A Heartwarming Holiday Season: Gifts That Give Back
What makes my heart the happiest is the spirit of giving—especially giving to those in need. There’s something profoundly touching about seeing so many kindhearted people coming together to make the world a little brighter. One of my favorite traditions during this season is shining a spotlight on companies that not only offer amazing products but also give back to animal rescues.
The magic of Christmas is here! This is truly one of the most wonderful times of the year. The air is filled with joy, generosity is in abundance, and every shop seems to waft the comforting aromas of holiday treats. But what makes my heart the happiest is the spirit of giving—especially giving to those in need. There’s something profoundly touching about seeing so many kindhearted people coming together to make the world a little brighter.
One of my favorite traditions during this season is shining a spotlight on companies that not only offer amazing products but also give back to animal rescues. Supporting businesses that pair thoughtful gifts with meaningful causes is a perfect way to spread holiday cheer. Here are my top picks this year:
1. Woof and Wonder
Woof and Wonder creates adorable dog harnesses, leashes, and other stylish gear for your furry friends. Their standout product, the Poopy Loop, makes walks with your best bud so much easier! What makes this company extra special is their commitment to helping shelter dogs in need. A portion of every purchase goes to Greater Good Charities, providing food and supplies to rescue shelters and pet owners facing challenges. Giving your dog a little holiday style has never felt so heartwarming!
2. Skout’s Honor
Let’s face it: being a dog parent can get messy. Thankfully, Skout’s Honor has you covered with their pet-safe and highly effective stain removers for those inevitable accidents. But what truly sets them apart is their slogan: “Buy a Bottle, Feed an Animal.” Through their partnership with Greater Good Charities’ GOODS Program, every purchase helps ensure that shelter animals across the country receive much-needed food. A cleaner home and a full belly for a furry friend in need? That’s a win-win.
3. Botanical Bones
For the treat-loving pup in your life, Botanical Bones offers healthy and delicious snacks that are sure to make tails wag. Beyond crafting wholesome goodies, this company donates 20% of their proceeds to Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. These funds are helping to rebuild the shelter after the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The owners’ connection to this cause is deeply personal—their beloved dog, Carnaby, was adopted from Brother Wolf and inspired the creation of Botanical Bones. Every bite is packed with love and purpose.
4. Pet Honesty
Pet Honesty is dedicated to creating healthy supplements for both dogs and cats, addressing concerns like skin allergies, gut health, and senior wellness. Based in Austin, their team regularly volunteers with the Austin Humane Society and Austin Pets Alive, lending their time to support local animals. In addition to their hands-on efforts, Pet Honesty donates products and proceeds to these shelters, helping pets regain their health as they wait to find their forever homes. This company’s commitment to improving the lives of animals is as heartwarming as it gets.
5. Companion Candles
One of the most delightful parts of the holiday season is the comforting aroma of festive candles. However, many candles contain harmful ingredients for both humans and pets. Companion Candles solves this problem by crafting pet-safe candles that fill your home with holiday cheer without the risks. Even better, they donate a portion of their profits to animal rescues, making their candles a gift that truly warms the heart.
6. Akra Creations
Akra Creations believes that pet accessories should be both stylish and eco-friendly. Their treat bags come in a variety of chic colors and designs, perfect for the environmentally-conscious pet lover. Each month, Akra Creations donates a portion of their profits to organizations supporting animal rescue and environmental protection, combining sustainability with compassion in every purchase.
7. Conscious Step
Keep your feet cozy this winter while supporting animals in need with Conscious Step’s socks. Each pair is linked to a specific cause, allowing you to choose which organization your purchase supports. Naturally, their socks benefiting animal rescues are a favorite of mine! Every sale contributes to helping homeless pets, making these socks a thoughtful and impactful gift.
8. Grounds and Hounds
Grounds and Hounds has been a favorite of mine since they opened in 2016. Their delicious coffee, along with their adorable dog-themed mugs and t-shirts (of which I own several!), makes them a standout. What’s even more remarkable is their founding mission to support animal rescues. They continue to donate 20% of their profits to rescue organizations across the U.S., proving that every cup of coffee can bring hope to animals in need.
9. Walton Wood Farm
The chilly winter months can be tough on our skin, but Walton Wood Farm’s Dog Mom Hand Rescue is here to help. Made with sustainable, vegan ingredients, this hand balm is perfect for keeping your hands moisturized. Plus, 5% of every purchase goes toward animal rescues, so you can care for yourself while supporting a good cause.
10. Rescue Dog Wines
For the wine enthusiast in your life, Rescue Dog Wines offers the perfect gift. Located in Lodi, near my hometown, this winery boasts an exceptional selection of wines. Their generosity is equally impressive: 50% of their profits go to animal rescue organizations, making each bottle a toast to saving lives. Cheers to that!
11. Good Thomas
Ever dreamed of matching outfits with your dog? Good Thomas makes that dream a reality with their adorable matching shirts, pajamas, and sweaters for you and your furry friend. Whether it’s for an ugly Christmas sweater party or a cozy night in, their products add a fun twist to the season. Best of all, 2% of every purchase supports efforts to help homeless dogs find loving homes.
