One of the things I love about Empowering Animals is finding different ways to raise money for the organizations doing the hard work of rescuing, rehabilitating, and protecting animals. Through my Cause & Chaos shirts and mugs, donated artwork, private donations, and our Premium and VIP memberships, we're building different ways to give back. Some of our designs donate 100% of the net profits, while others contribute a percentage. Proceeds from our Premium and VIP memberships go directly toward helping animals, too. My digital children's book, Love Doesn't Stink, gives 100% of the net profits to the care and protection of skunks. I'm sharing a few examples of how we're doing this with the help of two very talented artists: a one-of-a-kind linocut print gorilla design by Kate Bullock and a beautiful oil painting of Luna, the screech owl ambassador for All Things Wild, by Michelle Cyr. Both original pieces were donated to help raise funds for wildlife. Every month, our community also gets to vote on which animal organizations receive our donations. And everyone gets a vote, whether they're a free member or a paid supporter! Empowering Animals is about bringing people together who love animals and finding ways, big and small, to make a difference. Want to join us? We'd love to have you come be part of our mission to help the animals! Membership is free, and you're welcome to come see what we're all about. 🐾 Empowering Animals Or just stop by Cause & Chaos and enjoy some funny, sassy, or heartfelt animal-themed T-shirts and mugs. You might find something that makes you laugh or warms your heart! 😁 Cause & Chaos Graphic Tees And if you're a talented artist or craftsperson with some creative ideas for raising money to help animals, I'd love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments.

I design Cause & Chaos graphic tees as a way to not only make a living, but also give back to the animals. It's a win-win! I've recently added some new shirts, including the Office Chaos Collection, perfect for a trip to the HR department. 😂 I've also been playing around with Cause Cups and Chaos Cups! Every shirt gives 10% of the net profits to Empowering Animals, with a few special designs, like the gorilla and pangolin shirts, giving 100% of the net profits to animal organizations. 100% of the net profits from Cause Cups go to animal organizations, while 10% from Chaos Cups goes to Empowering Animals to help support the people taking care of the animals. Here's an invitation to check out what I've been working on. Go and enjoy a good laugh today, and if you want to wear some love and chaos around or have a nice addition to your morning caffeine, the animals will benefit too. ❤️🐾

Chaimu's story with her loving Sheldrick family spans 17 years. After being rescued as an orphan, she was raised and eventually rewilded herself. In September 2024, she gave birth to her first calf, Chapa, outside the home where she was raised. Sadly, she returned after more than a month and Chapa was no longer with her. Sheldrick is not sure what happened to her little boy. Chaimu came back around the Ithumba stockades a few months ago, visibly with calf. On October 2nd, she came back with a little baby girl in tow, Comet. Another beautiful light of hope. Comet is the 95th known grandcalf born to an orphan rescued, raised, and rewilded through Sheldrick's Orphans' Project. It is always such a heartwarming event when they bring their babies back to meet their Sheldrick family. It fills my soul with joy. Let's welcome Comet with love, hope, and a bright future for her and her incredible mother. Once orphaned, frightened, alone and almost blind. Now a fully healed, healthy miracle and contributor to our wonderful Earth. Here is the video of our newest star of the show. Enjoy the love today. ❤️ If stories like Comet's fill your heart too, I’d love to have you join us at Empowering Animals. ❤️🐾

Say cheeese, critter! That's exactly what is happening in Indonesian Borneo, and I love this approach to wildlife conservation! A program called KehatiKu, operated by Borneo Futures in West Kalimantan, is helping turn animal hunters into animal protectors by giving local communities a way to earn money photographing wildlife instead of removing them from their natural habitats. Using a dedicated mobile app, villagers photograph or record wildlife, submit their observations for verification, and receive payment based on the species. 📸 A common bird can earn approximately $0.30. 📸 An endangered orangutan can earn approximately $7.50. The beauty of this approach is that the same animal can be photographed over and over again, providing an ongoing opportunity to earn income while allowing the animal to remain wild and free. And look what this program has accomplished so far! 🐾 More than 800 local wildlife observers are participating. 🐾 Nine villages are involved, with two more expected to join in October 2026. 🐾 There are 73 species eligible for payments. 🐾 Two participating villages have voluntarily introduced hunting bans! The program is also helping researchers gather valuable information about wildlife populations and where different species are living. But there's another beautiful side to this story. One participant, a 50-year-old farmer named Octavius, shared that his earnings are helping pay for his children's college education. Another participant, 72-year-old Imelda, described how animals once viewed as pests, including deer and wild boar, are now animals people want to protect. This program currently has funding secured through 2028, although finding a way to sustain it financially over the long term remains an important goal and I will be keeping an on this one. 😊 What I especially love about this approach is that communities aren't being asked to choose between providing for their families and protecting the animals who share their world. They're being given an opportunity to do both and this is when the magic happens!

I saw this video yesterday and wanted to share it again. If you're watching on your phone, it may not be translated, but our hearts speak in all languages. This is such a beautiful example of how coming together can have such a profound impact on the heart, animals, and a community. The video says it all. Grab a tissue because this still makes me weepy. It's so beautiful to watch these people come together. And then, years later, a monument was erected that allows others to become part of the human chain. Wow. ❤️ The possibilities are endless. Let's become a link for the animals. 🐾 If you'd like to join us in Empowering Animals, we'd love to have you be part of the chain. ❤️