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Abby Serfilippi, a freshman at Siena College in Loudonville, says one of the hardest parts about being away at college isn't missing her parents, but her pets.

"You can call your parents," she said. But animals "don't know where you are; they just know you left."

Abby graduated from the Academy of the Holy Names in Albany in May. Back in 2011, she was profiled in The Evangelist for her passion for animal rights and the rescue and protection of abused or abandoned animals (read that story at www.evangelist.org) -- and she's still passionately involved in that cause.

When Abby was in fourth grade at St. Thomas the Apostle School in Delmar, she began selling handmade crafts to raise funds for animal shelters and boost awareness of the evils of factory farms. That business venture, Dust Bunny's Boutique, is still alive and well.

To date, Dust Bunny's Boutique has raised more than $14,000 for local humane societies and animal sanctuaries. Abby has help running the business from her mother, Mary Jane, and her sister, Jessie, who is now a graduate student studying English at The College of Saint Rose in Albany.

Growing concern
Nine years ago, Abby's crafts were simple and cute. Now, the teen is making more complicated products, such as notebooks and items specifically for children or holidays.

"In fourth grade, I don't think I could see this going so far," she told The Evangelist. "When you're a kid, people don't take you as seriously."

Because Dust Bunny's Boutique is a not-for-profit, Abby often asks for a break on fees when participating in craft shows as a vendor. What was hard to achieve when she was younger is now taken more seriously; some craft shows even call her, inviting Dust Bunny's Boutique to sell its wares.

Lately, the business has been trying to focus on marketing. Abby and her "team" have created a Facebook page (search for Dust Bunny's Boutique) and have even taken international orders for some products.

"That was really cool," Abby remarked.

Honorable mention
This summer, Abby also received the Lisa Shapiro Youth Activist award at the National Animal Rights Conference. The award was given in memory of an animal rights advocate who died this year.

Abby traveled to Alexandria, Va., to accept the award.

"It was humbling," she said. "It helped motivate me to keep going. It helped me channel back to the fourth grade."

At heart, she said, she's still the fourth-grader who wanted to rescue all guinea pigs from "mills" that mass-produce them for pet stores. The Serfilippi family still owns five guinea pigs, though Abby's favorite animal is her rabbit, Posey: "She has these little tiny ears that aren't proportional to her big body."

The only pets allowed in dorm rooms at Siena College are fish, much to Abby's disappointment.

Career plans
As an environmental studies major at Siena, the teen hopes to be able to link her love of animals and her desire to be an activist with her education toward a future career. Factory farms operate under disturbing conditions, she said, and create more pollution than humane farms -- a fact that drives her to continue her work in and out of school.

By minoring in business, Abby is also hopeful that Dust Bunny's Boutique will be able to grow. The 18-year-old noted that expanding a business "can be overwhelming. You have to take it one step at a time."

Aside from craft shows, her items are sold at five locations around the Capital District, plus extra stores during the Easter season.

"I couldn't sit back and know what they do in the factory farms and do nothing," Abby said. "I feel like I'm doing my part for the animals."

(For further information about Dust Bunny's Boutique, contact Mary Jane Serfilippi at [email protected].)[[In-content Ad]]

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