BATTLE CREEK, Mich — Anne Barea has found a second act that is changing lives — one puppy at a time.
The Battle Creek woman retired after more than 30 years at Kellogg and found herself at a crossroads.
"I was starting to think, what am I going to do next?" Barea said.
The answer came on four paws. Barea began raising puppies for Paws With A Cause, a nonprofit that provides custom-trained working dogs that bring confidence, comfort, and life-changing support.
She has since raised 7 puppies, training each for more than a year as they begin their journey to becoming service dogs.
"I believe so much in their mission," Barea said. "And, just knew I wanted to work with dogs."
It all started with a dog named Jordy.
"He was our first dog. He ended up going to a woman in New York City," Barea said.
The dogs that followed have gone on to serve people across the country in a variety of roles. Austin became a facility dog at an elementary school in Three Rivers. Tiger is with a little girl with autism in Pennsylvania.
Jeter became an electronic storage detection dog. Bogey went to a man in New Jersey. Oscar is serving a veteran in Michigan. Jingles, her 7th dog, is currently continuing his training in a Michigan prison.
That leaves Wallace — her 8th dog, a black lab currently in her care.
"The more I learned about Paws, and the more dogs I got, the more I just fell in love with Paws," Barea said.
For Barea, the mission is personal.
"I do have [multiple sclerosis], one of the things that really drove me also to go to Paws, because I thought, how cool would it be if I could raise a puppy that went to a person with MS," Barea said.
The hardest part of the work is saying goodbye.
"I always say it's like sending your kid to college, right?" Barea said.
But hearing from the people her dogs go on to serve makes it easier.
"It makes it easier as we go along, you know, we hear more and more stories. They get in touch with me a lot of the time. They'll see on Facebook that I turned my puppy in, and I'll hear from a few of them, either with a text or a Facebook, and just say, 'Hey, thanks again for doing this. Thank you for changing my life,'" Barea said.
Barea's commitment to Paws With A Cause has grown beyond raising puppies. She launched a charity golf tournament in 2022 that raises roughly $10,000 each year.
"We are really trying to make it number one, fun, number two, a chance for people to learn about Paws," Barea said.
Along the way, Barea has also become a professional dog trainer — trading one career for a new calling.
"It's life changing for us as well," Barea said.
She has no plans to slow down.
"I will be involved with Paws Forever. I will tell you that," Barea said.
The effort has become a family affair. Barea's daughter serves as a finisher home, helping raise the puppies as they prepare for advanced training.
Barea's annual fundraiser, the Battle Creek Classic, is set for July 11 at Binder Park Golf Course (7255 B Dr S, Battle Creek, MI 49014)
Learn more about the event here.
As the FOX 17 and Lake Michigan Credit Union Pay it Forward Person of the Month, Barea receives a $250 prize.
Know someone who should be featured next month? Nominate them here.
Meet Andrea Gagnon, our April 2026 Pay it Forward Person of the Month.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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