11-Year-Old Accessorizes Pets to Help Them Find Furever Families

Animals in bow ties or bandanas are absolutely irresistible. That’s why an 11-year-old Falls River, Massachusetts girl is using her sewing skills to make bandanas for shelter pets to help them get adopted into furever homes. What’s really amazing is that she has only been sewing for a year, reported10 WJAR News.  

Malia Martinez’s sewing gift
Malia started sewing after she received a gift certificate for sewing lessons as a Christmas present and she really enjoyed it. After the classes, Malia visited a craft show and decided she wanted to make and sell pet bandanas.

“I am not a sewer, and so my mom has helped her," Malia’s mom, Crystal Martinez, who is a teacher told 10WJAR."My mom cut the fabric out for her, she monitors her, she helps her when she needs to iron things like that.”

Malia started spending time at her grandmother’s home sewing different size bandanas for dogs and cats. She has become very adept at creating different sizes and styles.

“We’ve made, like, so many,” Malia said. “It’s hard to keep track. We have a bunch of them,” she said. The collar slips through it and for people who want one normally [I say] I think you need this size and it comes out great and fits.”

Malia calls her sewing business Sew Creative by Malia and has created social media pages to showcase her pet bandanas.

Donating to shelter animals
Malia is also a big pet lover and her beloved dog Jayda passed away at age 15. While she has another dog at her father’s home, pets are not allowed where she and her mother live. Instead she went to local animal shelters – like Forever Paws in Falls River –  to play with the animals, according to WLBT3.

“When I go to see them in the animal shelters it’s kind of sad so I thought if we got them a bandana, they would look cuter like 'Oh this one is cute maybe I can adopt this one' and they would get a home and have the food and shelter they need," Malia told WLBT3.  

She spent weeks working on dozens of bandanas to donate to shelters. Malia also donates the proceeds from pop-up events to the shelters. She hopes that the pet accessories will help attract a protentional family.

Malia is a really kind giving person and she doesn’t want for much of anything. It makes her feel good to donate,” Martinez told 10JAR News.

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