Patty Hichborn has never been one to sit idly. She’s up at dawn, just in time to watch the sun come up over the quaint little town of Terryville, Connecticut. After she’s had her coffee, it’s time to head out to her garage where she’s set up a make-shift work shop. There, she sorts through piles of fabric, which she’ll cut to size and sew into various dog beds, mats and comforters. And not just any dog beds. She’s making beds for dogs in animal shelters and for dogs in the custody of rescue groups.
The Shelter Dog Bed Project started back in 2011 after Patty witnessed a shelter dog curled up on a hard, cold floor. She could sense the fear and discomfort in the eyes of the gray faced Labrador. Right then and there, she decided to make a bed for that one particular dog.
After delivering the bed and seeing how comforted the old Labrador was, Patty realized that she’d discovered a practical solution to a common problem: beds for shelter dogs spending days and even weeks on cold concrete floors. Who would have thought that just one dog would become the inspiration for what has become a behemoth of a project? Since that time, Patty has transformed hundreds of comforters, blankets and pillows into usable dog beds.
“When I started the project, I was working on the beds, maybe eight hours a week. Now it consumes most of my time, but I love the challenges; the juggling of all the different aspects, incoming donations, keeping supplies sorted, the computer work, making contacts and coordinating deliveries.”
“Seems like a huge undertaking for just one person. Have you recruited any volunteers from your community?”
“I had a gal coming once a week to help sew. I have another gal who braids the tug toys and ties the tied blankets. I have a few people who carry the beds to neighboring states on their trips. Loretta in California has been managing the website, keeping it current. Sheryle in Utah is my writer for articles and the blog on the website. My sister, Debbi is my sewing machine fixer and advisor on different topics, also helps with the cutting and sewing.”
Once the word got out about the project, Patty received mountains of donations, fabric of all kinds in which she sews into various shapes and sizes of beds, all made to accommodate the needs of each shelter. Some beds are raised, made out of PVC pipe with vinyl tops. Others are waterproof with washable slip-covers.
“How many dog beds have you made since you started the project?”
“We donated 480 beds in 2012. In 2013, we had a goal of 1000 beds, but because we were making other comfort items, we donated only 614 beds. For 2014, we will be keeping a tally of total items donated.”
“As of today, what are your most urgent needs, as far as donations?”
“I need blankets and comforters. We received a generous donation last year from the Marriot Hotel. One hundred pillows! We have used most of them, and would love to have more from any hotel interested in donating them to us. No donation is too small or unworthy.”
Drop-offs are welcome any time of day at 351 Main Street in beautiful Terryville. On any given day, you’ll find Patty in her garage sorting through bags of fabric, quilts, bedspreads, flannel sheets, blankets; anything that she can cut and sew.
“How long does it take to make one dog bed?”
“That is really a hard question to answer, as I never make one bed at a time. It’s a process. I cut the pieces for the pillow beds, and then sew them at a different time. There really is no way to get a time frame on it. If pressed, I would guess a few hours.”
Patty spends countless hours scouring the internet for recycled materials.
“Some local companies have donated awning material, pool cover material, various fabrics, as well as many generous people donating bedding, some holding donation drives for us in their community.”
Bulky hems from blankets are made into tug toy rings. Small pieces of fabric too small to use for the beds are added to the batting when filling the beds. Instead of purchasing twine, strips of fabric scrap are used to tie the bundles of beds together for easier handling. Any unused materials are re-donated to youth groups throughout the Hartford area.
“Nothing goes to waste. Remember the tornado that touched down in East Windsor, Connecticut back in July of this year?” Patty was able to collect material from the Sports World dome that was destroyed by the tornado which turned out to be perfect for making waterproof beds.
“I’ve always had dogs,” Patty explains. “Always had dog pound dogs; I’m a firm believer in rescue dogs verses breed specific. I love the senior dogs. I was taught at an early age how to treat an animal, how to care for it, to tend to their needs as part of the family. I used to raid the box of dog biscuits and bring them to the dog pound a few streets over and feed them to the dogs there, always promising them I would break them out as soon as I could. I used to be a cat person. I did always have little dogs, but when my little Yorkie mix, Jake passed away at 20 years of age, I decided to get a big dog. I absolutely love the senior dogs.”
For the older dogs suffering from arthritis, and dogs nursing their puppies, extra padding on a raised bed is more comfortable and soothing than a concrete floor. Just ask Patty and she’ll make any type and as many beds as you need.
Patty not only has a special place in her heart for the senior dogs, she’s spent many years working as a certified nursing assistant for the elderly in her community. She’s mowed lawns, raked leaves, helped with housework.
“I have made a lot of wonderful friends over the years. After I bought my house, I had a tea party, inviting a few of the elderly ladies that I was working for. It was such a treat, the ladies gathering, all sharing their memories with me.”
“Tell me about your dog, Cody. I understand that you recently lost him to old age.”
