Rescue Chocolate is “The Sweetest Way to Save a Life”

By Julia Williams

I loved the taste of rich, dark chocolate long before studies confirmed that eating a few squares a day can provide numerous health benefits. When I learned that chocolate might actually be good for me, I quit fighting the craving (I was losing the battle anyway!). Now that I’ve discovered there is a chocolate bar that donates 100% of their net profits to animal rescue organizations around the country, I fear my consumption is about to skyrocket. But it’s okay…the way I see it, there are far worse things than eating chocolate and helping animals at the same time!

Sarah Gross founded Rescue Chocolate in January 2010 as a way to raise funds for animal shelters and rescue groups, while also educating the public on issues facing homeless pets. Every month, the Brooklyn-based company picks a different animal rescue organization to help.

Rescue Chocolate’s melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate candy bars, truffles and hearts are 100% vegan and certified kosher. Their products are handcrafted in the finest Belgian tradition with high quality ingredients and no artificial preservatives. Gross works with executive chef Jean Francois Bonnet at the Tumbador chocolate factory to make the divine dark chocolate creations.

Rescue Chocolate Products

The names and the packaging of each flavor of Rescue Chocolate shed light on a different aspect of the pet overpopulation epidemic.

“Pick Me! Pepper” is a sweet and spicy dark chocolate bar created to highlight the advantages of adopting pets from animal shelters.

“Foster-rific Peppermint” is a minty dark chocolate bar with crunchy cacao nibs, created to encourage people to provide foster care for shelter animals that are waiting for their forever homes.

“Peanut Butter Pit Bull” is a crispy peanut butter and luscious dark chocolate bar, created to counter the negative public image of the pit bull breed.

“The Fix” is a pure, rich dark chocolate bar highlighting the importance of spaying and neutering.

“Mission Feral Fig” is a chewy-crunchy combo of figs, cranberries, almonds, cinnamon and other spices, created to bring awareness of feral cat colonies and the importance of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs.

“Wild at Heart” dark chocolate hearts are filled with zingy RASPBERRY ganache.

“Bow Wow Bon Bons” (truffles) come in four unique flavors: Peanut Butter and Jelly, Cinnamon, Salted Peanut and Dark 70%.

Rescue Chocolate History

When longtime dog lover Sarah Gross met a forlorn pit bull named Mocha who desperately needed a forever home, it was love at first touch. Sarah “felt an instant, profound connection” to the dog, and so she adopted her on the spot. One morning before taking Mocha out for their morning walk, Sarah polished off her breakfast of choice, a dark chocolate bar. Fueled by the feel-good endorphins of the chocolate, Sarah had an idea. She could combine her two loves – chocolate and animals – by developing a scrumptious new dark chocolate line, selling it, and donating the profits to animals in need.

Sarah had some experience in the industry, working part-time at a raw chocolate company where she had developed a best-selling flavor. “I knew what tasted good,” she said. “The idea for Rescue Chocolate was almost fully formed before Mocha and I returned from our walk.” Now, Rescue Chocolate is carried by a number of retail outlets across the U.S., including in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Portland, Seattle and San Diego. The chocolate is also sold online through the Rescue Chocolate website and other online food retailers. Those who don’t want to shop online can print out the order form and mail it in.

Rescue organizations and shelters can also benefit by selling the chocolates directly. When they sell the chocolate, they not only get to use all of the net profits from the sales for their programs, but they raise awareness on important homeless pet issues too.

Disclaimer: CANIDAE Natural Pet Foods has no affiliation with Rescue Chocolate. Also, please remember that all chocolate products are for humans only, as chocolate toxicity can cause serious health problems for our pets. 

Read more articles by Julia Williams