Ahimsa Haven Has New Apparel

Ahimsa Haven Has New Apparel
Rebecca Leonard
News Correspondent

TEMPLETON  Residents can now represent their local Ahimsa Haven Animal Rescue shelter on a T-shirt, tank top, sweatshirt and many more clothing items.

For The Love of Animals Apparel (FTLA) has teamed up with Ahimsa Haven in Bald­winville to bring lovers of animals some stylish clothes.

Kimberly Panzarella, owner and creator of FTLA said it makes her happy knowing that she’s doing what she loves but also giving back to the animals.

“I’m a huge animal lover. Anything animal, I am an advocate for,” said Ms. Panzarella. She is a member of many such organizations across the country and Canada.

About 20 percent of her proceeds for the Ahimsa design goes back to Ahimsa Haven

Ms. Panzarella reached out to Ahimsa after creating a Facebook page for missing pets. She saw their page and it dawned on her that she would love to be able to create clothing for them.

She hand-screen prints the Ahimsa design that she created per order on any of the items that are available from her collection on Etsy, a platform for sellers of handmade items.

Launching FTLA only a year ago, Ms. Panzarella says business is going well. Although she works from an office space in her Leominster home right now, she hopes that one day it can have its own space.

While many of her designs are printed and shown on women’s clothing, Ms. Panzarella has men’s and unisex styles as well.

President of Ahimsa Haven and volunteer since 2005, Marjorie Twiraga Sargent said she is very grateful for Ms. Panzarella’s designs.

“The animal rescue world is a small one, and I had seen and admired her designs on Facebook,” explained Ms. Sargent.

Once the design had been set, Ms. Sargent bought herself a shirt from Ms. Panzarella’s website and she “absolutely loves it.”

With the new apparel, Ms. Sargent hopes that when people see Ahimsa they think of the shelter.

The founder of Ahimsa Haven was familiar with eastern philosophy and Hindu. Ahimsa means to do no harm, in thought or deed, to any living creature. That is exactly what Ahimsa Haven stands for as a no-kill shelter.

Ahimsa Haven was created in 1999 as a nonprofit animal rescue group. Its mission is to find good homes for abused, abandoned, homeless and unwanted domestic animals.

Ahimsa Haven’s summer hours are Fridays, 6-8 p.m., and Sundays, 2-4 p.m., or by appointment.