Family-owned Napa Valley wine brand is all about man’s best friend

Wine is allowing dogs and cats in the North Bay to live their best lives.

Most animal rescue organizations rely exclusively on donations from the average person and local businesses, grants and money raised via fundraisers. Those events often involve wine, with bottles given to them for free.

“We would be in terrible shape without the relationships with the business community,” said Priscilla Locke, director of development and communications for Humane Society of Sonoma County.

Rescue Dog Wines, which is headquartered in St. Helena, created a custom label for the Humane Society with the face of Scamp the Champ. Scamp won the 2019 World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, which takes place annually at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma. Scamp was rescued from the streets of Compton and lived out his last years in Santa Rosa with owner Yvonne Morones.

Humane Society of Sonoma County still has some of the 50 cases of the red blend that Rescue Dog Wines donated in 2021, which was the year Scamp died. Bottles are used in raffle baskets, as thank you gifts and in other ways to promote the organization and attract financial support.

While numerous wineries donate bottles or cases to various nonprofits to use in their fundraising endeavors, Rescue Dog Wines has made dogs an equal partner in their business.

This means half of the proceeds go to owners Blair and Laura Lott and the other half is distributed to various animal rescue organizations throughout the country.

In the North Bay, six groups have benefited directly from Rescue Dog Wines. Last year it donated $36,900 in wine, capital, and services to more than 80 rescue organizations throughout the United States, with most being in California.

Since its founding in 2017 (first bottle was released in 2018), it has donated the equivalent of more than $55,000 through 2023.

Animals are the winners

It’s not just canines that benefit from Rescue Dog Wines. Most shelters also have cats. However, Cat Tales Rescue in Vacaville is strictly a feline entity.

The group runs on a shoestring budget. The annual fall fundraiser last year brought in $11,220, which was a record. Rescue Dog Wines donated two cases each of the last two years.

“We take in cats and kittens from shelters or from local people who have found them. We use that money to spay and neuter all of them, vaccinate them, make sure they are healthy, and provide foster homes until they are adopted,” said shelter volunteer Tina Atherton.

The group doesn’t have a physical site. All animals in its care are fostered, and last year was a big year — 679 cats coming through compared to 550 the year before.

“I fostered 59 kittens last year. Kitten season is supposed to run March to October, but it’s been running every month. It just doesn’t stop,” Atherton said.

Paula Thompson, who runs Cat Tales Rescue’s fundraiser, is worried the needs are going to keep increasing. Recently seven kittens needed to be bottle fed and were sent to a partner organization with more resources. In February, five pregnant cats got spayed.

“They can get pregnant at four or five months, even when they are still nursing, or by their cat siblings or father. People don’t understand or realize that,” Thompson said.

That’s why education is also a key component.

Purposeful fundraisers

There is never a dearth of animals in need. Thatmeans there is always a need for money and in-kind donations like wine.

This September will be Marin Humane’s 18th annual gala — which is all about raising funds to keep the shelter in Novato going. For the past two years Rescue Dog Wines have been part of the event with two of its sparkling wines available to guests.

Molly Foley, special events coordinator, expressed how easy the winery is to deal with, highlighting how the wines were shipped directly to the group.

Waggin’ Trails Rescue Foundation was founded in Southern California in 2012, though recently relocated to Napa. It’s run by mother-daughter duo Gisela and Ingrid Campagne. Last year was the group’s first food and wine auction in Napa, with Rescue Dog Wines contributing to the cause.

“We got a call Feb. 15 from the Napa shelter about a hoarding situation in American Canyon. We are going to take 30 (of the 58) chihuahuas,” Gisela Campagne said. “This is why we do fundraising.”

Waggin’ Trails Rescue Foundation rescues animals from all over the state and transports them mostly to the northwest and parts of Canada.

“Those folks up there are able to adopt them quickly,” Campagne said. About 40 to 50 dogs a month find new homes this way through Waggin’ Trails.

Pets Lifeline in Sonoma has two major fundraisers a year, with smaller ones throughout the year.

“We are solely funded by donations and grants, and from in-kind goods,” said Jody Purdom, development director for Pets Lifeline.

Her introduction to Rescue Dog Wines came via Humboldt Distillery in Fortuna, which contributes to the group’s fundraisers. The director of sales there has a connection with the winery.

“Our biggest goal is to keep pets at home,” Purdom said. “We have a pet food pantry to give food away to people who need it. Shelters are inundated with animals. A fair amount of owners surrender them because they can’t care for their pet for whatever reason.”

This is why animal welfare rescue groups are also providing animals with medical care.

On the flip side, Humane Society of Sonoma County is trying to accommodate more animals so they won’t be euthanized at other facilities.

“We keep trying to bring in more and more animals. One of our strategic objectives is to significantly increase capacity especially for small under resourced shelters that are overcrowded and desperate to find homes for animals. They are having to euthanize animals because of space,” Locke said.

She said rural parts of the state don’t have a lot of veterinary care and that it can be expensive. The folks at Cat Tales Rescue say that is definitely true of Solano County.

How it all started

The Lotts thought they were buying property in Acampo near Lodi with grapes they might sell, or maybe have a barrel to bottle for themselves. Rescuing dogs has always been part of their mantra. Soon the vision to have a winery and help dogs led to the founding of Rescue Dog Wines.

“The first wine we put on Facebook, it was like wildfire. I saw this had legs. That was a big inspiration for me,” Blair Lott said.

This year they expect to bottle 8,000 cases, with the first estate bottling taking place in the spring — a grenache rosé. They have 20 acres, of which 17.5 are planted.

Will they expand? Maybe.

“If buying more vineyards would support the dogs or the business better, the answer would be yes,” Laura Lott said.

Each label has a different dog (and the occasional cat) on it. Most have been created by artist Lawrence Peters of Modesto. The particular breed or mutt chosen to be featured is based on the personality of the wine.

“We riff on that. The cab is a fairly big and chewy red, and the bulldog makes sense for that,” said Blair Lott. “Daisy, who passed away, was a big inspiration for our sparkling wine. She was a super bubbly boxer, so her on the sparkling makes sense.”

It was also important to make wine people want to drink. So while creative labels and charitable causes are integral to the mission, Laura Lott points out, “We decided the most important thing was to make the best tasting wine we could make, otherwise why bother?”

For those who don’t attend an animal event where the locally sourced Rescue Dog Wines are being poured or auctioned, they are available in stores and online. The latter is where about 25% of sales come from, with the rest being sold mostly at Northern California retailers.

Bottles for sale on the winery’s website run between $23 and $38.

“Through the dog rescue events, it’s like having a mobile tasting room. People see the mission and connect with the wine,” Blair Lott said while explaining why there are no plans for a traditional tasting room.

When it comes to deciding which organizations to help, the Lotts screen each group, starting with ensuring each is a 501(c)3. Most organizations reach out to the Lotts instead of the other way around. There is never a lack of need, as evidenced by the testimonials above and at least one group reaching out to them each week.

“It is really about highlighting the value of animals that frequently end up discarded,” Laura Lott said.

Kathryn Reed is a journalist who has spent most of her career covering issues in Northern California. She has published four books, with the most recent being Sleeping with Strangers: An Airbnb Host’s Life in Lake Tahoe and Mexico. She may be reached at kr@kathrynreed. com, or follower her at kathrynreed.com, Twitter @Kathryn0925, or Instagram @kathrynreed0925.

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