Abby Serfilippi has been known locally for her work in animal protection, but now the attention has gone national.
Serfilippi is the most recent winner of the Lisa Shapiro Young Activist Award, an award given yearly to young adults who work to protect the lives of animals at the National Animal Rights Conference in Alexandria, Va.
“For us, it is inspiring that young people are doing so much for animal rights. We definitely found her story inspiring,” said Nicole Rivard, correspondent for Friends of Animals, a non-profit, international animal rights organization, which sponsored this summer’s conference, held outside Washington D.C.
The project began when Serfilippi was a fourth-grade student at Saint Thomas Elementary School, where students were asked to volunteer at animal shelters. “I didn’t really know about animals being abused and abandoned, or in shelters, until I did that service project,” she said.
After learning about the dirty, overcrowded mills that guinea pigs are sometimes kept in, the Serfilippi family began adopting abandoned guinea pigs. The family eventually amassed 22 total guinea pigs in their home.
“Eight years ago, I never would have imagined this journey would take me to this moment,” Serfilippi said when she received her award.
The 18-year-old graduate of The Academy of Holy Names raised more than $12,000 over the past eight years by selling her “Button Buddies” crafts at local craft sales and businesses.
You may have seen these small creatures sold at places like Perfect Blend, Gade Farms, Our Family Harvest, Kleinke’s Farm, Lil’ Buddha Tea, Key Bank at Four Corners and at other locations around town.
Serfilippi, her mother Mary Jane, and her sister Jessie worked together to craft and sell the small felt animals. Proceeds have been donated to eight separate animal sanctuaries and rescues. The project has expanded since expanded beyond the initial button animals and is now called “Dust Bunny’s Boutique.”
“My family has really helped me and they’ve always been really supportive,” said Serfilippi. She said she believes the experience has helped the three of them bond. The trio also makes “Buddies in a Basket,” similar in creation, but slightly larger and placed in small baskets. Serfilippi said they are especially popular around Easter.
Using money raised from Dust Bunny’s Boutique, Serfilippi also arranged for an under-privileged student to attend Camp Kindness at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary. She attended the camp and spoke about the work she does.
In addition to raising money for animal rescues and sanctuaries, Serfilippi has also held a vegan diet since she was seven years old in an effort to save even more animal lives.
Now that she has graduated from Holy Names, Serfilippi “doesn’t plan on stopping” Dust Bunny’s Boutique. In the next few weeks, she will begin attending Siena College, where she plans on earning a degree in environmental studies.
She plans on continuing her work with animals while in college by looking into the animal rights clubs offered by the school. If no animal activist groups exist on campus, she said she’ll start one.
The Dust Bunny’s Boutique can be found on Facebook.
