Crafts to Memories: Milwaukee animal advocate sews to help small rescues

 

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The owner of a small business in Milwaukee has a mission to help small animal rescues throughout Wisconsin.

Vicky Van Lare is an animal advocate and creator of Crafts to Memories, a business creating an array of different products for your pets.

"I felt crafts will turn into memories with your animals via be their gotcha day, birthday, holiday, just fun," said Van Lare.

Fun, inspired by her own rescue dogs: Tai, Jasmine and Roxy.

"We found our dog Tai, he was abused like you don't understand he was abused. And I knew there are millions of other dogs and cats like him that needed help that needed a second chance. That's why I decided I needed to do something, and I have sewed since I was knee high to a grasshopper as my parents would say and I took my talent and I have expanded it," said Van Lare.

Now, she makes everything for our furry friends.

"One yard fleece blankets, which are good year-round honestly. I do snuggle pockets, which is a personal sleeping bag for a dog or a cat. I have flowers and bow ties for any season. Then I have bandanas. I spend a lot of time in fabric stores. Quilting stores fabric stores. I get a lot of fabric from online."

After sewing something new, Vicky takes photos of her own pups to showcase her products on social media.

"It's hard to have them all together because they all want to compete. One wants to sit one wants to lay it's like having real children," said Van Lare.

But the tail-wagging turn of Vicky's business, is the mission she has sewn into each sale.

"I try to donate to pick a rescue a month or pick a rescue for a couple months and I'll donate part of the sales to it. I like the little people. I do a lot with the rescues in Milwaukee and my goal for 2022 was to branch out for the rescues outside the Milwaukee area and start doing fundraisers with them," said Van Lare.

For these small rescues, each donation is a big deal.

"They are just thrilled, even if you were only able to give them $50, every penny counts to them. They say this will go towards helping an animal or this will go towards our medical fund because these rescues pull very sick animals from down south. It warms your heart, there are nights that you're sewing, and you think I can't do another one, I can't do another one, but you think about the animals that you are helping. And its joyous when you send out a blanket to a shelter or you're making a raffle basket knowing that this hard work is going to help somebody," said Van Lare.

They are all acts of kindness in honor of unconditional love.

"It doesn't matter if you're having a bad day, they will come kiss and snuggle you if you're having an amazing day, they will do the same thing. It's very therapeutic to know that in your hard time you're helping someone else who's having a hard time they can't speak for themselves," said Van Lare.

If you'd like to buy one of her products, check out her Facebook page here.