Art auction supports wildlife sanctuary

By April Grossruck

Come on down to Skagit Cellars Winery tasting room this week to view and bid on over 50 original artworks to benefit Predators of the Heart. Bid now and come to the auction on Dec. 10, 5-7pm.

Predators of the Heart is a 501(c)3 nonprofit wildlife sanctuary and education and conservation center in Anacortes. Our mission is to educate children and adults about wildlife, to build a culture of respect and compassion towards wild animals and the environment. We strongly believe that each animal plays an active, critical role in our shared ecosystem; an animal's value is not determined by its similarity or services to humans. We aim to open the eyes and hearts of the public to showcase how we cannot thrive if our wildlife and natural world are not cared for and respected.

Beyond rescuing animals, our focus is childhood education thru virtual custom curriculum for classrooms and youth programs. We believe youth education should be free and we offer this opportunity thru sponsorships and grants. However, our most famous and reliable income stream is our Howling With Ambassadors wolf encounter for adults, which provides a safe environment to interact with and learn about wolves in a natural setting.

In February 2022, Skagit County blocked our tour program. For 10 months, we've been pinching every penny to give our wolves and rescue wildlife the quality of life they deserve. We're negotiating with the county to receive a permit in order to reopen - a process which has taken a huge toll on our daily operations. Artwork sales will keep the lights on and support our virtual education events!

At the same time, we are fighting a lawsuit served by individuals who are antithetical to our work and who are fully aware that if we close, over 100 exotic animals will be euthanized.

Predators of the Heart expertly cares for wolves, cougars, bobcats, birds of prey, many different species of reptiles, small mammals and more on our 10-acre sanctuary. We are insured and licensed by the USDA, who have granted POTH Class C Exhibitor Licensing – the highest level of licensing available to civilian organizations. This standard ensures the safe keeping, proper care and humane exhibition of our animals in the comfort of their forever homes.

That said, these hurdles are a great opportunity!

POTH would like to purchase a second location. Through fundraising, we will be able to turn our Anacortes location into our farm life, exotic bird and reptile educational and rescue center, while housing our wolves and other exotic animals at a different location. This will allow us to expand our mission and help more than the animals we already have! But we need your help! Artists include Teresa Saia, Dawn Emerson, Amanda Houston, Janet Laurel and many more!

Artwork is on view online at http://www.myminiauction.com/poth and in person at Skagit Cellars in Gilkey Square in La Conner.

Grossruck is on the board of directors of Predators of the Heart.