We are fast approaching the holiday shopping season with Black Friday less than two weeks away. Like it or not, it is time to start thinking about gifts. Today we offer a  suggestion for the children on your list that is both fun and educational.

Randall Starewicz's heartwarming book series for children ages 5-10, "Shelter Us," features inseparable and resourceful shelter dogs. The books have become very popular with dog-loving kids everywhere. Best of all, 100% of proceeds are donated to the animal shelter where Randall volunteers, the Humane Society Calumet Area in Munster, IN. 

A retired math teacher with a love for animals, Randall and his wife have owned dogs throughout their marriage. As a shelter volunteer, he tried to imagine the stories shelter pets might tell and became inspired to write the stories for them. He decided he would donate the proceeds from all of his books as a way to make a positive difference and leave a lasting legacy. He has also donated his books to local schools and libraries.

Titles in the “Shelter Us” series include:

"Shelter Us: The Tails of Max & Miles" 

"Shelter Us: Three Cheers for Doc and Gracie"   

and "Shelter Us: the Event" 

In addition, Shelter Us books have received considerable media attention including:

"15 Thoughtful Valentine's Day Gifts for Dog Lovers" on Iheartdogs.com.

October's Animal Hero of the Month on PetsAdvisor.com

A feature on Dogster.com 

A feature on NWIndianlife.com  

As an aside, by volunteering at his local shelter, Randall has developed a fondness for pitties. Although initially fearful, Randall says, “they have become my faves as they are so loving and human-like.” This is what we love to hear.

In honor of his latest book launch last month, Randall has invited any no-kill animal shelter or rescue to benefit using his books as a fundraiser. So far, five rescues from all over the world have signed on, including Animal AWARE Guatemala. This is the largest rescue in Central America and is translating the books from English to Spanish.

Please check out all of the “Shelter Us” books on Amazon. They are great for holiday gift giving and your purchase will help shelter pets who are in need of homes for the holidays. We can’t think of a better cause than that!

Thank you Randall and we look forward to more great stories from the shelter dogs who are fortunate to have you in their corner.

While for many of us it is still early to be thinking about holiday gifts, it is never too early for chocolate! Susan Rochelson, the founder of Rescue Chocolate is living proof. One day when she was walking her rescued pit bull Mocha and eating chocolate for breakfast, the inspiration struck. Her idea was to manufacture and sell dark chocolate products and donate the proceeds to animal rescues. By the time she arrived back home that day, the plan to launch Rescue Chocolate was well underway. As a part-time employee at Gnosis, a raw chocolate company in Queens, NY, Susan was already a connoisseur of sorts and was familiar with the business. It was time to take the next step.

Rescue Chocolate products are vegan, organic, fair traded, kosher and B Corp certified. Flavors are named as a way to bring attention to the various issues facing homeless animals. For example, “The Peanut Butter Pit Bull” is a dark chocolate with a crispy peanut butter center that will blow you away! The cause: “They’ve been given a bad rap, but when pit bulls are trained with love and affection, they return the favor in spades. With their tenacious work drive and high intelligence, pit bulls are all about pleasing their owners and giving lots of love.  To know them is to love them!”
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Other flavors call attention to causes such as the importance of behavior training, promotion of shelter adoptions, the importance of spaying/neutering your pets, the issues facing feral cat colonies and a salute to farm animal sanctuaries.

In addition to chocolates, the company website also features gift items as well as showcasing adoptable pets in need of homes. As a bonus, you will find Susan’s beautiful dog Mocha on the packaging for all chocolate products.

Rescue Chocolate selects various animal welfare organizations as beneficiaries and offers discounts and other incentives to animal charities wishing to hold fundraising events. The company will also donate gift certificates for rescue events.

Orders may be placed through the company website and if you are interested in having a fundraiser for your organization, you may contact the company here.

And, you are reading it here first! Susan has selected her main beneficiary for 2017. It will be Foster Dogs, Inc. – the group that rescued Mocha.

We are beyond excited to feature Rescue Chocolate this week and thank Susan for her generosity and for taking the time to answer a few questions for us today.

Q. How are your partnerships (featured rescues) selected?
 
A. We work with any bona fide rescue that contacts us about fundraising. We offer them two main options: 1) typing in the name of the rescue on their online orders; we donate back $1 per bar for all orders so designated, and 2) selling to them at below-wholesale and inviting them to re-sell at the regular retail rate, where they keep the difference; this nets them around $2 per product sold. We also donate gift certificates to any rescue groups needing them for silent auctions, raffle prizes, or other fundraisers. As far as our main beneficiaries which receive profits from orders that are not otherwise spoken for, we usually have personal relationships with the founders. Our 2016 beneficiary has been No Kill Advocacy Center; we have been long-term admirers of the director, Nathan Winograd. For 2017--announcing it here first--our beneficiary will be Foster Dogs Inc, which was the group responsible for the adoption of the Rescue Chocolate mascot, Mocha.
 
 
Q. What are your marketing strategies (how do you make people aware of what you do and about your product)?
 
A. We spend virtually no money on advertising and rely mainly on the word-of-mouth of our satisfied customers. We also have a strong social media presence. And we love manning booths at chocolate or vegetarian festivals around the country, which allows us to meet the consumers in person and spread our message far and wide.
 
 
Q. How do you select the adoptable pets that are featured on your website?
 
A. We use our social media channels to feature any adoptable pet that people take the time to send our way. We also feature those we come across that have all the necessary details in their posts (photos, where to adopt, a little background story, what kind of household they will need). We just can't say no to sharing adoptables, as this is the way that our own Mocha the Mascot came to be, from seeing a friend's social media share of her!
 
 
Q. What is ahead for you?
 
A. We'll continue to develop new flavors and products in order to continue to reach new audiences, which will lead to more dollars raised for rescues. We are interested in keeping the quality of our products high, so that our customers are chocolate connoisseurs as well as animal advocates. To that end, we need to maintain our various certifications: kosher, fairly traded, organic, non-GMO, handcrafted small-scale batches, vegan... and of course, delicious!

Q. Anything you would like people to know about you or your products - the most important points, even if they are already on your website....I want to make sure people know what is most important to you!
 
A. Actually, more important than the products is the message behind them: it is amazingly simple to make a difference for the animals. Everyone can put into practice these common-sense directives. Make sure your pets are spayed and neutered. (Most communities have low-cost or free vet services.) Make sure your friends know about fostering and adoption options. Try incorporating some vegan meals into your week, and then try some more. Teach your children to be caring and humane. Don't abandon an aged or problem pet--people before you have discovered solutions for every behavioral problem, and they have posted those secrets online. It is an incredible high to know that with your words and deeds, you are not part of the problem but are instead part of the solution.

Thank you Susan for taking the time to visit with us. We here at loyalpitbulllove.com hope you will consider Rescue Chocolate for holiday gifts, any occasion gifts or as a fundraising source for your favorite rescue.
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As the company motto states, Rescue Chocolates truly are “the sweetest wat to save a life.”