14-Year-Old Sews 1,000 Colorful Bow Ties To Help Animals Find Forever Homes

Sir Darius Brown Holding a Puppy Wearing a Bow Tie

When it comes to searching for a furry friend to adopt, many folks look online to find their furever connection. A great photo is key; it will make someone stop mid-scroll and hopefully bring that pet one step closer to finding a loving home. Sir Darius Brown, who is only 14 years old, understands this and is helping cute kitties and doggies, one bow tie at a time. He’s created Beaux & Paws, which has him sewing, selling, and donating colorful bow ties to animal shelters across the United States. The hope is that while wearing a tie, an animal will make an impression and get adopted faster.

Brown had the idea for bow ties in 2017 after learning the devastating truth that so many animals were displaced during Hurricane Harvey in Texas as well as Hurricane Irma in Florida and Puerto Rico. They were transported to different parts of the United States in order to find new homes. Since “people look great in bow ties,” Brown thought dogs would, too. He was right! Brown has donated over 1,000 of the dapper accessories to more than 30 shelters (over the years) where they’ve been a huge hit.

Knowing that something as simple as a bow tie has given an animal the chance at happiness is priceless. “The most rewarding part is when shelters reach out to me and let me know a dog that wore one of my bow ties has been adopted,” Brown tells My Modern Met. “It makes me feel good to know I played a part in helping them find a forever home.”

Brown is still sewing bow ties with intentions of building on his animal advocacy. “I plan to resume [my] Pawsome Mission in the summer of 2021,” he explains, “visiting different shelters, participating in adoption events, donating my bow ties to shelters, and spotlighting their adoptable dogs on social media.” Eventually, he’d like one of the pups featured on his social media to be his own. “In the future, I plan to adopt my own dog. Unfortunately, where I live they don't allow pets. I plan to adopt a few dogs and be a foster parent for dogs.”

If you’d like to help Brown in his Pawesome Mission, he is now collecting donations on his GoFundMe page.