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Celebrities Helping Pets

Donna Salyers Makes a Difference

Jan Hawkins

When cat owner Donna Salyers heard veteran radio newscaster Paul Harvey announce that a toy company was skinning kittens to make teddy bears, she vowed never again to wear the fur of any animal. When did Salyers hear this radio program? In her car in the late 1980s, while on the way to buy her first mink coat.

"I was appalled," says Salyers, herself an expert seamstress, syndicated columnist and television personality on HGTV. "I thought, I have to do something about this." And, do something she did. The event prompted Salyers to start a company that would provide a luxurious alternative to fur. It took nearly a year to produce the first product, but Fabulous-Furs, located in Covington, Kentucky, was born.

The faux fur used in this ready-to-wear business is actually a type of acrylic. "It's a petroleum-based product that can be made to look like any fur. It has a nice feel to the touch, is lightweight and durable," says Salyers.

In the early days, Fabulous-Furs was strictly a "kit" company. The kit included all the things needed to make a fur coat. But as calls from nonsewers began pouring in, the company transitioned into ready-to-wear. Salyers initially sewed the coats herself, but now has a staff of nearly 50.

Celebrities like Loretta Swit, Bea Arthur, Stephanie Powers, Rue McClanahan, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen and Helen Gurley Brown are but a few of Salyers' customers. She also sells faux fur by the yard to Disney, the Rockettes and a number of Hollywood costume designers.

When Salyers is not dreaming up the newest design for coats, jackets, hats, handbags, pillows and throws, she is developing new products for the home, along with accessories for Barbie and pampered pets everywhere.

Salyers' love for animals doesn't stop with her faux fur and pet products, though. Fabulous-Furs is a regular contributor to The Angel Fund, created by the Cincinnati Zoo and dedicated to cheetah conservation.

"I feel very lucky," Salyers says about her $6-million-a-year company. "When I started Fabulous-Furs, I thought it would be pretty small in the scheme of things. But it's become more than I'd hoped." To request a free catalog, call (800) 848-4650 or visit www.fabulousfurs.com.

Jan Hawkins is a freelance writer based in Alexandria, Kentucky.

ASPCA Animal Watch - Spring 2003