The Asher House: Turning Rescue Stories Into Wearable Art With BeFunky
In 2017, Lee Asher left his day job to travel the country promoting dog adoptions and rescue awareness. Two years later, that calling became The Asher House, a nonprofit sanctuary in Oregon that now provides a safe haven for hundreds of animals across two locations. “Each dog has his or her own different reason for being here,” Lee says, “but I know that they’re supposed to be here.”
At The Asher House, BeFunky helps turn that sense of purpose into creative impact. Merchandise manager Tina Johnson uses the platform to transform rescue photos into t-shirts, mugs, and stickers that fund food, shelter, and medical care for more than 200 animals. Through BeFunky, she brings each animal’s story beyond the sanctuary gates, turning compassion into design that sustains their mission.
[BeFunky] gave us the tools to create great graphics and edit imagery ourselves, which meant we could cut back on outside design costs and put more of our resources directly toward the animals.
A Sanctuary With a Mission
The team has recently devoted significant time and resources to Lillie’s Lighthouse, a new quarantine and intake facility that will allow them to welcome more animals safely and provide the space needed to continue expanding their lifesaving work. Alongside this major addition, they’re also planning for a dedicated wolf area spanning more than 10 acres of the sanctuary property – a space designed to give rescued wolf-dog hybrids the safety, enrichment, and care they need to thrive. Each of these efforts helps The Asher House fulfill its vision to ensure that every animal, no matter their past, finds the loving home they deserve.
For Tina and the team, these moments of growth are measured less in acres and numbers, and more in the lives transformed – from four small dogs rescued from a hoarding case to a group of beagles spared from testing labs. Each animal that arrives at the sanctuary represents the heart of their organization: turning compassion into action, and second chances into lifelong homes.
None of this would be possible without the amazing support of our community, and we truly treasure every person who helps us carry out this mission.
Merch With a Purpose
Merchandise has become an essential extension of The Asher House’s work, funding food, medical care, and daily needs for animals across their sanctuaries. What began as simple staff shirts has grown into a full product line that supporters proudly collect and share. Each product helps tell a rescue story, turning everyday items into lasting reminders of compassion.
BeFunky has helped us save money, produce more graphics, edit faster, and turn ideas into finished designs with a quicker turnaround than ever before.
BeFunky plays a big role in making this possible. Tina explains, “We love using BeFunky because it allows us to explore so many creative ways to use our imagery and bring new designs to life that our supporters can enjoy.” With the Photo Editor, she transforms ordinary snapshots into print-ready artwork for shirts, mugs, stickers, and magnets – all without costly outsourcing or delays.
The photo editing tools are an absolute must-have for us. They’ve allowed us to create high-quality, printable images of so many dogs from our pack...
Among the team’s favorite features is the Underpainting DLX effect, which adds a painterly finish to each animal’s portrait. It’s become a signature look for their merchandise and a fan favorite among supporters, many of whom collect multiple items as a way of honoring the rescue stories that resonate most.
A Community That Gives Back
The Asher House is more than a sanctuary – it’s a movement built on compassion, creativity, and community. BeFunky has helped them bring that movement to life in ways that stretch beyond the fences of their property, turning animal rescues into stories supporters can wear, share, and cherish.
To support The Asher House directly, visit www.theasherhouse.com or follow them on Instagram @theasherhouse. And to create your own meaningful designs, explore how BeFunky can turn your photos into works of art.
