Local flower shop to host pet adoption event this Saturday alongside Baltimore animal alliance

By Morgan Lane, Editor-in-Chief

Rescue cats are coming to the Radebaugh Florist and Greenhouses this Saturday with one goal: to get adopted.

The floral shop, which is over a century old and sits on the side of Burke Avenue, is hosting an adoption event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in collaboration with the Animal Allies Rescue Foundation to keep animals out of the shelter.

“If they come from shelters, they come from shelters that are limited on space,” said Radebaugh employee and Event Coordinator Irene Casarez. “I hate to use the word ‘kill shelter,’ but, you know, a shelter that unfortunately has to make difficult decisions based on the space that they have.”

AARF is a Baltimore-based non-profit organization, with a mission to “promote the rescue and adoption” of animals who have been abused, neglected, abandoned or homeless. 

“We provide animals with safe places to land, necessary medical care, and a second chance,” said AARF President Betsy Duer in an emailed statement. “Some animals need routine care, while others require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, or extra time before they’re ready for adoption.”

The organization does not have a physical adoption center; it fosters all its animals to families with pet experience. 

Junior environmental science major Jennifer Maxwell has fostered 16 cats in the last year. She said her and her roommates see the value in helping young cats who have faced “interpersonal trauma.”

“People just don’t realize how many animals are just sitting in cages all day,” Maxwell said. “Even if you don’t, like, adopt a pet, you can give it some love, get a better understanding of how the system works.”

There will be two separate cat groups that will be split by the first half of the event and the second half. According to Casarez, there will be one dog, who is referred to as “a little guy.”