Yelm resident Shelby Bauer has always wanted to give back to animals. She grew up visiting public libraries and checking out books on animals and joining environmental clubs.
This holiday season, Bauer started a project called the “Unleash Joy Donation Drive,” where she chose to collect donations benefiting a shelter or foster animal organization. She chose Second Chance Dogs, a non-profit organization based in McKenna that rescues and rehabilitates dogs.
Bauer volunteers at InGenius! Local Artisan Gallery & Boutique, 207 First St. S. in Yelm, while she finishes her master’s degree in wildlife conservation at Unity Environmental University. She set up a small Christmas tree in the store to collect items based on Second Chance Dogs’ wish list.
“Before I moved here last year, I used to work at a government-run animal shelter and noticed how much they don’t get funding from anyone, so it was all donations,” Bauer said. “It’s really a struggle. So here, I tried to do what I could to get, not just necessities, but also some fun stuff to help brighten the dogs’ day.”
InGenius! owner Andrea Levanti previously worked with Second Chance Dogs, so Bauer knew it would be a good fit for her project. They are collecting dry and soft food, antler chews, soft chews and other treats, beds, toys and puppy pads and looking for dog foster homes.
“We have a box full of toys that have been donated, so we’re really looking for food right now. We have two small bags of puppy food, so we could use some more,” she said.
Bauer said she planned to accept donations through the end of December but may go to mid-January for food donations. The amount of donations so far has exceeded her expectations, and the community support has convinced her to remain in Yelm permanently after moving from Augusta, Georgia.
“We love it here. We’re thinking of staying here permanently because we just love it here so much,” Bauer said. “This is such a community area. No matter what small business you go to in this area, everyone is friendly and they know each other. The community cares so much about the small businesses, and that’s priceless to me because that’s not at all what it was like where I came from. It’s really heartwarming to see how much people want to help and how excited they get when they get to bring stuff to donate.”
Bauer, who has been drawing since she was young, became interested in drawing again after she joined InGenius! and now has her own area for her art that she calls Silly Goose Artworks. She is working on a series of stickers where she draws endangered species and includes information about why they are endangered and how people can help.
“It’s just a cool little sticker to have, and I donate some of the proceeds I get from them to causes that help the animals,” Bauer said.
To learn more about Second Chance Dogs, visit the website at https://secondchancedogs.net/ or its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SecondChanceDogs/.t
