Stella Blue Coffee pledges RTD can profits to fund 1,000 pet adoptions

Dan “Big Cat” Katz’s Stella Blue Coffee put 100% of gross profits from its ready-to-drink cans behind a pledge to fund 1,000 pet adoptions, turning a crowded RTD launch into a measurable rescue campaign instead of a simple feel-good tie-in.

The company said its “We Brew to Rescue” effort would use proceeds from the new shelf-stable cans to cover adoption fees for 1,000 pets this year. Stella Blue said the RTD can sales would send all gross profits to that pledge until the 1,000-adoption goal was reached, and its website showed the tally already at 17 of 1,000 pets adopted.

That matters because the coffee aisle, especially the chilled and canned segment, has become one of the most competitive places for lifestyle brands to fight for attention. Stella Blue is betting that cause marketing can do more than soften the pitch. It can give a newer brand a reason to stand out while building a direct link between each can sold and a concrete outcome for shelters.

Stella Blue said the campaign would support multiple shelters and rescue groups across the country, including PAWS Chicago and Mutt Fund. PAWS Chicago describes itself as the Midwest’s largest no-kill animal welfare organization, giving the pledge a recognizable anchor in Katz’s home city and a high-profile partner for the broader national effort.

The product itself is built for portability. Stella Blue’s canned latte page described the 11-ounce cans as shelf-stable, best served chilled, with each can delivering 190 milligrams of natural caffeine and 8 grams of protein. That puts the brand squarely in the ready-to-drink lane where convenience, branding and shelf presence often matter as much as taste.

The rescue push also extended beyond the cans. A Barstool Sports merch listing for a “We Brew To Rescue 2026 Tee” said 100% of profits from both the RTD cans and the charity shirt would go toward the 1,000-adoption mission until the target was reached. For Stella Blue, the test is clear: whether a coffee brand built around one of Barstool’s most recognizable figures can convert attention into sales, and sales into a real adoption count.