
• 3rd Place – Jadheem Donovan and Kevin Gilbert – Juanita Gardine