By: David M. Foster, CFP®, CAP®

Hello, listeners, and welcome to the 19th episode of the Gateway Giving Podcast!

My guest today is Emily Stuart, the Executive Director of Gateway Pet Guardians, whose mission is to champion a thriving pet welfare community in East St. Louis, Cahokia Heights, Washington Park and Fairmont City, which they have coined the East Side Pet District.

I have been hesitant to have any animal focused nonprofits on the podcast thus far, because it can be hard to justify donating money to a charity that works with animals when there are so many humans who need our help. Even if you don’t believe that animal suffering deserves the same attention as human suffering, I think there are still two compelling reasons to consider donating to animal welfare causes:

1. A great deal of animal suffering is the result of human action or inaction. If we caused the mess, we should take responsibility for cleaning it up.
2. At least in the case of Gateway Pet Guardians, a donation to their organization is just as much about the people in the community as it is the animals.

I think about my dog, Rosemary, and the joy she brings my family and me, and I know that’s true for so many other families. We’re fortunate enough that we have the resources to take her to see a veterinarian who’s only about a 4 minute drive from our house, but that isn’t always true for the people who live in the East Side Pet District. Until Gateway Pet Guardians opened their facility in East St. Louis in 2020, there wasn’t a single veterinary clinic in the area!

If you love animals, like I do, you’ll enjoy this interview!

As always, if you have any questions, requests, or suggestions for people or organizations for me to interview, you can email me at [email protected]. Now, without further ado, here is my interview with Emily!

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