The Kimpton Brice Hotel is already familiar with dogs . The pet -friendly hotel has special packages that include guests’ furry friends, but on Aug. 31, the hotel will be filled with dogs , cats, and beer lovers.
The first annual Brews, Barks & Bites Festival pits some of Savannah’s favorite local breweries against each other for the title of best brew. Attendees will vote for their favorites while also enjoying food and getting to know adoptable dogs and cats available through the Humane Society for Greater Savannah.
This festival came about after a photoshoot at the hotel. Co’Meh Shaw, the PR marketing nightlife manager for the Kimpton Brice, said she was trying to showcase the pet -friendly options for the hotel.
“We are one of the only luxury boutique hotels that are pet-friendly here in Savannah. We really wanted to highlight that and shine a light on the fact that we get lots of furry companions through our door.”
Next Top Dog Model
She had asked employees if they had pets she could use for a photoshoot, but nothing worked out. That’s when she reached out to the Humane Society.
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“I literally looked through every single cat and dog, and there was one dog in particular who just seemed really, really excited.”
That excited dog was named Hercules, a white and brown pit bull. After spending some time with the dog, Shaw learned that he knew all the basic commands and fetch. He was the perfect pup for her project. Hercules was going to be the Kimpton Brice’s next top dog model. He received the star treatment during the photoshoot.
“He did absolutely amazing! He left with a goodie bag and literally within two weeks after we posted our photoshoot, he was adopted.”
The success of Hercules’ photoshoot inspired Brews, Barks, & Bites in hopes of getting more animals adopted.
“I feel like anyone that drinks beer is probably a dog lover.
“We reach out to all of our local breweries. I was like, would you guys be interested in a friendly competition? It's a blind taste test of who's got the best brew.”
Service, Two Tides, Lot 9, Hop Atomica, and Southbound are among the brewing companies that will be competing. For $75, attendees of the festival will enjoy unlimited appetizers and beer and meet the animals available for adoption. To participate in the taste test, it is an additional donation of the attendees’ choosing.
Adoptable dogs will be in the hotel’s secret garden area while the cats will be in a separate room with handlers. Attendees are invited to hang out with the dogs and cats while also enjoying the festival. The animals are available for adoption, but interested adopters won't be able to go home with them directly from the festival. According to Nina Schulze, the adoptions manager for the Humane Society for Greater Savannah, they are still making adoption simple.
“Even though they cannot adopt on-site, people are going to be able to come out and view some of the dogs, get to know them, and then if it's a good match, they could just come back to the adoption center and adopt them.”
Even if an attendee cannot adopt, simply attending the festival will help. A portion of the ticket sales as well as all the donations from the taste testing will go towards the Humane Society. Schulze said people are also welcome to help by volunteering.
“Fostering is helpful because we do get a lot of storms, so people just coming in and stepping up for emergency fostering is one huge way to get our animals out. Hopefully, it gives them the exposure to get adopted because word of mouth is powerful.
“We always need volunteers just to help out: walk our dogs, feed our cats, help with cleaning. If they're not in the position to adopt, there's so much more that they can do.”
Hercules the pit bull has inspired not only a festival but also changes at the Kimpton Brice.
“We're working on a room package that is pet-friendly,” said Shaw. “Your animal will get a meal at Pacci, which is our sister restaurant. As well as the meal and a goodie bag and treats, we will also give a portion of the revenue from that package to the Humane Society.”
Schulze is excited to see how much Shaw and the Kimpton Brice are doing for pets and pet owners.
“It shows that there are businesses out there that are very much all-inclusive when it comes to being friendly, not just towards people, but those with animals. A lot of people feel like they can't take their animals to a certain place because they're not dog-friendly places, but these businesses showing that they are helps get them more business and with families that have pets, and it helps get our animals adopted.”
If You Go >>
What: Brews, Barks & Bites Festival
When: Noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 31
Where: Kimpton Brice Hotel, 601 E. Bay St.
Cost: $75
Tickets: Eventbrite.com/e/brews-barks-bites-festival-tickets-894084419567
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