Bed-Stuy Pets, You Betta Work!

Madeline Smith, a 30-year Bed-Stuy resident, has what people call a "can-do" attitude: When she thinks of something, she simply does it.

There is no hemming and hawing; she sets her mind on a target and comes out swinging. This is how Madeline Pet Clothier — a pet clothing boutique — got its start. To be more specific, the now popular company's roots were planted by Smith's daughter, back in 2006.

"Well it started on a dare," explained Smith.

"My daughter and I, we were watching The Westminster Dog Show on television, and I said something like, 'Oh Brooklyn dogs can do that too.' And my daughter says, 'Mommy you like to do stuff like that, why don't you have a pet show?' So I put park permit and it came through."

Immediately Smith began prowling the streets of Bed-Stuy, spreading the word that there would be a pet show soon. She said that local business owners that she approached about sponsoring the event were taken aback at first, but eventually got excited about it.

"This has never happened in Bed-Stuy before, and businesses thought it was the wildest thing, but a lot loved it," she added. "I kept asking them, 'Why not? Why can't we do this?'"

That positive outlook proved to be the key factor, because was an instant hit in the neighborhood. People came from all over to Stuyvesant Park to see the creative outfits the animals were wearing.

And that gave Smith another idea: pet clothes. "I thought the outfits were cute and funny, so I said, 'You know what? I'm gonna do pet coats.'" And so, of course, she did.

Smith started attending pet clothing shows and buying items like jackets and bedazzled necklaces that she would then sell online and at her home. She now does custom fittings for dogs. She works hard to get a feel for the pet and what the owner wants and then purchases outfits for them.

"When I started going to these shows, I saw stuff that I would want to wear," said Smith. "So I bought some pet carriers, a bunch of clothes, and it went from there."

Madeline Pet Clothier isn't just for small pets, either. Smith said that she once outfitted a female Pit Bull with a leopard print hoodie, because the owner wanted the dog to "look more like a lady."

Smith explained that she wanted Bed-Stuy residents to know that they don't have to go to PetCo or some other chain, that there was an attentive, caring stylist for their pets right in the neighborhood.

Again she asked, "Why not?" And again she was not really looking for an answer; it was more of a declaration.

"Who says we can't have it here [in Bed-Stuy]? It doesn't matter where you live, people love their pets."