Sam Macdonald Moncton, New Brunswick, News 0

Lynn Gallagher told Huddle her unique bulldog, Leroy Brown, inspired a limited-edition beer brewed by Flying Boats Brewing Company and a charity that raised $1,175 for the Youth Impact Jeunesse .

“My husband is an avid beer lover and he would have fun discussions about how Leroy Brown lent himself to being a fabulous beer,” said Gallagher.

That led to a conversation with brewer Mark Melanson of Flying Boats Brewing Company , who offered to brew the British Bulldog Best Bitter with a label featuring Leroy Brown’s handsome mug.

Dieppe-based Flying Boats brewed and released the beer in March and Gallagher adapted the label into merchandise, receiving a groundswell of local support.

“We went into this with no expectation, hoping it would do well. We hoped the beer and the sweatshirts sold well and people would be excited about the image of a dog on a beer can,” she said.

“We didn’t have a dollar amount in our minds. The outcome was fantastic.”

Money raised from the sale of the British-style classic bitter beer helped Leroy Brown’s family donate to Youth Impact Jeunesse. The Moncton-based youth charity is putting the proceeds toward a variety of resources, such as housing, courses, and the basic needs of the people it supports.

“That’s something my husband and I were noticing more and more–younger and younger people seem to be homeless in Moncton and Fredericton,” said Gallagher.

“It was something that touched us and we thought maybe there was an opportunity, knowing people who have used the charity 15 years ago.”

Leroy Brown is a rare-coloured chocolate-and-tan bulldog, with fur patches above his eyes that resemble eyebrows. He has a unique appearance Gallagher described as “like a big teddy bear,” and the ideal face of a charity.

Gallagher said much of the inspiration for the campaign came from the universal kindness of dogs.

“We like to call dogs, in general, the great equalizer–they’re not bothered by someone’s station in life. They just like who they like,” she said.

“They have empathy and give people warmth that they may not be getting elsewhere.”

While most of the money was raised by sales of the limited-edition beer and the sweaters and images based on the beer label sold by Dowd Street, Gallagher’s merchandise side-hustle, Off The Wall Eyewear Emporium also participated, contributing money from its donation box.

“We had some great feedback from his international fans who’d repost images of the beer, saying ‘if you’re from New Brunswick, you can try this beer and my famous friend is on the label,’ and that sort of thing,” said Gallagher.

“We were able to give back to people we’d see while out on a walk, not knowing what they needed. It was a great collaboration.”

Sam Macdonald is a Huddle reporter in Moncton. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected] .

New Brunswick, News, Saint John

Huddle will only approve your comment if you provide your first and last name.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.