12-year-old designs bow ties to dress up shelter dogs looking to be adopted

A dog wearing one of Darius Brown's bow ties.
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Access)

Darius Brown hopes that by helping shelter dogs and cats look their best, he's improving their chances of starting life over again with a new family.

The 12-year-old from Newark, New Jersey, makes snazzy bow ties that he donates to rescue organizations and shelters across the country. "It helps the dog look noticeable, very attractive," Brown told Today. "It helps them find a forever, loving home." Diagnosed with developmental delays as a toddler, Brown struggled with his fine motor skills until four years ago, when his sister, Dazhai Brown-Shearz, started making hair ribbons. "My mother and I came up with the idea that if he helped us with things like prepping the ribbon or cutting it, and sewing fabric together, it would help him," she said. "And it did — it worked."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.