“I adopted Cody at age 12 from a private family. I was boarding a dog at the time, Shadow, a very intelligent dog with a big personality. Shadow taught Cody how to communicate with me, and during his six years with me, he grew into the most lovable, personable dog I have ever had. He was a true gentleman. He was like the greeting committee at the park. He would stay at the entrance of the park and greet all the dogs coming in. When he went to the vet at age 17 for a tooth extraction, he went around the waiting room and gave all the dogs a kiss.”
“Cody will surely be missed. You’ve got another dog.”
“Sasha is my sweet girl. She is a black lab. I adopted her at age 8 from a family that was using her to make puppies. She is very shy and timid. She misses Cody. She loves to go to the park, hers, as well as Cody’s favorite place is Black Rock State Park. She is a different dog when at the park, rolling in the grass, going swimming in the stream, sniffing out all the squirrels.”
“What have you learned from your dogs over the years?”
“Having dogs has taught me to really pay attention to the unspoken. The world is such a busy, fast paced place. It’s so easy to miss the important things. My dogs show me how to slow down, look around me, and appreciate the sunlight, the cool grass, the hidden place along the brook.”
“To what do you attribute your success?”
“I have always been independent and thinking outside the box. I take great pride in the fact that the project has grown so much in two years.”
“What is your vision for the future?”
“My vision is to have a rent-free space nearby set up to make lots and lots of beds, a handful of volunteers sewing and cutting, donations coming in from all kinds of places and having the beds in rescues in 20 states.”
If her blue pickup truck is in the driveway, that means that she’s home. If not, you can leave donations at her door. She’s grateful for anything you’ve got that she can recycle into usable dog beds. Patty also welcomes volunteers, anyone that can sort, cut and sew for a few hours a week.
“There is always something to do, not just sewing. No special skills needed.”
If you are interested in donating fabric, or time, you can contact Patty at (860) 880-1533 or email her at: [email protected]. Her website: shelterdogbedproject.weebly.com. Currently, the project turns out eight different dog comfort items, some of which can be seen on the web page. Also, be sure to check out her Facebook site: Shelter Dog Bed Project.
“How has the project changed your life?”
“I feel that I have found my place in the universe with the project. It’s a great feeling to get up in the morning knowing my day will be filled with work that is so needed. I’ve become much more confident in speaking with people. I am now able to approach a group and ask if they would be able to hold a donation drive for the bedding items needed. I am much more computer literate too. It is a lifeline to the rescues. I am able to bring a lot of my ideas that are always floating around in my head to fruition. I do tend to be creative, and the project has honed those skills very well.”
“What would you say has been your most difficult challenge throughout the project?”
“The challenges are really overwhelming sometimes, but I have found so many generous and giving people in the whole rescue network who make the challenges easier to bear. Because there is no money involved, my full attention can be on operating the project. I would say the most difficult challenge for me is to slow down! I’m so anxious to get these beds to the dogs in need!"
And at the end of each day, Patty will tell you that her formula for success is simple: Her love and passion for dogs.
The Shelter Dog Bed Project started back in 2011 after Patty witnessed a shelter dog curled up on a hard, cold floor. She could sense the fear and discomfort in the eyes of the gray faced Labrador. Right then and there, she decided to make a bed for that one particular dog.
After delivering the bed and seeing how comforted the old Labrador was, Patty realized that she’d discovered a practical solution to a common problem: beds for shelter dogs spending days and even weeks on cold concrete floors. Who would have thought that just one dog would become the inspiration for what has become a behemoth of a project? Since that time, Patty has transformed hundreds of comforters, blankets and pillows into usable dog beds.
“When I started the project, I was working on the beds, maybe eight hours a week. Now it consumes most of my time, but I love the challenges; the juggling of all the different aspects, incoming donations, keeping supplies sorted, the computer work, making contacts and coordinating deliveries.”
“Seems like a huge undertaking for just one person. Have you recruited any volunteers from your community?”
“I had a gal coming once a week to help sew. I have another gal who braids the tug toys and ties the tied blankets. I have a few people who carry the beds to neighboring states on their trips. Loretta in California has been managing the website, keeping it current. Sheryle in Utah is my writer for articles and the blog on the website. My sister, Debbi is my sewing machine fixer and advisor on different topics, also helps with the cutting and sewing.”
Once the word got out about the project, Patty received mountains of donations, fabric of all kinds in which she sews into various shapes and sizes of beds, all made to accommodate the needs of each shelter. Some beds are raised, made out of PVC pipe with vinyl tops. Others are waterproof with washable slip-covers.
“How many dog beds have you made since you started the project?”
“We donated 480 beds in 2012. In 2013, we had a goal of 1000 beds, but because we were making other comfort items, we donated only 614 beds. For 2014, we will be keeping a tally of total items donated.”
“As of today, what are your most urgent needs, as far as donations?”
“I need blankets and comforters. We received a generous donation last year from the Marriot Hotel. One hundred pillows! We have used most of them, and would love to have more from any hotel interested in donating them to us. No donation is too small or unworthy.”
Drop-offs are welcome any time of day at 351 Main Street in beautiful Terryville. On any given day, you’ll find Patty in her garage sorting through bags of fabric, quilts, bedspreads, flannel sheets, blankets; anything that she can cut and sew.
“How long does it take to make one dog bed?”
