Among Animals – June 2026

The North Star of Rescue: Kelli’s Story

What guides a person to devote their time, energy, and heart to animals in need, no matter the distance? For Kelli Bielema, the answer is as steady as a North Star. Based in Seattle, Kelli has been involved in animal rescue since 2007, but in 2020, during the pandemic, her path led her to Lakeside. After hearing about The Ranch and other local rescue groups, she flew down for just five days and returned home with eleven dogs bound for adopters up North. “From then on, I was addicted,” she said.

“Animal rescue is like my North Star, my passion,” Kelli told me recently during one of her twice-annual trips to Lake Chapala. “Some people find their passion in work or in a hobby, but I have found mine in helping animals.”

One of Kelli’s biggest contributions to The Ranch is her help with our social media marketing. With a background in marketing, event planning and social media, she brings a combination of skills that The Ranch often lacks. The Ranch needs cute videos and other types of posts to market our dogs and find them homes. Such social media work also helps us keep in contact with volunteers and donors (you know, those folks that keep The Ranch running!).

When Kelli visits, she not only flies dogs back up North, but she brings us loads of donated leashes, collars, and other essentials. Recently, she installed professionally printed reusable kennel cards on all of the shelter’s kennels. Information about each dog is now consistent and easy to read, making it simple for volunteers and potential adopters to learn what they need to know. Plus, the cards just look so spiffy!

At home, Kelli and her partner Patrick have a former Ranch dog, four cats, and a “rotating group of fosters.” Kelli helps not only The Ranch but other animal rescue groups that are close to her heart. Locally, this includes Tails of Mexico, the spay and neuter charity in Jocotepec. Kelli has even started her own charity in the US to expand her reach. You can find her at https://www.friendsandfurmily.org.

“Working with animals is healing. They are resilient and don’t ask for much. Since they can’t speak for themselves, I am so happy that my work helps to give them a voice,” she said.

Whether you live at Lakeside or anywhere in the world, you can help the dogs at The Ranch. Do you have special skills like photography or video production? Or do you prefer to do something lower tech, like helping us find partners up North or solicit donations? Here, we always need walkers, fosters, and folks to help with events. Reach out to us at adoptaranchdog@outlook.com or on our website at https://www.theranchchapala.com.