The Gold Zoo
The Alaska Wildlife Alliance is excited to announce a new small business Conservation Coalition with the Gold Zoo! This handmade watch business is donating monthly to Alaska Wildlife Alliance in support of our work and mission, and is encouraging their customers to donate to Alaska’s wildlife. We interviewed the Gold Zoo founder, Drew Ehlers, to tell members more about his company and their wildlife-focused mission.
Tell us about the Gold Zoo. What are your products and what is your mission?
The Gold Zoo was created with the original vision of selling beautiful handmade watches that support local animal shelters that save dogs from kill-shelters. I follow many animal-friendly accounts on social media, and they are constantly tweeting and posting pictures of dogs that will soon be put down. The thought of each dog being killed breaks my heart, and when you ration that 1.5 million of these animals are killed each year, it seems like a much larger problem than people think. The first non-profit that I sought out was the ASPCA, and we have now partnered with two groups that provide these animals with forever homes.
We also love the outdoors and recognize that many other species, and the ecosystems they depend on, need help. Even as a child, extinction was always a concept that really bothered me. How could our species, one of millions, lead to so many other species no longer existing? Humans seem to place themselves so far above the other species, and it has led to too much destruction of the environment and other animals.
For this reason, I've expanded the mission of The Gold Zoo. We seek to help ALL animals, as well as protecting the environment and wilderness for future generations, through our watch sales.
How did you come to select AWA as an NGO partner and how does this partnership strengthen your work and mission?
The Gold Zoo “Black Panther” watch
Part of our mission is to protect the wilderness and the environment. The Alaska Wildlife Alliance says it clearly on their website—Alaska is America’s last great wilderness—and I see no better way to support this cause than to support the work AWA does to protect it. Ten percent of the earth's wilderness has been destroyed since 1990, and this rate of destruction simply cannot be allowed to continue. The work AWA does not only to protect animals and their ecosystems, but also to educate others to allow them to do the same, is a mission that I see great value in.
I have never been to Alaska, but I think the state is such a unique aspect of American wildlife and wilderness. When I was a child, I would run through the woods and streams by my house looking for animals, pretending that I was in a great forest or jungle… Alaska IS that great wilderness I was pretending to be in. I hope to make a visit very soon and see it for myself.
What would you like to tell our members?
We are so proud to support our NGOs, and the feeling that I get from knowing that I am actually making a difference for the animals is incredible. We are seeking out customers that share our passion for animals and the environment, and we are hoping that we can inspire them to donate along the way!
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If you are interested in purchasing animal-friendly watch or bracelet, please visit www.thegoldzoo.com. The Gold Zoo also offers an affiliate program for discounts! The Gold Zoo's affiliates are passionate animal-loving people that help spread the company’s mission to others. The more people they are able to reach, the more animals they are able to help.
If this sounds like you, Drew and his team would love to have you on their affiliate team. Not only will you be helping them with their mission, but you will receive $10 cash immediately when someone you refer makes a purchase over $50, and your friend will enjoy 20% off of his/her purchase as well.
To become a Gold Zoo affiliate, click HERE.