“That is really a hard question to answer, as I never make one bed at a time. It’s a process. I cut the pieces for the pillow beds, and then sew them at a different time. There really is no way to get a time frame on it. If pressed, I would guess a few hours.”
Patty spends countless hours scouring the internet for recycled materials.
“Some local companies have donated awning material, pool cover material, various fabrics, as well as many generous people donating bedding, some holding donation drives for us in their community.”
Bulky hems from blankets are made into tug toy rings. Small pieces of fabric too small to use for the beds are added to the batting when filling the beds. Instead of purchasing twine, strips of fabric scrap are used to tie the bundles of beds together for easier handling. Any unused materials are re-donated to youth groups throughout the Hartford area.
“Nothing goes to waste. Remember the tornado that touched down in East Windsor, Connecticut back in July of this year?” Patty was able to collect material from the Sports World dome that was destroyed by the tornado which turned out to be perfect for making waterproof beds.
“I’ve always had dogs,” Patty explains. “Always had dog pound dogs; I’m a firm believer in rescue dogs verses breed specific. I love the senior dogs. I was taught at an early age how to treat an animal, how to care for it, to tend to their needs as part of the family. I used to raid the box of dog biscuits and bring them to the dog pound a few streets over and feed them to the dogs there, always promising them I would break them out as soon as I could. I used to be a cat person. I did always have little dogs, but when my little Yorkie mix, Jake passed away at 20 years of age, I decided to get a big dog. I absolutely love the senior dogs.”
For the older dogs suffering from arthritis, and dogs nursing their puppies, extra padding on a raised bed is more comfortable and soothing than a concrete floor. Just ask Patty and she’ll make any type and as many beds as you need.
Patty not only has a special place in her heart for the senior dogs, she’s spent many years working as a certified nursing assistant for the elderly in her community. She’s mowed lawns, raked leaves, helped with housework.
“I have made a lot of wonderful friends over the years. After I bought my house, I had a tea party, inviting a few of the elderly ladies that I was working for. It was such a treat, the ladies gathering, all sharing their memories with me.”
“Tell me about your dog, Cody. I understand that you recently lost him to old age.”
“I adopted Cody at age 12 from a private family. I was boarding a dog at the time, Shadow, a very intelligent dog with a big personality. Shadow taught Cody how to communicate with me, and during his six years with me, he grew into the most lovable, personable dog I have ever had. He was a true gentleman. He was like the greeting committee at the park. He would stay at the entrance of the park and greet all the dogs coming in. When he went to the vet at age 17 for a tooth extraction, he went around the waiting room and gave all the dogs a kiss.”
“Cody will surely be missed. You’ve got another dog.”
“Sasha is my sweet girl. She is a black lab. I adopted her at age 8 from a family that was using her to make puppies. She is very shy and timid. She misses Cody. She loves to go to the park, hers, as well as Cody’s favorite place is Black Rock State Park. She is a different dog when at the park, rolling in the grass, going swimming in the stream, sniffing out all the squirrels.”
“What have you learned from your dogs over the years?”
“Having dogs has taught me to really pay attention to the unspoken. The world is such a busy, fast paced place. It’s so easy to miss the important things. My dogs show me how to slow down, look around me, and appreciate the sunlight, the cool grass, the hidden place along the brook.”
“To what do you attribute your success?”
“I have always been independent and thinking outside the box. I take great pride in the fact that the project has grown so much in two years.”
“What is your vision for the future?”
“My vision is to have a rent-free space nearby set up to make lots and lots of beds, a handful of volunteers sewing and cutting, donations coming in from all kinds of places and having the beds in rescues in 20 states.”
If her blue pickup truck is in the driveway, that means that she’s home. If not, you can leave donations at her door. She’s grateful for anything you’ve got that she can recycle into usable dog beds. Patty also welcomes volunteers, anyone that can sort, cut and sew for a few hours a week.
“There is always something to do, not just sewing. No special skills needed.”
If you are interested in donating fabric, or time, you can contact Patty at (860) 880-1533 or email her at: [email protected]. Her website: shelterdogbedproject.weebly.com. Currently, the project turns out eight different dog comfort items, some of which can be seen on the web page. Also, be sure to check out her Facebook site: Shelter Dog Bed Project.
“How has the project changed your life?”
“I feel that I have found my place in the universe with the project. It’s a great feeling to get up in the morning knowing my day will be filled with work that is so needed. I’ve become much more confident in speaking with people. I am now able to approach a group and ask if they would be able to hold a donation drive for the bedding items needed. I am much more computer literate too. It is a lifeline to the rescues. I am able to bring a lot of my ideas that are always floating around in my head to fruition. I do tend to be creative, and the project has honed those skills very well.”
“What would you say has been your most difficult challenge throughout the project?”
“The challenges are really overwhelming sometimes, but I have found so many generous and giving people in the whole rescue network who make the challenges easier to bear. Because there is no money involved, my full attention can be on operating the project. I would say the most difficult challenge for me is to slow down! I’m so anxious to get these beds to the dogs in need!"
And at the end of each day, Patty will tell you that her formula for success is simple: Her love and passion for dogs.