The inspiration for the start-up of Cuddlebugs, a dog grooming business located at 2101 Vestal Parkway West in Vestal, N.Y., was a five-year old girl named Sarah Jayne Orton who passed away unexpectedly in October 2013. A memorial walk in Sarah’s memory is being held on Saturday, May 30 at Hickories Park in Owego, N.Y. starting at noon. Proceeds benefit the Baltimore Humane Society near where Sarah and her parents lived. Sarah’s father, Chad, is a Richford, N.Y. native and graduate of Newark Valley High School. (Photo by JoAnn R. Walter)
From left, Heather Sedlacek, Nicole Mathews and Heidi Sedlacek, started their business, Cuddlebugs, located at 2101 Vestal Parkway West in Vestal, N.Y. in September 2014. In memory of Nicole’s five-year-old niece, Sarah Jayne Orton, Cuddlebugs was established. (Provided photo)
Event update: Memorial Walk in Memory of Sarah Jayne Orton
The following is an update regarding the memorial walk in memory of Sarah Jayne Orton will be held on Saturday, May 30, at Hickories Park in Owego, N.Y. at Pavilion #5; signs will be posted.
Participants are welcome to bring their dog along for a one-mile fun walk, however everyone is welcome, with or without a pooch.
Since published in the May 17 edition of the Owego Pennysaver, the registration fee has been waived; the walk itself is free to all who participate.
Cuddlebugs of Vestal, N.Y., the event organizers, are hoping to fill the park at this event.
Donations will be accepted to benefit the Sarah Jayne Orton Memorial Foundation for the Baltimore Humane Society located in Reisterstown, Maryland, a no-kill shelter saving and caring for animals since 1927.”
A memorial walk in memory of Sarah Jayne Orton will be held on Saturday, May 30 at Hickories Park in Owego, N.Y.
Cuddlebugs of Vestal, N.Y., the event organizers, welcome participants to bring their dog along for a one-mile fun walk starting at noon. However, everyone is welcome, with or without a pooch.
Participants can register the day of the event from 11 a.m. to noon at Pavilion #5; signs will be posted. Registration is $25, and all proceeds benefit the Sarah Jayne Orton Memorial Foundation for the Baltimore Humane Society located in Reisterstown, Maryland, a no-kill shelter saving and caring for animals since 1927.
The first annual walk was held in Maryland in 2014. The second annual walk, which will include family and friends from the upstate New York region, is being held this year in Owego.
Also at the walk, a K-9 demonstration will be presented by Chris Bracco of the Binghamton Police Department and Waverly’s Stray Haven will be on hand for pet adoption information. Multiple basket raffles, dog nail trims and other activities are planned. In addition, donations will be accepted for a “picture with your pet.”
Sarah Jayne Orton was a five-year-old Kindergarten student who loved animals. So much so, that on her fifth birthday in May 2013, Sarah requested donations be given to the Baltimore Humane Society instead of receiving gifts for herself.
Sarah Jayne Orton, a five-year old Kindergarten student, passed away unexpectedly two years ago. Her family established the Sarah Jayne Orton Memorial Foundation in her memory. A memorial walk is planned on Saturday, May 30 at Hickories Park in Owego, N.Y. starting at noon. Proceeds benefit the Baltimore Humane Society near where Sarah and her parents lived. (Provided photo)
Sarah’s parents, Chad and Kendra Orton, moved to Maryland to pursue employment opportunities. Chad, a native of Richford, N.Y. and a graduate of Newark Valley High School, and Kendra, from Plattsburgh, N.Y., adopted their dog, Scooter, from the Baltimore Humane Society prior to their children, Emily and Sarah, being born.
Sadly, in early October 2013 and without warning, an otherwise healthy Sarah became suddenly ill, and stopped breathing once she arrived in the emergency room. An initial diagnosis was unclear, however it was later determined that Sarah’s death was the result of sepsis-related complications.
As a way to keep Sarah and her love for animals close at heart and in turn give help to animals in need, the Orton family started the Sarah Jayne Orton Memorial Foundation.
Wendy Goldband from the Baltimore Humane Society shared, “The walk proceeds will go to the care of the animals at our no-kill shelter. We do not receive operational funding from any local government or national humane society, so donations are what keep our doors open. The Orton family has been extremely generous. The staff and animals cannot thank them enough.”
Sarah’s love for animals also inspired the creation of a new business in Vestal, N.Y. Cuddlebugs, a dog-grooming salon located at 2101 Vestal Parkway West, opened in September 2014. Owners Heather and Heidi Sedlacek, and Sarah’s aunt, Nicole Mathews, clean, clip and cuddle four-legged family members, and even take themed photos for pet owners to take home.
Prior to starting up Cuddlebugs, the three friends had worked together for nearly a decade at a local pet specialty retailer. Resuming work following the loss of a loved one is extremely difficult, as Nicole experienced after Sarah’s death. Nicole, who had held a management position, felt a lack of support and sympathy from her previous employer, which eventually prompted the three women to take inspiration from Sarah and open Cuddlebugs.
Nicole explained the choice for the business name, “Sarah was always my ‘cuddlebug’.”
In recognition of Sarah and her favorite color, rainbow, the Cuddlebugs business sign includes a rainbow, and the everything-rainbow motif is evident all throughout the inside and outside of the property. Inside, there is even a memorial wall called the “Rainbow Bridge,” where owner’s pets will always be remembered.
Nicole shared, “When asked what her favorite color was, Sarah always said ‘rainbow’.”
For additional information about the memorial foundation and the May 30 walk at Hickories Park, visit the websites sarahjayneorton.com or cuddlebugsdoggrooming.com. Information is also available on the Facebook pages ‘Sarah Jayne Orton Memorial Walk’ or ‘Cuddlebugs Dog Grooming.’
