Barnwell, South Carolina
Animal Advocates of Barnwell County
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nimal Advocates of Barnwell County, SC, was founded in 2005 to provide care and shelter for stray, abandoned and abused cats and dogs in its community. According to president Vikki Scott, Animal Advocates of Barnwell County is a non-profit organization made up of a diverse group of people with the same common goal—to make a difference in the lives of the cats and dogs in their community by reducing the number stray, starving, abused, and diseased animals, thus reducing the need for euthanasia. Animal Advocates of Barnwell County’s website states that its goals are: • To place these animals in stable and loving permanent homes. • To promote and provide spaying and neutering to reduce the animal population. • To make the public aware and educate the community on the proper care and treatment of all animals. Scott writes that she realized that the local county shelter often had a euthanasia rate as high as 98 percent. She and the AABC Board of Directors decided that the best response to this was to build a facility that would enable them to pull these helpless dogs and cats from the county shelter into a safe haven. While being fostered there, AABC would give them the medical attention that they needed and deserved before helping them to be adopted into loving, forever homes. Animal Advocates of Barnwell County’s first step was to open the Pick of the Litter Thrift Shoppe which was able to fund a no cost/low cost spay and neuter program. It then began a capital building campaign and started applying for grants. It was a struggle because the median income in Barnwell County is $25,000.00, however, their determination paid off and, in the spring of 2013, they not only opened the Friends for Life Center, but also formed a unique partnership with Allendale Correctional Institution (ACI), a Level 2 character-based institution. Since its inception, the MeowMates/MuttMates program at ACI has grown from an original two cats to 50 animals currently being housed, fostered, and trained by a select group of inmates that we affectionately refer to as “Pet Dads.” To date, more than 500 dogs and cats have been fostered at ACI. This exceptional program has allowed Animal Advocates of Barnwell County to expand the number of animals that they can foster, thus saving many more lives. Scott attributes her organization’s success to the organization’s willingness to think outside of the box and to be open to new and innovative ideas for the rescue organization and the precious animals that they serve. Animal Advocates of Barnwell County will be represented on the catwalk by model Belle Scott and her dog Penny. Belle will be wearing a creation from the Brooke Wilder label. Wilder pieces are created under the supervision of designer Gina Marie Roberts and are crafted from natural, repurposed, deadstock, organic, or eco-conscious materials and are hand dyed with non-toxic botanicals and tannins. The aesthetic is natural, dramatic, and romantic, with “a splash of whimsical stardust.” ■ Sponsor: Vikki Scott / theanimaladvocates.org
le printemps 2023 • l’édition pour animaux de compagnie et mode • readelysian.com •
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