There's only one place you can see a former MMA fighter cuddling a kitten and Ravens players walking with adorable dogs. It's at Royal Farms Arena this Friday for the 4th annual Pawject Runway.
Money raised at the event, which is put on by Show Your Soft Side, all goes to BARCS, which takes in thousands of lost, abandoned and abused pets each year.
One of their most recent cases will make any animal lover's heart break. Robin, a six-month-old pup, was found tied in an abandoned lot in Baltimore, with a rope tied around her mouth. The rope caused deep infections and her face to swell.
"It's going to take many surgeries and repairs to get her face to be healed and somewhat back to normal," said Jennifer Brause, executive director of BARCS.
Even though Robin's surgeries and medical care will be costly, Brause says they will do everything they can to heal the pup and find her a loving home.
"People always say, 'Why do you put so much money into them if they don't have a home?' The thing is when you meet them, you see how wonderful these animals are," said Brause.
Cases like Robin are why fundraisers like Pawject Runway are so crucial to BARCS. The event is BARCS' largest fundraiser of the year, pairing adoptable pets with local celebrities like Maria Wieters, wife to Orioles' catcher Matt Wieters and a huge animal lover.
"Every year it seems to get bigger and better and even more exciting," said Wieters. "It's an amazing event to show the Softies and the animals up for adoption. Those are the true models."
Pawject Runway is 6 to 10 p.m. May 13 at Royal Farms Arena. There are a couple different options for tickets, including "All Inclusive" and "Show Only." To buy tickets, you can go through BARCS' website or Ticketmaster.
Download the ABC2 News app for the iPhone, Kindle and Android.
