A (Candle) Light at the End of the Tunnel

Riley’s Candles has helped more than 50 dogs get life-saving surgeries

It’s no secret that people love their pooches. But what would you do if the unthinkable happened, and you were faced with thousands of dollars in emergency bills to save your fur baby? For many pet owners, it wouldn’t be possible, at least not without some help.

Enter: canine-catered gift shop-meets-social impact company, Riley’s Candles.

Founded in 2017, the business is the brainchild of Joshua Hart, a former insurance professional, forever animal-lover, and dad to a 15-year-old rescue dog named Riley (aka, Chief Beagle Officer). Its mission? To save the lives of as many dogs as possible by donating proceeds from candle sales—and leashes, pet-sized scarves, water bowls, sweatshirts, etc.—to finance pricey medical procedures for pups throughout the state.

“Pets are such a big part of families, and I see that in other people’s eyes,” says Hart. “It’s really neat to be able to be a part of that.”

Seeing Pet Parents in Need

Our story begins in the early 2010s, when Riley, then just three years old, became paralyzed from the midsection down due to a genetic spinal cord issue.

The prognosis, though serious, was treatable. The only remedy, though, was emergency back surgery that could cost north of $10,000, and the hospital needed half of it down to proceed.

“We didn’t know what to do. We were in a panic, so we maxed out all of our credit cards, called our parents crying,” says Hart. Eventually, he and his then-partner were able to pay for the surgery that saved Riley’s life.

Over the following decade, though, Riley’s condition paralyzed him another four times, requiring three essential back surgeries, each with a $10,000-$20,000 price tag.

By then, Hart was financially stable enough to foot Riley’s surgery bills up front. All of those hospital stays found him in the company of pet parents facing similar challenges, many of whom were forced to say goodbye to their furry friends due to finances.

“We saw so many terrified people going into that surgery room, knowing they couldn’t afford it,” he notes. “By 2017 after Riley’s third surgery, we were like, ‘what can we do to start raising money for this cause or be able to donate?’”

The answer arrived one day in the form of a turkey deep-fryer and some extra wax.

“My neighbor and I were brainstorming [at the same time] that his wife was starting a candle company. So, I raided the kitchen and we spent a Saturday seeing if we could invent some candles,” says Hart.

The endeavor took off in metro-Detroit, where Hart was then based, faster than a dog with the zoomies. What started as a small passion project soon evolved into candle parties, social media buzz, and bark—we mean word—of mouth.

“People started asking for more candles and where they could get them. It just kind of caught fire,” Hart says.

Lighting the Way

Since then, Hart and Riley have relocated north to Traverse City, and in October 2022, opened a retail location for Riley’s Candles housed in the Flat Cap Ventures property on US-31.

Inside, the shop offers its namesake candles, which are both pet-safe and vegan, alongside a rotating stock of apparel and gifts, as well as a rentable studio for Wags & Wax candle-making workshops, and as of this year, even a nonprofit arm. “It’s really been amazing,” Hart adds.

Here’s how the setup works: On one half of the pie chart, there’s Riley’s Candles, which is the organization’s for-profit face. This includes the Traverse City storefront and the connected online marketplace (which is undergoing an overhaul, but should be complete in time for the holidays), as well as an ever-expanding presence within the corporate gift-giving space, which Riley’s Candles facilitates through partnerships with publicly-traded companies.

Per Hart, this not only creates the capacity to increase meaningful re-tail effect—it’s through this type of collaboration that the company can fill orders for thousands of candles at once—but has also played a critical role in boosting overall brand awareness.

“It’s been a big win-win for us, because it helps us save so much money and also gets our brand out there nationally, and not just in Traverse City,” says Hart.

Then there’s the impact piece, wherein 20 percent of everything Riley’s Candles sells funnels back into supporting emergency medical care for dogs.

For the first few years of the company’s life, says Hart, these donations were made directly through the storefront. In April 2024, the team launched The Riley Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and serves as a hub for doggy dollars.

On the ground, its efforts translate to collaboration with veterinary clinics statewide—including a few local institutions, like Oakwood Veterinary Hospital and Bay Area Pet Hospital, among others—which help provide families with urgent services like bridge loans, resources for financing vet care, and even guidance for navigating the labyrinth of pet insurance.

“It’s really anything we can do to help someone save a pup,” Hart says.

Building Momentum

And the results have been nothing short of paw-some. In the last two years, Riley’s Candles has helped save the lives of 56 dogs and counting, and with them, the livelihood of just as many panicked pet parents.

For context, Riley’s Candles contributes, on average, $750-$1,500 per pet. That’s about 15-30 percent of a $5,000 vet procedure, and could account for an even greater sum, depending on insurance coverage. Hart also stresses that many of the families the organization sees are just starting out or grappling with major life changes (i.e., job loss, a new baby, etc.), which only makes that support more important.

“Everything always happens at the worst time,” Hart says. “Those families also have to put food on the table; so, when we write the check and meet those folks in person, it’s a really touching thing.”

There’s a growing community element to the organization’s dog-saving mission, as 85 percent of its beneficiaries have become donors themselves. It’s the reward of those relationships, Hart says, that keeps the company’s spark ablaze.

“We get a lot of picture and text updates from [the families we’ve helped],” Hart tells us, headlined by yearly photos of kids and pups who get to grow together. “It’s pretty cool to hear that this wouldn’t have happened without Riley.”

Making a Difference

As for the next four years (28 dog years) and beyond? In addition to an all-new website and merchandise inventory in the works, the next move for the business is to expand its corporate gifting reach, especially, as it relates to the market in northern Michigan.

Though Riley’s Candles already partners with a number of regional vendors—including Cartman in the Morning on Rock105.fm, with whom they co-brand, as well as Kultura Real Estate, FreshTrippin cleaning services, Happy Camper Coffee Co., and even the Traverse City Pit Spitters—Hart underscores an increased focus on business-to-business initiatives, because more candles sold equals more four-legged lives saved (and more opportunities for slobbery kisses!).

“That’s where our focus is right now, and that’s really where we can make the difference,” he adds.

Feliz Navi-Dog! Bark-Worthy Holiday Candles

Though Riley’s Candles offers an extensive line of giftable goods, its flagship product is unquestionably candles—it’s in the name, for dog’s sake! But, not just any old wick will do. Per Hart, the company is committed to creating top-notch candles, complete with non-toxic ingredients and even pet-friendly fragrances.

Of these, Hart highlights Traverse City Cherry as an annual bestseller, as well as several seasonal favorites, like Riley’s Christmas Tree Farm (a eucalyptus-laced blend of woodsy balsam, fir, and cedar) and Spiced Pumpkin Ginger, both of which have seen an uptick in sales in recent months.

He also underscores that Riley’s Candles’ demand is increasingly driven not by scent but by jar design. “When we started, we thought everyone would buy their candles based on fragrance,” Hart notes. “But as my team’s [pointed out], we’re selling a story.”

That story, of course, celebrates dogs—and as he explains, it’s “gone crazy” with buyers. Pet-parent slogans, like “Dog Mom” and “Dog Dad,” have come out as top performers, as have cutesy sayings like “Dogs, Books, & Coffee,” and anything that rips on people (think: “Sorry, My Dog and I Have Plans”).

“It’s all about the dogs,” Hart says. “That’s really what most people are buying for.”

Find Riley’s Candles at 476 US-31 in Traverse City. For more information on Riley’s mission or to shop, visit rileyscandles.com. (989) 350-1693. @rileyscandles

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