I’m so excited to be featuring the wonderfully generous and equally as delicious Rescue Chocolate as The Sniff’s next wag worthy business! For the past few years I’ve been stuffing my family’s Christmas stockings (and my own face) with this fairly traded, organic, vegan chocolate that gives back, and everyone has loved it! Not only is the chocolate smooth and rich, the names of each flavor are adorable! (Peanut Butter Pit Bull is my favorite flavor, and name!) When I reached out to Rescue Chocolate’s founder and lady boss, Sarah, to inquire about this business that she founded in 2010, she got back to me with such inspiring answers. Read on to enjoy them, and be sure make it all the way to the end for a promo code….
What inspired you to found Rescue Chocolate?
It all started with a thumbnail image of a forlorn pitbull. Cropped ears, swollen nipples, her name was Mocha, and her photo had been posted online (Petfinder.com) by her foster mom as a desperate act to find her a permanent home before the clock ran down to zero.
Mocha’s eyes stuck with me. I flashed through that online posting once, twice, and then again. I kept going back to check on her, to see if by some miracle an angel had descended and adopted her. I had grown up sharing my house with dogs and volunteering at my local animal shelter, but I knew I couldn’t have a dog at the moment—I was never home, and I lived in the middle of the biggest concrete jungle in the world, New York City. Besides, the building in which I rented a room didn’t even allow pets.
Those beautiful mocha-brown eyes…. It took awhile to track down the email address of her foster mom. I set up an appointment just to meet Mocha near Central Park, with no strings attached. Dear Reader, you absolutely know what happened next.
At first touch, I felt an instant, profound connection. A bit later, we rode in a taxi together back to Brooklyn. And then, a few months later, she handed me a wallop of inspiration.
I was savoring the last bite of a dark chocolate bar before heading out for our morning walk (doesn’t everyone eat chocolate for breakfast?!). Powered up by the darkest of dark chocolate, I hit the sidewalk with my gorgeous best friend.
Suddenly it occurred to me: why not put together my two loves? How about developing a scrumptious new dark chocolate line, selling it, and donating the profits to animals in need?
What is Rescue Chocolate’s mission?
Rescue Chocolate’s mission is twofold: to provide the consumer with fairly traded, organic, handcrafted, vegan, delicious chocolate; and to raise money to be donated to animal rescue organizations which are working to reduce the kill rate in animal control facilities.
What is Rescue Chocolate’s focus today — has it changed at all since you founded it?
Our focus today remains to raise money for animal rescues, and to provide our customers with a sublime chocolate experience. We continue to partner with hundreds of animal rescue groups on fundraising. Currently there are 9 bars, 1 mini bar, 2 Easter items, and 3 truffle collections in the product line-up.
What makes Rescue Chocolate’s products different from other similar ones?
There is no other chocolate on the market whose express purpose is to raise awareness for and money in support of animal shelter animals. Many companies nowadays have a charitable component. Perhaps the one most closely aligned with Rescue Chocolate’s values would be Endangered Species Chocolate; but proceeds of that line are given to wildlife advocacy groups.
Can you tell us a little bit about the “giving back” component of your business?
I couldn’t imagine running a company for the long-haul purely on the profit motive. It’s more gratifying to earn money as well as to help out–even in a small way–to make the world a better place.
When I founded Rescue Chocolate in January 2010, there was no such thing as a B Corp. But there is now, and we are proud to be certified as one. The “B” in B Corp stands for “benefit.” There is a growing worldwide movement to urge for-profit companies to be compassionate stewards of the environment and the populations of this planet. My beneficiaries are saving the lives of dogs and cats by finding homes for the homeless ones in municipal animal control facilities, providing food and medical supplies, advocating for responsible pet ownership, managing feral cat colonies, assisting people who foster animals in their homes, and in myriads of other ways. I’m actually constantly in awe of the good people who quietly and selflessly do this kind of work.
What does the future hold?
I’d like to insure that the Rescue Chocolate name stays out there as a force for good. That may mean licensing, or simply continuing to seek out new rescue groups and retailers with whom to partner.
So now you all want to try these delicious chocolates, don’t you? We’ve got you covered! Use promo code THESNIFF before December 31, 2018 for 15% off your Rescue Chocolate order! (Note: this chocolate is for dog people – never share chocolate with your pups!)
Thank you, Sarah and Rescue Chocolate – we wish this wag worthy business much continued success!
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