“I always tell people that I grew up on an island,” Angela “Annie” J.B. Wilson says with pride. “It may not be a tropical island, but it’s my little island.”
For this local Alamedan, the island is a community that “comes together when someone has a need.” Annie volunteers for Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS), and when her dog Virginia “Gigi” Woof was diagnosed with cancer, the shelter reciprocated her efforts by providing emergency vet support through their Skyla Fund. Annie also organized a fundraising sidewalk sale and neighbors responded with generous donations of furniture, clothing, and art. “People were so kind,” she says. “I felt so much love.” When Annie threw a party to say goodbye to Gigi, dozens of Alamedans showed up to support.
A sense of reciprocal community support energizes Annie’s work as a volunteer with animal shelters. Annie grew up with cats, dogs, chickens, and hamsters, and now serves several foster and rescue organizations, including Muttville Senior Dog Rescue in San Francisco. To spread the word about dogs looking for their “forever homes,” she writes bios and creates engaging videos.
Annie, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), makes the videos by skillfully using an eye-tracking technology system called Eyegaze Edge. Having developed the precise skill required to use her eyes to move text and images, Annie can now finish editing a video in just about two hours. Thanks to her creative video editing, Annie was recently featured in a Forbes article and a video documentary, “Annie Loves Dogs.” She praises accessible technology systems that can restore independence and privacy for people who cannot speak or use their hands. “The world is literally at the tip of a person’s eyeballs,” she says.
As if Annie’s volunteering and graphic design skills weren’t impressive enough, she began undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Southern New Hampshire University, and is now pursuing a master’s degree in Advanced Counter Terrorism and Homeland Security. At 44 years old, Annie is proof that “it’s never too late to learn something new,” and to begin pursuing a new career. She plans to focus on victim advocacy and animal rights.
“We have to be the voice for all animals,” she says, pointing to the need for stronger protections against animal abuse and accountability across states…