Augustana Observer

Augustana Observer

Augustana Observer

Boutique benefits homeless animals

+Kris+Westmoreland+%28right%29%2C+helps+a+customer+complete+their+purchcase+at+her+boutique+called+Rescued%2C+a+store+whose+funds+go+to+helping+homeless+animals.+The+store+is+located+at+2105+16th+St.%2C+Moline.%0APhoto+by+Christine+Beach.
Kris Westmoreland (right), helps a customer complete their purchcase at her boutique called Rescued, a store whose funds go to helping homeless animals. The store is located at 2105 16th St., Moline. Photo by Christine Beach.
 Kris Westmoreland (right), helps a customer complete their purchcase at her boutique called Rescued, a store whose funds go to helping homeless animals. The store is located at 2105 16th St., Moline.  Photo by Christine Beach.
Kris Westmoreland (right), helps a customer complete their purchase at her boutique called Rescued, a store whose funds go to helping homeless animals. The store is located at 2105 16th St., Moline.
Photo by Christine Beach.

Rescued, a boutique that benefits homeless animals in the Quad Cities, made $4,000 in one of week after opening on Sept. 18. The Quad City Animal Welfare Center is one shelter that could benefit from funds from the boutique.

Lindsay Hocker, enrichment coordinator at the QCAWC, said a donation like that would be benefical to help pay for unexpected emergencies.

One of these emergencies happened in August, when the center spent $7,000 healing seven German Shepherd puppies that had Parvo, a disease that could lead to a life-threatening illness. Dubbed the “Shepherd Seven,” all of the dogs are now healthy. Three of them already have homes, and the remaining four will be placed once they are spayed.

Hocker said donations make it possible for animals to receive better care.

Rescued owners Erin Granet and Kris Westmoreland can help pay for funds such as these with their new non-profit store that benefits local animal shelters, rescue groups and other animals in need. They met while working at Goodwill, first in the retail department before working to rehabilitate those who have employment barriers.

However, when Westmoreland’s mother offered her house as a potential store location, Westmoreland came out of retirement and Granet left her job at Goodwill so they could follow their dream of combing their retail skills with their love of animals.

The store is located at 2105 16th St., Moline.

“I have always been passionate about animals,” said Granet. “They are a population that doesn’t have a voice of their own, and that’s something that really moves me.”

Granet said she has saved squirrels before and her two dogs and two cats are both rescues. She volunteers at Animal Aid Human Society in Moline twice a week.

Westmoreland said at one point growing up, she had 13 cats and five dogs.

“My mother was not an animal lover,” said Westmoreland. “My dad was an animal lover. I have a brother and three sisters, and we are just animal lovers. I think it’s just inherited.”

Westmoreland has one dog and two cats.

Granet said when she had the initial idea for the boutique, she contacted all the major local shelters in the area and received support.

The store opened on Sept. 18 and made $4,000 in profits in its first week.

Thousands of items have already been donated to the non-for-profit store. The walls are lined with books, jewelry, purses and clothes.

Granet and Westoreland will decide where to donate the first month’s revenue during early October.

The closest store that has a similar mission to Rescued is in Nebraska and New Orleans.

Although there are a few more resale shops that are attached to shelters, few stores have the independence to select where to donate their revenue.

The store’s donation hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of one of Rescued’s owners. Her name is Erin Granet.

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Boutique benefits homeless animals