Dogs and liquor don’t seem like they’d go hand-in-hand, but Tito’s Handmade Vodka has been helping dogs for more than 25 years. 

In the last five years, the initiative Vodka For Dog People has supported over 2,500 animal-related nonprofits. In 2024 alone, they funded 75,000 spay and neuter surgeries and medical treatments — all while finding “furever” homes for over 160 stray dogs and cats that have wandered into their distillery. 

“From the first distillery dogs that would eventually become family, to the many dogs that frequent our offices now, dogs have always been an important part of who we are at Tito’s Handmade Vodka,” Beth Bellanti Pander, program manager for Vodka for Dog People, told IdaHome Magazine in August. 

“We think they make life better, and we try to do the same for them — from our support of yappy hours and dog-friendly events to joining forces with animal-focused nonprofits across the country.”

In their latest endeavor, VFDP gave a local Houston-based nonprofit, Three Little Pitties, a facility makeover that expanded three nurseries, improved the rescue’s grooming room, and built a “dedicated puppy cuddling area” for volunteers. 

Alayna Matranga Goodson, the executive director at Three Little Pitties Rescue, said that the investment has broadened the rescue’s ability to care for “thousands of puppies” and expectant mothers in the future. 

“One right after the other, we are able to move in desperate nursing or pregnant dogs that have nowhere else to turn, and give them a comfortable and safe environment to have their babies,” Goodson said in a press release. 

“We are thrilled to have VFDP come in and revitalize the nurseries to make it a welcoming and joyful-looking environment — not only for the dogs — but also for the staff and volunteers who care for them.”

A stray dog named Lucy was one of the first dogs to try out the newly transformed “mutt-ernity suites.” Lucy was a stray dog that had given birth to six puppies in a nearby landfill and was living beneath a rusty dumpster. 

After getting picked up by Three Little Pitties volunteers, Lucy and her litter received much-needed medical care, as well as a calm, clean place to “grow and thrive.” 

“Three Little Pitties has created something truly special – a safe, welcoming place for one of the most overlooked dog populations: stray pregnant dogs,” Bellanti Pander said in a press release.

“Their work ensures that these dogs can safely bring their puppies into the world and find the loving homes they deserve. It's a one-of-a-kind mission, and we’re incredibly honored to help support it."

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Header images via Tito’s Handmade Vodka & Three Little Pitties Rescue