St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, located at 1510 Escambia Ave., Brewton, will partner with Paws Crossed Rescue, Inc., of Brewton, to host a Blessing of the Animals in honor of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, behind the parish hall at the church.
Free hotdogs and hamburgers will be available, with donations accepted and appreciated for Paws Crossed. Brewton Animal Hospital Veterinarian Dr. Hal Noble will also be on hand to give free wellness checks for dogs and cats. All pets must be on a leash.
David Chatel, pastor of St. Stephen's, will conduct the blessings of the animals and give each pet a St. Francis medallion to be placed on their collar.
With cold weather approaching, Paws Crossed is also asking for donations of towels and blankets.
For more information, contact St. Stephen's Episcopal Church at 251-867-4545.
Paws Crossed
Edith Kelly, founder and assistant director of Paws Crossed in Brewton, said she started the organization in 2016 and became incorporated in 2017 to simply save animals.
“We had a rescue here that disbanded,” she said. “Our goal is to rescue dogs, socialize them and adopt them out.”
She said the organization takes dogs from kill shelters and then tries to adopt them out to loving homes. She also said Paws Crossed does transports of animals to south Florida to the northern United States to find loving homes for the animals.
Paws Crossed leases a building in Brewton, but Kelly said she prefers to 'foster' those animals out to homes until they find someone to adopt them. Foster families care for the dogs until they find a new home.
“Right now we have 32 dogs in foster care out of the building,” she said.
She also said people fostering animals are given supplies and food so there should be no out-of-pocket expense to the adoptive family.
In addition to money, Kelly said they can always accept dog food. She also said they are always in the need of volunteers and potential foster homes.
She stressed that donations of blankets and towels don't need to be new, but some that may have worn their welcome out at someone's home.
“Puppies will chew on them anyway, but they help keep them warm,” she said.
She also said people who shop at Amazon can go to Amazon Smile, and click the Brewton rescue button and a donation will come back to Paws Crossed.
“It doesn't increase the amount of your order,” she said. “It's a donation back to us.”
She said last year, Paws Crossed in Brewton received about $2,400 from Amazon in what she described as 'free money'.
Kelly said Paws Crossed will be at St. Stephen's Sunday with a table to also sell items for pets that will range from snacks to soap.
For more information on Paws Crossed or to help, call Kelly at 251-363-9098.
