Sir Darius Brown is a 12-year old with a love of fashion and sewing skills that he’s using in a unique way. He makes bow ties for rescue animals to help them find a home.
In 2019 Sir Darius will visit shelters and adoption centers across the USA, volunteering, assisting during adoption events, and donating bow ties in hopes of getting as many dogs adopted as he can.
Sir Darius is a lover of clothes himself and understands that first impressions matter. Helping dogs to look more attractive can’t hurt when it comes to finding them homes. He says that when people come to a shelter and see a dog looking cute and dapper in a bow tie, they can’t resist taking him or her home.
Honing his skills
When Sir Darius was two years old, he was diagnosed with various problems. He battled with speech and comprehension and his fine motor skills development was delayed.
When he was about eight years old, he used to watch his sister sew and he began to help her cut out fabric which improved his motor skills. It wasn’t long before he began to design and create bow ties that he would sell to family, friends and at events.
The creation of Beaux and Paws
When Hurricane Irma and then Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, leaving destruction in their wake, Sir Darius became aware of all the dogs and cats that had lost their homes.
Euthanizing thousands of them was the only option in many cases when there wasn’t enough space and they weren’t adopted in time.
Sir Darius came up with the idea of designing and creating bow ties for cats and dogs to make them look more appealing to families who would hopefully then adopt them and care for them.
He began by donating his bow ties to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) as well as animal shelters across the country and in the U.K.
Sir Darius decided to make his idea official and formed a business called Beaux and Paws. The business grew and he could purchase the materials for his bow ties and donate a portion of each sale to the ASPCA. He’s now trying to keep up with requests that come from all over the world.
Praise for his idea
Sir Darius has already received many rewards for his work as well as support and encouragement from people across the country. He has been featured on websites and many news outlets.
His awards include the Youth Changer Award from Excel Honors, the Leadership Award from the WDIB Conference and the Jasmina Youth Award from the Block Cotton Foundation.
Former President Barack Obama wrote Sir Darius a letter, acknowledging his work. He commends him for his commitment to community service and for lifting up the lives of those around him.
This enterprising entrepreneur not only has the support of Barack Obama and thousands of followers on Instagram but he has helped to find homes for countless four-legged friends.