I am beyond excited to share that Empowering Animals is now officially recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity! 🎉🐾 Our tax-exempt status is effective August 24, 2026, and qualifying donations made to Empowering Animals are tax-deductible. What started as a way to bring animal lovers together, learn about incredible organizations, raise awareness, and help animals wherever we can is growing into something I honestly never imagined when I started. And now, Empowering Animals is officially a nonprofit. This doesn’t change who we are or why we’re here. We’re still going to learn, laugh, probably cry sometimes, discover amazing animals and the people protecting them, and find ways to make a real difference for the animals. And this new exempt status has opened up some exciting new doors and new ways for us to help. Thank you to every single person who has joined this community, participated, donated, voted, shared a story, and loved the animals. Together, we are empowering animals as an official nonprofit organization! 👏❤️🐾

Don’t be fooled by this beautiful creature’s name. Sea slugs come in an incredible variety of colors and patterns, and some of them are very ingenious little thieves. Certain sea slugs eat algae, steal the chloroplasts and store them inside their own cells. The chloroplasts continue using sunlight to produce nutrients, practically turning the sea slug into a solar-powered animal! Others eat stinging animals such as anemones and hydroids without setting off their stingers. Then they store those stolen stinging cells in their own bodies and use them for protection. Being called a slug does not prevent you from being beautiful, brilliant and a master of kleptoplasty. ❤️ Watch these fascinating beauties in action here.

I received a good-news text this morning that made my day! After more than four decades at the Sorocaba City Zoo in Brazil, Sandro is beginning his journey to a better life at Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, operated by Global Sanctuary for Elephants. When he arrives, Sandro will become the sanctuary’s first male Asian elephant. This has been years in the making, and I am so excited that we get to follow along as Sandro makes his way home. 🐘 Follow Sandro’s journey here. Safe travels, Sandro. Your new life is waiting for you. ❤️

I know some of you have been missing me. I have just spent the last 9 glorious days in vacation mode. Today will be my last day to just feel detached from the to-do list. Butterfly flew in for a visit, and we filled our joy plate with waterfall visits, morning walks in state parks, strolls through statues, and days on an island. You can see why it’s hard for me to reattach. ❤️ But I’m staying detached for one last day. I’ll pull a few things back together, but I’ll also be heading to my friend’s place to continue playing with Unicorn Spit. I’ll see you soon, and I’ll bring a little drumming music with me. 🥁❤️

Today we celebrate the hardworking people who keep our communities and country moving forward. We also honor those who fought for fair wages, safer working conditions, and reasonable hours that many of us benefit from today. Enjoy your holiday and stay safe! Butterfly and I are heading to Orcas Island, hoping to see, or at least hear, the whales while enjoying the Salish Sea and the enchanted beauty of the trees.