AROUND THE WORLD 2: Pamper Pets For A Good Cause

Hattie Cope Elliot, founder of Socially Conscious Companion, loves pets and designing their accessories. "I really love my work. It's a marriage of two things I care about. I'm constantly involved with the artisans and I'm a huge pet lover," she said.

The vision for the company, also known as SOCOCO, began in Cape Town, South Africa, where Cope Elliot was enrolled as a student at the University of Cape Town. Gravitating there at a young age, she eventually majored in Philosophy and Politics. "I went there at the age of 15, after apartheid, as an exchange student," she noted.

Inspired by the skilled Township artisans specializing in wire and beaded jewelry, Cope Elliot made the connection between the extravagance of NYC pet owners and the accessibility of the Cape Town artisans to launch her line of what she terms "canine couture."

After a successful launch in NYC, Cope Elliot wanted to continue to make a difference in South Africa by donating a portion of her company's proceeds to an AIDS orphanage. "I did a lot of research. The social consciousness about AIDS is increasing in South Africa," she said.

Located in the Khayelitsha Township in Cape Town and run by volunteers, the Baphumelele Children's Home receives orphaned newborns to young adolescents up to age 19. "The orphanage has an amazing school where they teach practical skills. Many other facilities don't provide education and tools, and they accept kids from all over the community," she said.

Currently, SOCOCO donates a generous percentage of company proceeds to the orphanage, and a bi-annual fundraiser is in the works. The first one is scheduled for February 21, 2006.

For more information visit: www.gosococo.com and www.baphumelele.org.za.

--Written by Jackie O'Neal