We’re all familiar with the challenges shelter animals have to face when finding a forever home. For some, the wait is incredibly long, while others never get to share their life with a loving family. And though it breaks our hearts, we can witness heroic and in many cases, creative attempts to help abandoned animals get noticed and adopted.
Not all heroes wear capes, but some of them wear bow ties! Despite his young age, a 12-year-old from New Jersey, Darius Brown has taken an initiative to help our furry friends get adopted much faster. He creates handmade bow ties for four-legged companions and donates them to animal shelters to attract the attention of future owners.
Darius Brown has a compelling story of fighting against all odds himself which has definitely influenced his big heart and determination. At the young age of two, Darius Brown was diagnosed with speech, comprehension, and excellent motor skills; however, none of the challenges stopped him from setting and reaching his goal. At the age of eight, he started helping his older sister cut fabric for bows that also helped to develop his fine motor skills. This was when his amazing talent shone through and he did not think twice to use the skills and creativity for positive changes in the world.
At only eleven years old, Darius Brown founded a pet couture company “Beaux & Paws” specializing in stylish bow ties for people and their furry family members. The young CEO seems to know more about right ways of running a business better than many entrepreneurs when it comes to giving back. Darius has donated numerous bow ties to animal shelters and adoption centers across the US and the UK. And his endeavors are supported by more than 43k followers on Instagram.
A dog lover himself, Darius was inspired to help animals after the terrifying consequences of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in 2017. Many pets that had been left without homes were transferred to different shelters across the country, and because of a lack of adopters, they often faced euthanasia. Darius was determined to help rescue dogs and cats catch the eye of potential caretakers. That’s exactly what he did. His snazzy accessories have transformed thousands of shelter residents into cute and elegant pets ready to go home any minute.
For his efforts and achievements, he’s received the Leadership Award from Leaders of the Future No Limits, Outstanding Achievement Award from the WDIB Conference, the Youth Changer Award from “Excel Honors” and he'll be receiving the Jasmina Anema Youth Award from the “Black Cotton Foundation” in July 2019. Brown already speaks at events encouraging other people to volunteer and give back to the community.
Darius Brown’s sister, Dazhai, has launched a fundraising campaign inviting others to join Darius in his PAW-some mission to save more pets this summer. He has set a goal of visiting more than five states to volunteer at different shelters and adoption centers and providing them with his dapper bow ties.
More info: Instagram | Facebook | gofundme.com
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