“Adopt me,” read the small flag dangling from the leash of a large-ish white dog. Kelly and Bertha were returning to their seats at the edge of the vineyard when they caught my eye. It took several minutes to process what I had just seen—a dog, looking for a new home, by hanging out at a winery music event.

I had so many questions, but the first and most important was, “does it work?” Are shelter dogs getting the hook up amidst weekend wine tastings?

The outings rarely result in adoption, Kelly admitted when I caught up to her between sets. She just likes to get the dogs out of their four walls every once in a while. “It’s good for them,” she said.

Kelly is a volunteer at The Pet Refuge, a nonprofit “no-kill” animal shelter located in South Bend, IN. The lucky dog sitting at Kelly’s feet is Bertha, a 7 year old Boxer mix. Bertha is clearly having a great day, contentedly surveying the mass of people gathered around the lawn. She’s being a good dog—much better than mine would be in the same situation.

According to her “bio” online, Bertha is a 50 pound wannabe lap dog who "really enjoys the company of a laid back dog," but not-so-much cats. To meet her or learn more, visit petrefuge.com, or stop by the shelter for one of their weekly adoption events on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

"She is a medium energy dog who enjoys her walks around the neighborhood and would love a fenced-in yard."

Play: The Round Barn Winery, Distillery and Brewery has three locations in Southwest Michigan and I had never been to any of them until our friends Beth and Mike invited us to see their son Justin play with Jake Mack and The Lesser Stags at an event billed as an “Island Spirits” party. The place packs a lot into a relatively modest space. There are bars, tasting rooms, indoor and outdoor seating areas, a food truck, a small stage—even a playground for kids. Staff driving golf carts offered to shuttle us the 100 yards from our car to the front door and everyone was as nice as could be.