SPARTANBURG — Everyone thinks they have the cutest pet, but why not put that to the test?
The third annual Rockers Rescue Brew Bash is Aug. 17 at Rockers Brewing Co. and Restaurant. The event raises money for the Hub City Animal Project, an organization working to end animal homelessness around Spartanburg.
That will also mark the first day of submissions for a contest held by the organization to find Spartanburg's favorite cat and dog.
The winning cat and dog will be placed on beer can labels of the 2024 RJ Rockers Rescue Brew and act as spokesdog and spokescat for the Hub City Animal Project. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Every pint sold will lead to a dollar donated to the Hub City Animal Project. It will feature live music, pet-related vendors, cocktail specials and more.
There will also be a professional photographer at the event from 1-2 p.m. to take photos of attendees’ furry friends.
Photos can be submitted from Aug. 17 until Sept. 7. Voting will then run from Sept. 7-30, with the winning cat and dog announced later, according to Hub City Animal Project co-founder Lora Hodge.
“We've raised around $15,000 over the last couple of years with this event,” Hodge said. “This is probably going to be the biggest one.”
When voting opens, each vote will cost $1 with all proceeds going to the organization.
John Bauknight, owner of RJ Rockers Brewing Co., said there will be around 20-25 cases, with 24 cans per case, of the special beer cans featuring the winning cat and dog.
“We usually sell the beer pretty quickly,” Bauknight said. “My team is excited about the event and hopefully got a lot of people to come out for a fun Saturday.”
Bauknight said the event aligns with the company’s values and its past work with nonprofit organizations.
“We're proud to be associated with a lot of different nonprofits and we do a lot of fundraisers in that arena,” he said. “Part of the fabric of Rockers Brewing Company is giving back.”
The Hub City Animal Project works to spread awareness about animal homelessness around Spartanburg and donates all of its funds to different organizations in the area. Hodge said the organization raises its money and gives it away, giving much of it to free and low-cost spay and neuter programs.
Hodge said the event at RJ Rockers started as a way to raise money and have fun celebrating local pets.
“It is super, super fun,” she said. “There's just a lot of smiling people, a lot of dogs, a lot of beer — you can't really go wrong with that.”
