I have loved animals for as long as I could remember. As a little girl, I really wanted the company of animals and had my fair share of pets: a bunny, parakeets, fish, and my family dog that is now ten years old. My passion for animals naturally made me love stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes. I owned more than fifty stuffed animals as a kid. My younger brother and I used to name each individual one and gave them their very own imaginary personalities. Because we played with them several times a day, I began to notice that they got worn and dirty over time. This, I'll admit, was a bit traumatizing for us kids as we developed emotional attachments to our toys like many children do.