Life in a shelter for dogs or cats is not as wonderful as you might think. Although they are lucky enough to have food every day, waiting for days, months or years to be adopted can affect them physically and psychologically. Some are ignored for their appearance while others are ignored for their age, as many people prefer puppies or kittens over mature animals.
That’s why it’s important for everyone to stand out in their own way. Darius Brown, 12 years old, loves animals and wanted to do his bit to help them get families.
He had the idea of sewing ties for each of the dogs in a shelter himself, so that they would all look equally elegant and striking. “When people come into a shelter… they’ll see dogs wearing ties and they won’t be able to resist taking them home,” Darius told The Dodo.
With the help of his sister, he learned to sew, and he chose the fabrics himself, sewed the ties and delivered them to the shelter. To make his venture even more official, he called it Beaux & Paws and for the past few months he has even been taking orders for sewing custom ties.
More info: Instagram | Facebook | gofundme
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
“I saw on Facebook that many dogs had been rescued in Texas and Puerto Rico after Hurricane Harvey and Irma,” he said. “They came to New York with help from the ASPC to look for families so I signed up and donated the ties so the dogs would look nice and people would pay more attention to them.”
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
“Where I live we are not allowed to have pets and I feel sorry for that,” he said, although he hopes to adopt one in the future. “When I have a home with my own dogs I will also temporarily care for those who are still waiting for a family.
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
If you would like to contribute to Darius’ venture, you can do so through his GoFundMe page. This way even more dogs will have the chance to get their new looks and hopefully start a family.
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
In 2018, former President Barrack Obama honored Darius with a letter of recognition praising the young altruist for his commitment to community service.
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown
Photo credit: sirdariusbrown