12. Perkie Prints
Personalized gifts are always a hit, and Perkie Prints takes it a step further by celebrating your beloved pet. From ornaments to mugs and t-shirts, they create custom items featuring your favorite furry friend. With every purchase, Perkie Prints donates to Wags and Walks, ensuring more dogs find their forever families. These heartfelt gifts are as unique as the pets they honor.
This holiday season, let’s celebrate the joy of giving by supporting businesses that make a difference. Whether it’s through stylish dog gear, cleaning solutions, or tasty treats, these companies are spreading holiday magic to animals in need. What better way to honor the spirit of the season?
Wishing you and your furry friends a warm, cozy, and giving Christmas!
12 Days of Christmas List 2022!
It’s time to do our annual 12 Days of Christmas Gift Giving Guide. Each year we choose companies or products that donate to animal rescue organizations. We love looking for new products and companies that share our goals in helping animal rescues across the country save and find forever homes for pets in need. And this year we have another amazing list of companies and products to share with you!
2022 is coming to a close, and that means it’s time to do our annual 12 Days of Christmas Gift Giving Guide. Each year we choose companies or products that donate to animal rescue organizations. We love looking for new products and companies that share our goals of helping animal rescues across the country save and find forever homes for pets. And this year we have another amazing list of companies and products to share with you!
1)GivePet: Dog Treats
Looking for some tasty treats to put under the Christmas tree for your dog? GivePet has a wide variety of dog treats and with every purchase of a bag of treats; GivePet donates enough treats for at least 10 shelter dogs.
2)Conscious Step: Socks
Keeping your feet warm has never been more rewarding. With the purchase of these socks; Conscious Step donates to Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends Animal Society is one of the largest animal welfare groups in the United States.
3)Paw Print Charity Ring: Pura Vida
This paw print ring is not only cute but for each ring sold 5% of the purchase price will be donated to Best Friends Animal Society. As we mentioned with the previous company, Best Friends is an animal welfare organization that helps animal shelters with resources to help find shelter pets a loving home.
This company has an amazing origin story. The owner adopted an adorable pit mix named Wilson. She saw how giving dogs, with breed prejudice, a second chance can save lives! Wilsonhaus donates 30% of the proceeds from their candles to animal shelters and rescues across the US.
5)Lush: Charity Pot Coin
For those in your life that are environmentally conscious and like clean beauty products, this is the gift for them. It’s the packaging-free version of their famous Charity Pot body lotion. And they donate 100% of the purchase price to different charities around the world. Some of the past recipients of these donations have been HugABull Advocacy and Rescue Society, Hawaii Wildlife Center, and The Responsible Animal Care Society.
6)Grounded Sage: Holiday Soap
Grounded Sage is an organic skincare company that combines its belief in the healing power of plants and sustainable packaging. And their founder Jamie rescued dogs herself and has donated a portion of the proceeds to animal rescues in Canada. One of the main charities they support is Bullies in Need which helps Bully breed dogs that face euthanasia in Ontario and CanFix which is a task force in Ontario Canada that offers spay and neuter resources to help pet overpopulation.
We can't forget our Dogs this Christmas. Little Beast Co makes quality and ethically produced clothing for your best friend. They have everything from onesies to socks to help keep your dog stylish and warm. And at check out make sure to mark the box that says donate, and you can choose which charity Little Beast donates 5% of your purchase. Currently, they are helping Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton, Deity Animal Rescue and Foundation, Honoring Hope and Faith Rescue, and Pup Starz Rescue.
Next, we chose another skincare company that makes naturally sourced and cruelty-free products. And the best part is that for every order, 100% Pure donates a bowl of vegan dog food. They chose vegan dog food because of its environmental benefits. One bowl of vegan dog food can save 60sqf of rainforest, 90lb of grain, 2000 gallons of water, and the lives of at least 2 livestock animals each day. Some of the charities they have worked with are Wags and Walks, Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society of Silicon Valley, and ASPCA.
This company has combined two of the best things in the world… Wine and Dogs! Rescue Dog Wines is located in Lodi, Ca (near my hometown of Manteca). This winery has a great selection of wines from Demi-Sec Sparkling wines to Cabernet Sauvignon. Rescue Dog Wines also donates 50% of its profits to animal rescue organizations. Some of the organizations they have helped are Pug Nation Rescue of LA, French Bulldog Rescue Network, and the Humane Society of Sonoma County.
This company makes our list every year because their coffee is THAT good!! We also love all the dog-themed flavors and apparel they sell. And of course, the best part is that 100% of profit made from their Rescue Roast gets donated to animal rescue organizations. This quarter they are donating to Beagle Freedom Project. Beagle Freedom Project rescues dogs from labratory testing and has passed some legislation stopping the testing on animals.
This treat company was founded on the principle of making healthy dog treats with simple high-quality ingredients. These treats only have 2 ingredients with the main meat source being the largest ingredient. Kono's Kitchen also donates 10% of its profits to the medical care of shelter animals.
