The mission of the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center is to provide and promote the humane treatment of animals on the island of St. Croix through humane education, animal protection and community service. Founded in 1973, the AWC is the only animal shelter on St. Croix. The AWC takes in and cares for more than 3,000 unwanted, abandoned, abused and neglected dogs and cats each year. Our longtime facility was destroyed in Hurricane Maria in 2017; we are now located in two temporary locations in the LaGrande Princesse area of St .Croix.