A young woman from Dieppe, N.B., has combined her love of coffee and animals to launch Rescue Coffee Co., her own locally roasted brand.
Claire Vaughan’s motto: Sip a cup and save a pup.
“Ever since I was a child I would find strays in the woods and always bring them home,” said Vaughan, who spent years volunteering to look after stray and abandoned pets and launched her brand of coffee two years ago.
“I decided to take two things that I love, really good premium locally roasted coffee and helping animals in needs.”
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Vaughan donates 10 per cent of her profits to animal shelters across the country, such as The Greater Moncton SPCA, NSSPCA, PEI humane society, and Toronto’s Save Our Scruff,
“People can’t believe somebody that is retailing coffee would be turning a portion of that back to the animals,” said Dave Rogers, executive director of the Greater Moncton SPCA.
Vaughan sells five different blends that are roasted in Nova Scotia with names like Downward Dog Decaf, Go Fetch and Wake and Wag. Rescue Coffee is available in the Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario, and she sells about 400 pounds of coffee a month from her garage.
Vaughan said blending her love of coffee and pets was as natural as waking up in the morning. “I wake up and I am greeted with my dog and cat and the first thing that I look forward to is my cup of coffee.”
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Vaughan has donated more than $3,000 to pet rescues in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Ontario. She is also hoping to expand her business across the country by expanding her sales to Newfoundland and Labrador this spring.
“If I can find a way to come into people’s lives on a daily basis with something they can truly enjoy and also feel good about and give back to the community, it is a win win.”