Animal Advocates of Barnwell County

Animal 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

Strong Island Animal Rescue has been taking calls about injured, abused, and neglected animals since 2010. The organization focuses on outreach and offers food, vaccines, and proper shelters, and also offers a strong educational component to reach people of all ages regarding animal cruelty laws in New York State. With years of experience in animal medicine, rescue, and welfare their team tackles Suffolk County’s toughest and lowest income areas.

“We started out with cats and dogs, and then we saw a need for wildlife rescue,” said vice president of the rescue Erica Kutzing in an interview in the Village Times Herald. For instance, the Strong Island team recently helped save a raccoon that was trapped in the front grille of a car after the driver hit it and it became lodged in the metal. Thanks to their quick response, the animal made a quick and full recovery.

President and Founder Frankie Floridia doesn’t discriminate—”whether it’s a trapped raccoon, a deer stuck in a fence, runaway cow, an abandoned mother cat and her kittens, or an abused puppy left on the side of the road, Strong Island will be there to help,” he said.

“We’re available 24 hours, seven days a week for abandoned and abused animals,” Floridia continued. “We’re a local rescue that likes to give back to the community and we’re always here for everybody. That’s the way it’s been, and we’d like to keep it that way.”

Florida, who grew up in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, learned about rescuing animals from his mother, who taught him at an early age to have compassion for all living creatures. She would work with feral cats and rescue dogs, and Frankie grew up in a house filled with dogs, cats, and parrots. Floridia wanted to continue his mother’s advocacy after she passed away from lung cancer, and “wanted to honor her memory” by immersing himself more deeply into animal welfare issues. It was from this desire that Strong Island Animal Rescue was conceived.

Floridia, in particular, works to rescue animals from kill shelters and abusive home situations, in addition to being on call to rescue wildlife throughout the area. ”Getting animals to a safe place is what drives me,” he said. “I want to give them the chance to live to see another day.”

Strong Island Animal Rescue will be represented on the runway by Noize Apparel and a dog from Connecticut. Noize is known for being a brand that is cruelty-free, sustainable, and vegan. Their website states that they are a company of “animal lovers who are driven by the belief that building a better world starts by making smarter decisions today. We said goodbye to animal by-products because vegan and cruelty-free are core to this idea, and we source innovative textiles and sustainable goods wherever possible.” ■

Sponsor: Carmel Fauci and Holly Williams / strong-island-animal-rescue-league.myshopify.com

Smithtown, New York