Since I was a little girl, I have loved animals. Since I was a little girl, I have been exposed to the homeless animals of the "East Side." Growing up with a family who owns a business that sprawls across the city limits of East St. Louis and Alorton, seeing stray dogs was a normal occurrence. Not seeing a dog, or multiple dogs, roaming the streets would be odd.  My family has always been active in supporting the rescue world due to our love of dogs.   Because I witnessed firsthand and came in contact with many of these strays, I had firsthand experience working with a "rescue" operation before I even knew what the term meant, from a business standpoint.  There have been numerous dogs that have roamed onto our property, and these "lucky" ones have been rescued and found their forever homes with our employees.  We have always had our own little rescue -with a dog house in front of the main office and a jar of doggie treats next to the candy jar in the lobby.  Pictures on the bulletin board in the copy room serve as a constant reminder of dogs rescued in the past. A huge dog trap in the conference room, a storage room with dog food, treats, and toys stacked on file cabinets are all ammunition on the perpetual battle with the East Side's pervasive problem. We do everything we can to help the dogs that we come in contact with.  It may take days, months, or in one case years to get these feral four-legged creatures caught.  But, when we do finally get them, we reassure them that this is the first day of the rest of their lives. 

With all of that being said, my involvement with Gateway started in early 2009, as I reconnected with an old friend from high school, Jamie Case.  Our passion for animals, especially the stray dogs on the East Side, became a common topic of our conversations.  I started supporting Gateway by attending fundraisers, and in the summer of 2009, was approached and asked to join the board as the Treasurer.  After college, I decided to turn my part time job at my family's company into my full time job.  I accepted a position as the Controller and the combination of loving dogs and crunching numbers on a daily basis led me to accept my invitation as Gateway's Treasurer.  It was, and is, the perfect opportunity for me to help the homeless dogs of the East Side by utilizing my knowledge of accounting and business.

Most of my work for Gateway is done behind the scenes. Many of you have probably only seen my name signed at the bottom of a tax letter, email, or check. I must say that I am often overwhelmed with the generosity of our supporters.  We are all aware that money is not what makes Gateway the great organization it is, but without the monetary donations, we would not be able to rescue many of the animals that we do.  The veterinary needs that so many of these animals require is unbelievable. 

I am very grateful to be a part of such a great organization.  It is absolutely amazing to me what this rescue has grown to be.  This is just the beginning.  We have so much that lies ahead of us as we continue to grow and fulfill our goal of building a shelter.  As I bring this to a close, I find it appropriate to end this article with a popular dog quote, which happens to be my favorite.  It describes the relationship between man and dog so well, especially the one I have with my own dog, who is, of course, a rescue.

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.  You are his life, his love, his leader.  He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.  You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." - Author Unknown