My need for fun jewelry started at the age of five, when I made pasta necklaces for my mother. Braided yarn bracelets followed, with beads (some of which I made out of dough) ultimately becoming my medium of choice.
Always intensely interested in fashion and jewelry, I grew up coordinating my outfits with whatever jewelry I could get my hands on. Soon I realized that the perfect jewelry for a particular outfit could take forever to find in the retail world. At this point, I decided to make my own bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and even rings, in the colors and lengths that enhanced a favorite outfit. At first, I read dozens of jewelry-making books and subscribed to numerous jewelry magazines. Later, I took in-person classes in silversmithing and jewelry design/fabrication. Finally, with a little help from my mother (a formidable jewelry-maker in her own right), I became proficient in jewelry design and construction.
For thirty-one years, I worked as an elementary school library media specialist, a job which allowed me to freely wear outfits with fun animal motifs, to my delight and my students’ as well. After awhile I began realizing that I needed animal-themed accessories to complete my outfits and so I began designing jewelry featuring cats, dogs, fish and birds. Luckily for me, I had an instant fan base to give me positive feedback and support for my creations!
The idea for Tiki’s Pets came to me as a way to satisfy two personal needs: to create fun, wearable animal jewelry, and to raise funds for animal rescue.
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I have always had great respect and appreciation for the animal world. As a child, I grew up with numerous cats, several dogs, and a hamster. I often spent hours in my backyard sitting, motionless, in hopes a squirrel or bird would come near, or better yet, land on me (none ever did). I couldn’t wait to become an adult with my own house so I could rescue a greater number of animals. Over the years, I have adopted ten dogs, 22 cats, and numerous goldfish. Each pet has enriched my life immeasurably, and I consider each one a beloved member of my family.
In October, 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I took time off from work, solicited supplies from area businesses, rounded up over 75 animal carriers, and drove my small Coachmen camper to Mississippi, where the Louisiana Humane Society had set up a temporary shelter. While there, I worked 12 hour shifts with the other volunteers and then brought back with me three homeless dogs and two cats, keeping one of each. I found loving families among my friends and associates for the others.
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The Tiki's Pets Story
For five years, I worked part-time at Fast Friends, a nearby New Hampshire greyhound rescue. Also in New Hampshire, I volunteered at the Monadnock Humane Society, where I socialized the dogs and cats, as well as assisted with the organization’s cat spay/neuter program.
In my Vermont hometown, I served on the Board of Trustees of our local humane society, where, during my tenure, I initiated, and solely produced, a quarterly newsletter.
Recently, I created Tiki’s Pets, a small Vermont business, offering handcrafted animal-themed jewelry and gifts, pet apparel and toys, organic dog biscuits, and my own homegrown, orgainic catnip. I give a portion of my year-end profits to established animal welfare organizations, both local and national. It is my way of trying to fill an animal lover’s need for cute and classy accessories while also helping at least some of the many, many animals that desperately need our help. Won’t you join me in my animal rescue efforts by purchasing jewelry from Tiki’s Pets for yourself or a loved one?
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--M. "Tiki" Petroski
Enter my lifelong love of animals.
