A North Bend girl is on a mission to save and protect animals threatened by the Gulf Coast oil spill.

Ally Tiryakioglu, a 10-year-old student at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Snoqualmie, is selling bracelets to benefit the International Bird Rescue and Research Center.

She set up booths at local supermarkets and has raised about $400 toward her goal of $750.

“I really like animals,” Ally said. “I saw the pictures of the birds and was really upset. I wanted to help them out.”

Patrons have been generous. Most passersby contributed to Ally’s cause, and any donation above a dollar goes to proceeds. Her first patron handed her a $20 bill.

Ally said she’d like to learn more about fundraising.

“I’m extremely proud of her,” said mom Adra Tiryakioglu.

The International Bird Rescue Research Center works to mitigate human impact on aquatic birds and other wildlife. The group is active in spill response in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. In late August, the IBRRC released 150 clean birds into the wild.

• To learn more about the fundraiser, or to donate, call Ally’s family at (425) 831-1682. Learn about the International Bird Rescue Research Center at www.ibrrc.org.