Two new spokespets for the area’s largest animal welfare organization helped to raise more than $80,000 as results of the the third annual Rescue Brew Beer contest were announced Saturday.
Over the last three years, the Charleston Animal Society has raised $298,511 through its Rescue Brew contest to make the state a friendlier place for animals.
On Saturday, the society announced Beaux, a 1-month-old Maine Coon from Kiawah Island, got 3,415 votes for homeless animals and now has his photo on cans of the organization’s 2022 Rescue Brew. Wally, a 7-year-old West Highland terrier mix rescued during Hurricane Matthew, got 5,051 votes to be the contest’s top dog and has his portrait on the “Vienna Lager” beer brewed and canned by Palmetto Brewing Company.
The beer will be on sale at all area Harris Teeter and Bottles stores later this month and is expected to expand to retailers in Columbia and Greenville in December.
“We are honored to be a part of this program for the third year in a row — it has been an amazing opportunity to give back to the community and show our passion for a common cause,” said Ian Berg, vice president of commercial operations for Palmetto Brewing Company. Other sponsors included the Charleston City Paper, Southern Crown Partners, Cupcake DownSouth and WCSC Live 5 News.
“Rescue Brew Beer is a perfect way to help animals — and enjoy a frosty cold one at the same time,” said Andy Brack, the City Paper’s editor and publisher. A portion of sales from each six-pack sale is donated to local No Kill South Carolina partners: Charleston Animal Society, Pawmetto Lifeline and Greenville Humane Society. For more details on purchasing this special beer, visit. CharlestonAnimalSociety.org/Rescue-Brew.
More on the contest
A record number of 709 entrants this year raised $81,699 for the Charleston Animal Society’s No Kill South Carolina initiative, which seeks to make South Carolina a friendlier place for animals. When the voting phase closed in September, the public selected three cats and three dogs as the finalists in the running for spokescat and spokesdog respectively.
Each $1 donation in the contest counted as one vote to the dog or cat of the voter’s choice. From sharing their cutest pictures, making hilarious TikTok videos, and fundraising in the final days of the contest, entrants employed all sorts of creative techniques to campaign for their pets to be selected as finalists. A total of 561 dogs were able to raise a combined $56,888, with 148 cats entering to raise $17,715 in the race to be named the official spokespets for Rescue Brew 2022.
While Beaux received more than 3,400 votes, other cat finalists included Pickles (AKA Mr. P), a 10-year-old black cat from Charleston, received 2,259 votes and Rocky, a 1-year-old gray tabby from Mount Pleasant, got 1,495 votes. On the dog side, the canines that finished just behind Wally included Monty, a 1-year-old miniature poodle from Sullivan’s Island who got 4,495 votes, and Kaizoku, a 3-year-old one-eyed rescue dog from downtown Charleston, who received 4,318 votes.
A judging panel, made up of representatives from sponsors WCSC Live 5 News, Palmetto Brewing Company and Charleston Animal Society, picked the grand prize-winning spokesdog and spokescat from the finalists.
Keep the City Paper free
We don't have a paywall. Each week's printed issue is free. We're local, independent and free. Let's keep it this way.
Please consider a donation of $100 to keep the City Paper free. Donate: chscp.us