12)Dog Threads
Our final recommendation for our gift-giving guide is Dog Threads. This company makes quality closes, that you can match with your dog! They have sweaters, pajamas, and sweats for you and your best four-legged friend. Dog Threads donates 2% to homeless animals. This quarter they are donating to The Love Pit.
We love making our Gift Giving Guide for you every year. It's always great when we can spread the word about small business and help animal rescues in the process. We hope you have a wonderful Holiday season. We will see you in 2023!
12 Days of Christmas
Every year I have chosen twelve gifts, from companies that give back to animal rescue organizations, to be a part of a Gift Giving Guide. Each year I look forward to discovering new companies that offer products that do more than just one thing. Check out our list and hopefully this helps you with ideas for your shopping list this year.
Every year since I started Doggie Dreamz back in 2014, I have chosen twelve gifts, from companies that give back to animal rescue organizations, to be a part of a Gift Giving Guide. I look forward to discovering new companies that offer products that do more than just one thing. To me, the holiday season is more than getting presents, it’s about helping those that need it most. The holiday season has always been about lending a helping hand to those less fortunate. All twelve of these companies help spread this giving spirit and help charities that support animal rescue efforts across the country. I hope you enjoy this list and that these suggestions assist you with some of your loved ones on your shopping list.
For the first day, we have chosen Rescue Chocolate. Not only do they make delicious chocolate but they also donate 100% of the net profits to animal rescue organizations around the country. This is perfect for any sweet tooth in your life that also enjoys helping animals.
For Day 2 we chose Fetch Eyewear. They have stylish frames for both prescription and sunglasses. They donate 100% of profits to animal welfare groups, making them a perfect gift for the pet obsessed!
Day 3 is for any dog lover that loves to represent their love. Hendricks & Co is an apparel company that donates to animal rescue organizations with every shirt, hoodie, bracelet, or dog accessory purchased. More than 600 rescues, shelters, and sanctuaries in the U.S. and Canada have partnered with Hendrick & Co. and to date, Hendrick & Co. has donated more than $2 million!
Day 4 of our Gift Giving Guide is all about coffee! Grounds and Hounds make delicious coffee all with a doggie theme. They support rescue organizations providing second chances to pups in need of a helping hand. 20% of all Grounds and Hounds Profits are given to rescue organizations working to make the second-chance mission a reality.
Day 5 is a great gift for a cartoon enthusiast in your life. Mutts Shop is merchandise from the classic comic strip Mutts. And 2% of the retail price of every item in their shop goes to The Humane Society’s Animal Rescue Team.
Day 6 of our 12 Days of Christmas Gift Giving Guide answers a question I get a lot…Where did you get your shirt? I have this shirt in black and it is a perfect idea for a Game of Thrones fan that is also a dog lover. What is even better is that the company, Animal Hearted, donates 25% of proceeds from every order to non-profit animal shelters and rescue organizations.
Day 7 in our Gift Giving Guide is one of the cutest things I have ever seen! It's an Operation Res-cute pup! This item comes with a book, based on the true story of a real-life rescue dog, along with a plush stuffed animal and Operation ResCUTE sticker. 100% of the profits will go towards helping shelter dogs get adopted.
Day 8 of our Gift Giving Guide is perfect for the practical Pet Parent. It's a seatbelt from Kurgo for your pup in the car to keep them safe while allowing them to enjoy the ride as well. And what is great is that Kurgo has its own foundation that helps people explore the world together, as well as organizations that help dogs in natural disaster situations.
Day 9 in our 12 Days Gift Guide is for the candle obsessed. Light and Bark Candle Co. These smell amazing and also go with any home decor style. A portion of the profits from every purchase is donated directly to a deserving rescue. These donations help shelter and rescue dogs to stay healthy and happy while they wait for their forever homes by covering costs for things like microchips, medical care, enrichment items, and funding for shelter prevention.
Day 10 in our Gift Guide is from Arm the Animals. This mask says it all, it really does save lives. For the past 8 years, this amazing company has been providing donation funds, supplying low-cost website development, graphics, and marketing services to help other organizations increase their impact.
Day 11 of our Gift Giving Guide would be perfect for your Instagram obsessed friend. The popular Instagram Profile The Dogist that was started to showcase the cute dogs of New York has become a phenomenon. And now they have started their own shop that helps fund animal rescues. The Dogist Rescue Partner Program empowers local shelters by helping fund their rescue work and highlighting adoptable dogs from their shelters and foster networks. Each season, we partner with a new rescue organization and donate a portion of each sale from The Dogist Shop to help continue their work.
Day 12! It’s the final day of our Gift Giving Guide and today’s pick is for you make-up lovers out there. Karity is a cruelty-free make-up brand that not only is reasonably priced, and is carried at CVS, but for every palette that is sold each month, Karity donates a meal to a shelter animal through the SPCA. Truly a beauty company that knows the real meaning of beauty.
Let me know of any other companies that you enjoy or buy from that give back to animal rescues in the comments below.