For Kelly Howell, a chance encounter at the Mill Creek Festival in 2019 turned into a lasting relationship with an organization she says has given her a meaningful way to help animals and her community. Howell, who has lived in Mill Creek for 15 years, was walking the festival with her daughter when something caught her eye: a colorful logo featuring a painter’s palette and a pawprint. “We were very curious; we had to stop and meet her!” Howell recalls.

The woman behind the logo was Alix, founder of Paw Arty, a nonprofit that uses art and community to shine a spotlight on shelter animals and help them find support, foster homes, and forever families. The organization was originally known as PawsWithCause before intentionally transitioning to the Paw Arty name, which was trademarked earlier this year. Howell was immediately drawn to Alix’s story, particularly the personal experience that inspired the organization. Alix had painted with her mother, who had Alzheimer's, finding in those shared creative moments a way to build confidence, purpose, and memories. After her mother passed away, Alix began bringing art into assisted living communities, including one in Mill Creek. “I thought her goal was so important – to get shelter animals seen, as well as working with the community on a shared sense of purpose,” Howell says.

That first meeting quickly became a volunteer opportunity for Howell and potentially a Girl Scout Silver Award project for her daughter. Although COVID ultimately interrupted the project, Howell’s involvement with Paw Arty continued. Today, much of her volunteer work happens quietly from her home, usually over coffee with her cats wandering across her laptop and her dog waiting for his morning walk. Howell and Alix connect several times a month to identify shelters in need of a little extra attention. 

Howell then visits shelter websites to research animals available for adoption or foster care, gathering photographs, names, breeds, ages, health information, and their stories. That information becomes what Paw Arty calls a “bio pull.” From there, the animals’ images are turned into cutouts for volunteer sketchers, who create 8-by-10-inch canvases. Those sketches become the centerpiece of community painting events, where participants choose an animal to paint while learning its story through an accompanying bio card.

Howell also creates gallery cards with each animal’s photograph and information. Her work helps supply Paw Arty’s 28 “Hallway Galleries” in local businesses and community spaces, where finished paintings and their corresponding pet stories can be seen. Each year, Howell helps create approximately 48,000 of the small gallery cards. Alix calls Howell a “Creator,” describing her as one of the behind-the-scenes artists who makes the entire process possible. “It takes a team, a community of artists, if you will, to bring Paw Arty to life,” Alix says. “Kelly steps into the pivotal role of helping Paw Arty manage our program to get them seen.”

For Howell, the work has opened her eyes to the enormous need facing shelters across Washington. She researches animals from more than 100 area shelters and says every story stays with her, from shy cats and dogs looking for a safe home to farm animals, guinea pigs, birds, reptiles, and fish. She is equally moved by the people behind the shelters. “I can tell by the way they write the pet biographies that they care and take the time to get to know the animals, what their needs are, and what type of home would suit them the best,” she says.

The art creates another layer of connection. At painting events, participants aren’t simply creating something pretty. They are learning the story behind the animal they are painting, turning creativity into advocacy. And sometimes, the artwork may even help spark an adoption. At a recent “Painting with a Purpose” event with Project Serve Outreach and Venture Vets at Venture Church in Mill Creek, Alix watched a father quietly ask whether the kitten his daughter was painting was still available. “I think there was a surprise in the works!” Alix says.

That is the heart of Paw Arty for both women: helping animals while bringing people together. For Howell, the organization is about much more than donating time or money. “In helping these animals, we end up supporting each other,” she says. Alix believes that spirit of service is especially powerful in a community like Mill Creek, where one small act of kindness can lead to another. “We become less bystanders and more interactive participants in our community,” she says. “We help one another and in return, lead better, more fulfilled lives.”

For Howell, there is plenty that keeps her coming back. She enjoys the work, loves seeing Paw Arty grow, and finds purpose in helping animals that might otherwise go unnoticed. “It’s important to shine a spotlight on shelters that might otherwise struggle to get visibility,” Howell says. “And by turning adoptable pets into artwork and displaying the canvases in local businesses and community spaces, it increases the chances of those pets finding their forever homes.” Sometimes, making a difference starts with something as simple as stopping at a festival booth because a colorful pawprint catches your eye.