For shelter pups to get adopted, they need to stand out from the rest of the pack. Because of this, one teenage boy made it his mission to make sure they do — by providing them with a slew of adorable bowties that he makes himself.
Dazhai, Darius Brown’s sister, taught him to sew when he was only eight years old. The youngster’s first project was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed bowtie which proved to be so popular with his friends. After that, Darius knew he had found what he’s good at.
Joy, Darius’s mom, knew that his passion was something of a godsend. Diagnosed with fine-motor skills disorder at an early age, she noticed that Darius’s abilities seemed to improve as he dedicated his time to pursue his new craft.
When Darius found out about all the homeless pets left by Hurricane Irma in 2017, it inspired him to use his new talent in helping them get adopted. He delivered his first batch of bowties to New York City’s ASPCA animal shelter. It became a refuge for an influx of dogs and cats that Hurricane Irma displaced.
Darius saw how happy the people at the shelter were when they got the bowties, and the dogs seemed to enjoy wearing them, so he decided to make more bowties. So Darius came up with a goal to provide bowties to an animal shelter in every state in the U.S.
The youngster estimates that he’s sewn somewhere around 600 bowties for shelter animals since he started his goal. Eight U.S. states so far have been the beneficiaries of Darius’s paw-inspiring handiwork.
With a bit of help from his mom, Darius brought his brand, Beaux and Paws, to Facebook and Instagram. They also put up a GoFundMe campaign to dampen the cost of Darius’s sewing supplies. As the demand for his wares grew, Darius decided to broaden his niche by starting his own website, Sir Darius Brown. He always remembers to donate a portion of all profits to the ASPCA.
Source sirdariusbrown via Instagram