Tim Schwarzauer, who is also the grants coordinator for the town of Chapel Hill, is opening the brewery right outside Carrboro after years of brewing experience.
Dingo Dog Brewing Company is a nonprofit brewery where all proceeds go to no-kill animal shelters and animal welfare groups.
“I’m from Mississippi originally and my family started a no-kill animal sanctuary after Hurricane Katrina hit back in 2006 — it has since become one of the biggest in the state,” Schwarzauer said. “I continued to help them run it throughout college and since then I have carried the passion of animal welfare and rescue with me.”
The brewery is named after Schwarzauer’s dog, Dingo, a 17-year-old terrier he rescued in 2003. Schwarzauer came up with the idea for a non-profit brewery in support of animal welfare when he noticed how unreliable donations can be for animal welfare organizations.
“I’ve been picking around for a few years trying to find a way to provide a more sustainable source of funding for these organizations, because I know how ebb-and-flow solely relying on donations for these charities can be,” he said. “The needs for caring for these animals is 24/7, 365 days a year, though.”
With a brewery currently located on PlowGirl Farm, Schwarzauer hopes to expand by opening a taproom in the next year. He said ideally they will find a location where they can have a green, fenced space for dogs to run and play while owners enjoy socializing with others from the community.
“After moving up here five years ago, I fell in love with the beer scene,” Schwarzauer said. “It just seemed like a natural fit — everywhere you go, brewing and dogs just seem to go together and it’s a fun way for the community to come together.”
In addition to building a taprooms, the company also hopes to obtain a winery license in order to serve ciders. They will also be creating a grant system in which no-kill animal shelters and advocacy groups can apply for support.
