Charleston Animal Society (CAS) on Saturday declared a spirited tabby and a dashing Bernedoodle to be the 2023 winners of its fourth annual Rescue Brew contest.
This year’s competition, which raised more than $82,000 for No Kill South Carolina and to end animal cruelty, showcased not only the charisma of the area’s four-legged friends but also the overwhelming support of the community’s homeless animals, said Joe Elmore, president and CEO of the society.
“This has been a challenging year, and we’d like to say ‘cheers’ to everyone who participated in this life-saving contest,” he said.
The group announced the results at Palmetto Brewing Company with a celebration this afternoon. The two victors— a Bernadoodle dog named Melvin and a tabby named Pickle—were selected through a dollar-per-vote system among a fierce pool of 540 competitors. After stealing the hearts of thousands of voters, Melvin and Pickle are now featured on cans of the latest batch of Rescue Brew, currently available in some local stores.
“Charleston has been a no-kill community since 2013. And we want to spread that throughout our entire state,” said CAS spokesperson Kay Hyman.
She added that as the group approaches its 150-year anniversary, the goal of the project is to prevent homeless animal euthanasia through a variety of programs, such as increasing the intake of pets from other S.C. counties and advocating for owners to spay and neuter.
Four years of competitions
In its first four annual competitions, the Rescue Brew contest has raised $380,666 for the no-kill initiative.
The new CAS spokespets were key to the contest’s success, organizers said. Melvin, owned by the Lipov family of West Ashley, followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Boomer, a previous winner of the CAS Chili Cook-off contest. He raised $9,017 for the nonprofit. The runners-up in the dog category included Yo-Yo, owned by Shannon Conrad, and Forrest, owned by Liz Oakley.
Meanwhile, Pickle, a spirited 10-month-old tabby cat, raised $2,025 in the contest. Adopted by Lori Sizemore last Christmas from CAS, Pickle’s playful antics, love for water and penchant for carrying a blanket in his mouth stole the show. Other notable cat finalists included Karl, owned by Susan L. Pritchard, and Dennis, owned by Michelle Waters.
The fundraising, however, doesn’t end with the competition. A portion of the sales from each six-pack of Rescue Brew 2023 will go toward No Kill South Carolina, too.
While the event supports an important cause, Hyman said the best part is the fun involved. “Anybody’s pet could be on the cover.”
Sponsors for the 2023 Rescue Brew contest included Palmetto Brewing Company, Charleston City Paper, Southern Crown Partners and WCSC Live 5 News.
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