Petals & Paws: Why I Make Floral Collars for Shelter Pets

Happy Kitty :)

Years ago, when I worked at Paul Mitchell the School Cincinnati, I lead the John Paul Pet Club. It was a student-run program where we did outreach by volunteering at local animal shelters. We also featured the Paul Mitchell Pet product line and gave out samples while we were there. That's where I first got to know our local kennels and started volunteering.

After I resigned to pursue The Flower Lady OTR, my volunteering slowed down. But I knew how much it mattered, so I took my love of flower crowns and turned it into something new: floral collars for adoptable pets.

Over the years, I've done holiday and seasonal photo shoots to help dogs and cats look their very best in their profile pictures, because a great photo can help a pet find their forever home.

Recently, I earned my green level training at Cincinnati Animal Care, which means I can now take shelter dogs out for walks while they wait to be adopted.

Our sweet dog Yogi passed away almost a year ago. We aren't ready to add another pet yet. We still miss him, and our 17-year-old cat, Riff Raff, is grieving too. In the meantime, volunteering is the best way I know to give love to animals who need it.

If you're able to, join me! Adopt, foster, volunteer, or share an adoptable pet's photo. You can start with Cincinnati Animal Care or The Animal Adoption Foundation.

🐾 Adopt, don't shop!

Safety first: Floral collars are for photos only. Stay with the animal the whole time, make sure they don't nibble on anything, and take it off right after. You can use pet-safe flowers (check the ASPCA's plant list) and skip beads, and anything small enough to swallow.