Very few weekend activities can so easily combine my favorite things; a cold beer on a summer afternoon, the chance to give back to a very worthy cause, and dogs. A LOT of dogs. Lo and behold, I stumbled upon an event scheduled for Labor Day Weekend that included all of these things while mindlessly browsing Facebook last week. Lagunitas Brewing Company, one of me and hubs favorite breweries in Chicago, was hosting an event they called ‘Doggie Day Revenge’. This afternoon get-together was essentially one big party aimed at celebrating Chicago locals, their pups, and ‘One Tail at a Time‘ (or OTAT)- a no-kill, all breed, dog rescue that commits themselves to reducing euthanasia rates in the city and surrounding area in hopes of making Chicago the next no-kill city. They have facilitated 2,000 adoptions to-date and are located in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. We were looking forward to an afternoon of good brews and playing with an endless amount of pups, but were even more excited to find out that all proceeds from admission was going to such an incredible cause.
With admission / the donation to OTAT, everyone received a treat! Bryan and I each received a token for a beer and Whiskey got a very fashionable orange Lagunitas bandana that he looked very handsome in. The parking lot was transformed in to an absolute doggie heaven. There was a designated area for the pups to play off-leash complete with sprinklers, small pools, approximately a million tennis balls, and a few shaded areas. What was even better about this area was that we could bring our beers in with us while we watched Whiskey play with some new friends. When our little buddy got wet, a little muddy, and good and tired, we purchased a couple of tamales (YUM) to enjoy at the tables set up in the lot while we chatted with some fellow dog + beer lovers.
I couldn’t decide if Bryan was more excited for an afternoon IPA or if Whiskey was more excited about the smell of chicken tamales…?
In addition to Lagunitas tapping a few of their beers (I had their appropriately named ‘DogTown’ Pale Ale) and the tamales available for purchase, they of course thought about our furry friends too! Wiggle Waggles Pet Food Truck was in attendance for the event and Whiskey was such a good boy that we picked out a peanut butter/banana cookie for him to enjoy at the party and a bacon/cheese cookie to take home.
Whiskey waited very patiently for his cookies
This was such a thoughtfully put together event and a fun way to close out the summer! We all left with full bellies and tired eyes after playing in the water + sun. I loved Lagunitas and their extremely tasty brews before, but knowing that they celebrate and appreciate rescue pups as much as I do make them number 1 in my book. I’m hoping they make this an annual event because Bryan, Whiskey, and I will certainly be in attendance at next year’s party!
After doing a little more research, I found that One Tail at a Time is so much more than an adoption/fostering organization. OTAT offers solutions to Chicago’s issues surrounding pets with ‘community pet days’ where owners in need of resources receive microchips, vaccines, and spay/neuter vouchers in effort to keep pets with their owners and out of shelters! They have also established a shelter diversion program with seven no-kill rescues in the area. Four days a week, volunteers are on site at Chicago animal control to try and help owners figure out a way to keep their pets as opposed to surrendering them. If a pet has to be surrendered, volunteers immediately begin working with the partnered no-kill rescues in order for that pet to be taken in by one of the rescues instead of the city shelter. These are just a couple of ways that OTAT interacts with the community in order to provide resources and educate pet owners on top of facilitating foster homes and adoptions. I was proud to support One Tail at a Time this past weekend and I plan on finding ways to do so in the future! Please click this link to donate to OTAT and help bathe/groom, feed, vaccinate, or even save the life of a rescue animal in our city!
Our boy left a little wet, a little muddy, and very happy!
