A Girl In Front Of A Brown Building With Large Bay Windows On The Front — Rachel Aune in front of her new store, Buddy’s Pet Stop. Photo via Liv George for The Bama Buzz.

COVID-19 has changed many of our plans. One such person was Rachel Aune, a Mobile native who made the harrowing decision to put her degree on pause and follow her dream of opening a family-owned pet store. Well, that pet store is set to open tomorrow as Buddy’s Pet Stop.

We sat down with Aune to talk about this dream and how she’s bringing it to fruition.

A Blue Dog Bone Reads &Quot;Budy'S Pet Stop&Quot; In Black Font — Buddy’s Pet Stop logo via Buddy’s Pet Stop on Facebook.

So, what inspired this idea for a pet shop?

Aune: I left the University of South Alabama because of COVID-19. I was actually a double major in biology and chemistry to become a vet. After COVID-19 hit, my advisor and I decided that all the lab classes online wasn’t a good idea. So I took a break and started working with the City of Mobile Animal Shelter. So somewhere I got the idea in my head that I needed to open a Pet Store. Because, you know, there really isn’t one over in midtown Mobile.

A Girl Sits In Able Dress On A Picnic Blanket Feeding A Large Black And Brown Dog Some Treats — Aune and one of her dogs. Photo via Tito’s Treats on Facebook.

The road wasn’t entirely a straight path from volunteering to business ownership. In the middle, Auten made and sold pet treats under the name Tito’s Treats, which she sold at small markets. After Buddy’s Pet Stop opens, that account will aid in getting animals adopted out from city shelter’s.

Aune: I made dog treats here & there and took them to markets. I noticed people wouldn’t take me too seriously because I was the youngest person in there and I thought to myself ‘I want a store’.

Dog Treats Spilling Out Of A Bag As A Promotional Photo — Aune’s pet treat business, Tito’s Treats, which inspired her full-blown pet store. Photo via Tito’s Treats on Facebook.

Aune herself has multiple animals–8 cats, 4 dogs, and a rabbit. Her love for these animals, and the ones she helps adopt out occupy her mind long after clocking out.

In fact, Aune’s passion for getting shelter animals adopted has inspired part of her business, prompting her to partner with the City of Mobile to hold a cat-adoption event during her store’s opening.

Dog Toys Lines Up On Shelves For Sale — A sneak-peek of products in Buddy’s Pet Stop. Photo via Liv George for The Bama Buzz. .

As far as merchandise, Aune is psyched to be offering Mobilians and their pets a family-curated menu of pet foods with healthy ingredients, as well as hosting more adoption events. There are also plans in the works for a market at the City of Mobile Animal Shelter on October 23rd to get more animals out of shelters with Aune’s help.

Buddy’s Pet Stop is opening tomorrow, September 18, 2021, at 9 am. They’ll be there until 6 pm with all sorts of goodies, treats, and adoptable cats. Go check ’em out, we know we will!

Buddy’s Pet Stop