In August 2023, I packed up my life in Massachusetts and moved to Arizona. One of the first things I bought for my new home was a Ring doorbell—just a small piece of security as I settled into a new place.

Almost right away, I started noticing something I had never seen before. Every single day, my neighborhood feed filled with reports of stray dogs—five, sometimes ten in just one day. Where I came from, this wasn’t visible. At first, I was surprised. But as I kept watching, surprise turned into heartbreak.

I started digging deeper and learned the truth: this wasn’t just an Arizona problem. It was happening everywhere. Across the U.S., millions of dogs are abandoned each year. Shelters are overwhelmed. Far too many dogs are euthanized. And it hit me hard—these are animals we created, and we are failing them.

That realization stayed with me. I couldn’t ignore it. I knew the problem was too big to solve with small gestures alone. It needed the scale, the energy, and the creativity of a business.

That’s when the idea clicked. Tequila is booming, with women ages 20–55 driving much of that growth. They also happen to be the group that gives the most to animal causes. I saw an opportunity to bring those two worlds together—celebration and compassion—in a way that could actually make a difference.

That spark became One Dog Tequila. A premium tequila brand built on purpose: for every bottle sold, a percentage goes directly to One Dog Together, an organization devoted to helping more dogs find safe, loving homes.

For me, this isn’t just about building a brand. It’s about building a movement. A way to raise a glass, enjoy life, and know you’re part of something bigger. A way to do better for dogs.