From handcrafted shampoo bars to stylish bow ties and everything in between, Denver businesses offering specialized products and services for dogs are thriving in a city catered to man’s best friend.
The owners and creators behind these unique ventures shared why they enjoy improving the quality of life for the dogs of Denver, as well as why they think Denver loves canines.
Canine Rehabilitation & Conditioning Group LLC
Canine Rehabilitation & Conditioning Group LLC in Englewood is dedicated to helping dogs from puppies to senior dogs “fetch more out of life.”
“Our facility focuses on a number of benefits for dogs from rehab rehabilitation, which is physical therapy for dogs, to recreational swimming fitness and conditioning and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine along with chiropractic so any orthopedic or neurological issue that a dog has can be treated on the clinical side and recreationally the fitness and conditioning and swimming pool helps healthy dogs stay fit and healthy,” founder Lori Beuerle said.
Originally from Michigan, Beuerle said she opened the Englewood location in 2005 and a Broomfield location in 2010 with business partner and physical therapist Marty Pease.
Beuerle was seeking help for her dog, Clark.
“He had a shoulder issue that the orthopedic surgeon said we could either try physical therapy or rehab rehabilitation or exploratory surgery,” Beuerle said. “So there was a physical therapist operating out of the VRCC in the back office part-time and I decided to go with physical therapy and it solved the issue.”
After undergoing physical therapy, Beuerle said Clark was back to normal and didn’t have to undergo surgery. Pease was the physical therapist who helped Clark.
“That convinced me that it needed to be available to more people so I talked with (Pease),” Beuerle said. “And she said, ‘I’d absolutely love to. I just don’t know what to do.’ So, I said ‘I can help with that.’ So, we started working together and nine months later we opened our Englewood location.”
She said over the years people throughout the metro area have responded well to the care offered at her facilities.
Beuerle said this response is the best aspect of her business.
“It’s just so rewarding to see a dog come in that is either not walking well or not walking at all and we’ve had cases where they’ve received acupuncture or underwater treadmill and they’ve been able to walk out the door,” Beuerle said.
Beuerle said one unique aspect of her business is that each location has the largest swimming pools for dogs in Colorado and the pools contain freshwater.
“I thought recreational swimming would allow us to bring in more people to educate them on what rehabilitation can do and it worked out,” she said. “It wasn’t just a marketing piece. It was something that the community loves for their dogs.”
Beuerle feels people in Denver cater so much to dogs due to the weather and outdoor activities.
“We’ve got a lot of recreational activities for people (and they) move here because of it. They can ski, hike, rock climb and all sorts of things,” she said. “So with that, we include our dogs as our family members and that is an attraction along with it that allows us to have businesses that can serve that population.”
Going forward, Beuerle said she hopes to expand nationally and open about 10-15 more locations around the country so that people everywhere have access to these services for their dogs.
Buddy Bows
While some Denver businesses focus on physical health, others like Buddy Bows were created to help dogs with their sense of style.
Denver resident and co-owner Peter Horton said Buddy Bows started going to markets in October last year. “Buddy Bows is a pet fashion accessory company and basically we design and handmake bowties for dogs,” Horton said.
The idea for the business initially began in April after Horton’s girlfriend and co-owner Michelle San Miguel designed a bowtie for her dog.
“I just absolutely fell in love with it so I asked her to make a couple for my dogs and she did and ever since I put them on the dog…literally every person was like, ‘Oh my God, I love the bowtie,”’ Horton said. “So I thought I should look into this to see if maybe it could be a potential business opportunity.”
Horton said the market is fragmented and while a lot of businesses are selling bow ties, they are not all the best quality.
“It’s like an ancillary product that a lot of other pet supply companies are doing and most of them are made in China and are very cheaply made and so we wanted to establish a true brand just for the bowties,” Horton said.
Horton said he and San Miguel work together to hand make the bows as Horton maps them out and San Miguel sews everything together.
Since they started selling their bowties, they’ve received very positive feedback.
“We have people that are absolutely just floored,” Horton said. “They’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is the greatest thing in the world. I’ve never seen this.’ And then they buy them.”
Horton feels the reason why people love the bowties is because they love to see their dogs looking cute.
“I don’t really know how to put it into words, but it just brings a natural smile to your face and it’s just adorable,” Horton said.
San Miguel also feels Denver is so catered to dogs because of all the outdoor activities available that people can do with their dogs.
“I can’t speak for everyone of course, but there is something wonderful about the company of a fur baby,” San Miguel said. “They bring pure joy and love. There’s nothing better than their love.”
For San Miguel the best aspect of Buddy Bows is meeting fellow dog owners and their “fur-babies.”
“I love getting to meet and see all the fur babies at events, pictures of fur babies with their new bow ties and getting to be a part of the community of creators and small business owners,” San Miguel said.
Horton loves working with San Miguel because it’s fun and he loves that their product makes people smile.
Going forward, both San Miguel and Horton hope the business will expand.
Buddy Scrub
While San Miguel and Horton focus on canine fashion, 32-year-old Denverite Mitchell Teston, owner of Buddy Scrub, creates natural grooming products for dogs right in his mother’s kitchen.
“I make three things and I kind of just keep it simple,” Teston said. “I’m really happy with the way those three things work, and I’ve thought about expanding, but I keep changing my mind because I keep (sticking) to what I know.”
The three products Teston makes include a shampoo bar, coat spritzers and balms for their paws and nose.
“The only other variation I have is five different scents for the shampoo bars and the spritzers,” Teston said.
Those scents include sweet coconut, light grass, aloe and clover, eucalyptus and fresh-cut grass, which is his favorite.
Teston said his products, while not completely all-natural, are safe for dogs as he uses fragrant oils and not essential oils.
“All the ingredients in it are really gentle stuff,” Teston said. “It’s PH balanced for dogs so it’s not harsh. It won’t overly dry out their skin. A lot of dog shampoos from a dollar store, for example, like, yeah, it’ll clean your dog, but it’s not really balanced well and it can actually make them itchy or dry out.”
He explained he uses a buttermilk base, coconut oil extract and finely ground oatmeal in his items.
“One common question I get is if it’s all natural, and unfortunately, it’s not, but that’s just a conscious decision I make, so it’s higher quality and has a longer shelf life, and even so, I don’t use anything that’s super out there,” Teston said.
Buddy Scrub was started in 2021 after Teston was inspired by his mother Sharry Henk, who makes soaps and candles.
“I kind of took that idea and tried to make it more realistic and I was like, ‘Well, maybe I could make soaps, but I want to do something that’s more unique,” Teston said.
For Teston, the best aspect of being a business owner is talking with customers both new and returning and being able to reassure them that his product is quality and will directly help with any issues or concerns.
“I’m just glad to be so involved and out front with everything,” Teston said. “So, yeah, that’s one nice thing in contrast to some of (those) bigger stores.”
Similarly to his fellow dog business owners, Teston believes Denver is so focused on dogs because of the outdoors.
“I think it’s just that kind of lifestyle that is fun and it invites space to have a companion with you,” Teston said. “There’s a lot of parks in Denver. That’s something I’ve come to appreciate over time…Denver feels a lot more open and a lot more space to have a dog.”
Currently, Teston works in higher education full-time and runs Buddy Scrub in his spare time with help from Henk and his girlfriend Jessica Pike.
Going forward, Teston said he hopes to work in other businesses including non-profits that help dogs and animals.
“I hope to get a little more regular with the markets and events I go to,” Teston said. “(Also) just kind of building a network of working with other businesses and adoption agencies and just other things beyond just farmers markets type things.”
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
