Today we got the opportunity to talk with Lisa Luperella, founder of Grateful Pawz! She makes adorable coats for dogs but she has got you covered if you have other animals like goats or pot bellied pigs! She first started sewing in grammar school in home economics and later down the road she started sewing pet attire around 2009/2010 when volunteering at a shelter.
Lisa shared with us a story about her first coat, “There was a very young pittie pupp who came in with his sister. She was pregnant. They had to be separated, she went to medical and after his hold he went to adoptions. He was so sad. He missed her so much. They were two little white pitties. Her name was Aphrodite and his name was Snoop. It was around Christmas and most of the dogs got adopted but him. I went home and made him a red and white coat with a red/white hat. He got photographed and someone adopted him that day! I reached out to some other shelters/rescues and donated as many as I could so that they could do the same. I have donated hundreds of coats over the years. I have even met a woman that said ‘I adopted my dog and he had one of your coats on, I saw him on facebook’. Shortly after people /friends started asking if I could make specific coats for their animals.”
When it comes to how long it takes her to make a coat it really depends on the size, breed, and how long it takes her to figure out what she wants the coat to have. There are many different options for fabric choices, colors, lining, reversible to another design, faux fur and more! She also tends to spend time via email or text with the customer so that they can choose the right color they want for their companion.
Lisa used to have four dogs but it is unfortunately a pack of two now. She mentioned that, “My girl Boss lived until she was 16 yrs and 8 months. Letta Bugg only lived until she was 9. Elvis was a day shy of his 13th birthday and Daizy was around 12. I now have two other rescues Betty who is around 3.5 and Pancho will be 2 in December. I rescued Betty in January of 2022 and I rescued Pancho in February.” We found it inspiring that she rescued so many dogs in need of a loving home.
Come check out Grateful Pawz at their next event, The New England Christmas Show, at Mohegan Sun on November 3, 4 and 5th!
About Grateful Pawz:
Lisa started sewing coats for the puppies in need at the shelters around Connecticut & New York City. She made a few for her (four) pitbulls at home, and soon her local pet store started carrying them on the shelves in Trumbull, CT.
She continues to sew for the shelter puppies, hoping her fleece lined coats help ease the stress related to kennel life, keep them warm in the winter months, and soften their hardened lives in the eyes of potential adopters.
Her designs can be found at various craft & trade shows around New England and on the Grateful Pawz website. Check out her Instagram and Facebook account @gratefulpawz!
Author: Kat
I grew up in Stamford and I currently go to school at UConn – Stamford. My favorite restaurant is Casa Villa, their tacos are so good! My major is marketing management and I am currently 20 years old. A fun fact about me is I am a total cat person and love to read!
