The search will be afoot starting Friday for two new local pet stars in the Charleston Animal Society’s third annual Rescue Brew Beer contest.
“As a rescue dog owner myself, this is near and dear to my heart as there has never been a brighter time than when I discovered my sweet Lola at six weeks old in a box outside a convenience store in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, 13 years ago,” said Ian Berg, a vice president of Palmetto Brewing Company, which is brewing a special small batch beer for the contest.
Pet owners entered almost 700 dogs and cats in last year’s contest. Nominations for dogs and cats for this year’s search starts Friday. The winning spokescat and spokesdog will appear on cans of 2022 Rescue Brew Beer by Palmetto Brewing Company.
- To participate this year, submit a photo of your pet to CharlestonAnimalSociety.org/RescueBrew and outline why your pet deserves to win before nominations close Aug. 14. Nominations, which cost $10 each, help to support the society’s wide array of programs.
Voting starts Aug. 15
Starting Aug. 15, people can vote at $1 per ballot for their favorites through Sept. 14. Charleston Animal Society will announce a winner the following month and the Rescue Brew Beer will be available in the fall.
“More than half of the funds needed for the lifesaving work at Charleston Animal Society come from donations,” said Charleston Animal Society President and CEO Joe Elmore. “The pandemic years prevented most in-person gatherings. We had to create new and unique ways to partner with local businesses and raise funds for our lifesaving mission
“We are absolutely thrilled to celebrate the unconditional love that pets bring into our lives and partner with Palmetto Brewing Company, WCSC Live 5 News, Charleston City Paper and Cupcake DownSouth to find the third spokesdog and spokescat for the 2022 Rescue Brew Beer.”
After members of the public choose the three finalists in both categories in the contest, three celebrity judges will choose the two winners. Each of the finalists will get a $100 gift certificate for pet supplies at the pet supply store at the Charleston Animal Society and a “Mega Pupcake” from Cupcake DownSouth.
“It’s an honor for the Charleston City Paper to again align and work with Charleston Animal Society to raise money through this innovative campaign to rescue pets across the Lowcountry,” said Andy Brack, editor and publisher of the award-winning weekly newspaper. “Not only is this a fun way to celebrate and enjoy pets in our lives, but it highlights the importance of the organization’s work as the statewide leader in No Kill South Carolina — its effort to save every healthy and treatable animal in the Palmetto State.
“We’re lucky to have an organization of this caliber in South Carolina and we’re looking forward to toasting it with another round of Rescue Brews.”
In the 2021 contest, a record number of 674 dogs and cats were entered into the Rescue Brew Beer contest, which generated 149,471 votes. The 2021 contest generated more than $150,000 – which Animal Society officials say is this year’s goal.
