Service Dog Vests by Mary's Stitchery & Crafts

So ... just how did Mary's Stitchery & Crafts Service Dog Vests get started? In 2008 some very good friends of ours began a non-profit organization here in Tampa that paired rescued dogs with disabled veterans. The wife would sew vests for the working service dogs they placed until, finally, she got too swamped with meetings, paperwork and incoming clients and asked if I'd be interested in helping with the vests. That was in 2011, and I found working with those veterans was absolutely amazing!! It made me realize how grateful I am .. how grateful we all should be .. to those who are currently serving or who have served our country in the past. Every vest I made for a veteran felt like it was my way of thanking and honoring my dad (a WWII POW), an uncle (Silver Star & Bronze Star recipient), my (late) father-in-law (radio/navigator/waistgunner on a "Flying Fortress"), many other uncles who served in WWII, cousins who are Viet Nam Era veterans, their kids and grandkids who are currently serving -- as well as those I was making the vests for.

What looked like the end when, sadly, the organization that gave me my start closed its doors in 2013, was actually a boost. I reached out and began contacting other service dog training/placement organizations, expanding to vests for Diabetic Alert Dogs, Seizure Alert Dogs, Autism Service dogs and Therapy Dogs. The rest, as they say, is history, and Mary's Stitchery currently has vests in just about every state including Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico, across Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.