Artist Jan Brown (of Knittedwithlove) has dedicated over 4,000 hours to knitting cozy apparel for abandoned greyhounds. A few years ago, Brown was inspired by a friend and began to sell handmade doggy hats and coats. Shortly after, she decided to expand her work by donating blanket coats and hats to shelter greyhounds. Since this breed has thin fur and easily gets cold, Brown’s gifts come in handy during the wintertime and, thus far, she’s handcrafted over 300 pieces for these dogs. She also makes sure to mark each piece with a special symbol. “On each blanket coat I sew a heart on in memory of the hounds not fortunate enough to make it to rescue,” Brown told The Dodo, adding “The number is heartbreaking.”
In addition to her knitted contributions, the artist gives a percentage of her profits to greyhound rescue charities, while also using a portion of profits to buy more supplies to craft the blanket coats. “Jan’s been absolutely amazing for us–she’s saved us a lot of money that we need to spend on vet bills for our greyhounds,” stated Kerry Elliman, from Birmingham Greyhounds Protection, in a discussion about how Brown’s help has been invaluable.
To keep up with the demand for her creations, the artist quit her job in 2012 and now knits full-time. To learn more about Brown’s work or to purchase your own knitted, dog-friendly item, you can check out the Knittedwithlove website.
Photo source: The Dodo
Photo source: The Dodo
Photo source: The Dodo
Knittedwithlove: Website | Facebook
via [Mashable, Metro, The Dodo]
All images via Knittedwithlove unless otherwise stated.