by Kaycee Chance
Photos courtesy of Tim Heitzman
Clockwise: Maya serves as the face of Rescue Dog Hot Sauce. Bindi enjoying the great outdoors. Ozzy is always up for adventure. Tiago, Heitzman’s first rescue dog, sparked his passion for rescue.
Tim Heitzman, a familiar name in Oklahoma’s food scene, takes on many roles: chef, food lover, creator and maker of Rescue Dog Hot Sauce. But his favorite title is Dog Dad. Tim started Rescue Dog Hot Sauce (RDHS) as a creative endeavor after years of making homemade sauces for his family. With a solid recipe that everyone loved, he began sharing it with friends who owned local restaurants and bars. Their enthusiasm led to an invitation to set up at Delmar Gardens Farmers Market — and the rest is history. Now Heitzman and RDHS are fixtures at farmers markets and eateries around Oklahoma, a natural fit for a celebrated chef.
“I’ve always been a huge dog lover,” Heitzman explains. “So when I started Rescue Dog Hot Sauce, I knew I somehow wanted to incorporate dogs in the name. Whether that meant naming it after a specific dog or just highlighting dogs, I knew I wanted to help.”
A lifelong dog lover, Heitzman has always had a heart for rescue — and an adorable rescue pack of his own to prove it. Two of his dogs, Tiago and Maya, even played essential roles in the creation of his brand. Tiago, Tim’s first dog, sparked his passion for rescue. A black Pitbull full of love and energy, he was the perfect adventure companion.
“I always wanted a dog that would go on adventures with me and spend time with me going everywhere, and that’s exactly what I got after adopting Tiago,” Heitzman says. “During his life with me, we probably went to over 80 lakes together, seven or eight national parks, and at least a dozen states. In Tulsa, everyone knew Tiago. Even places that didn’t allow dogs allowed him in.”
Though Heitzman now lives in Oklahoma City, where he continues his culinary and rescue work, his Tulsa roots remain strong. He frequently participates in events in both cities, keeping Tiago’s spirit alive through the connections he built there.
When Tiago passed away, Heitzman was heartbroken, and he still thinks of him every day. But just two weeks later, a new love entered his life — 9-month-old Maya who has been his best friend ever since. Another black Pit Bull, Maya was rescued right around the same time Rescue Dog Hot Sauce became official. He decided she would be the perfect ambassador for his brand.
“I liked that she was a black Pit Bull and wanted to make her the face of the hot sauce,” he says. That choice aligned perfectly with his mission to shine a light on dogs often overlooked.
Maya lived with Heitzman for about a year before their next family member, a 1-year-old Aussie mix named Bindi, joined the pack. Even at such a young age, Bindi had already experienced extensive trauma in her life by the time Heitzman fostered her, and what started as a short-term foster situation quickly turned permanent.
“Bindi had been through so much, and she became best friends with Maya. They loved each other so much, so when I learned she was possibly going to be put down at the shelter, I just couldn’t let that happen.”
The newest member of the family, Ozzy, a white Pit Bull, started as a foster too. “Me and my partner had hopes of finding him and his brother forever homes, but we knew it might be tough with so many dogs in need.”
They decided that if a year passed and Ozzy wasn’t adopted, they would keep him and make him a permanent member of the pack. “After that year passed, it was obvious that Ozzy had been home all along,” Heitzman says.
Heitzman’s partner in life and business, Erica, owns a company called Must Heart Dogs, and together the couple owns The Blended Kitchen. Erica’s dogs — Phoenix, Ramsey and Watson — are just as much a part of Heitzman’s world, blending seamlessly into their big, happy pack.
“Everyone knows how much we love dogs and even jokingly call us the First Couple of Dogs in Tulsa,” Heitzman explains with a laugh, explaining further why he loves his pets. “You will never be lonely if you have a dog,” he says. “Whether you’re single or married, if you have dogs, you’re never alone. I have been through so many different stages of my life, and I’ve gotten through all of them because of my dogs.”
Because of this, Rescue Dog Hot Sauce focuses on donating to and supporting local rescue groups across Oklahoma.
“We have made it our mission through our brand and through Rescue Dog Hot Sauce to give back to the community and especially to highlight smaller rescues that may not get as much recognition but do such important work,” Heitzman says.
He hopes to continue his mission of helping dogs in need through RDHS for a long time, and no doubt his amazing rescue crew will be there to support him the entire way.
