ABOUT US
Greetings, we're Christie and Dave, the owners of Hermosa Collars in Golden, Colorado. The faces of Hermosa, however, are Butters and Marty, our two dogs who inspire us and this brand every day on every adventure. Our pack has moved around from coast to coast, summits to sea level, lakes to deserts, rain, sun, sand, snow, you name it we've lived there. Dave and I are happiest when we are in nature, hiking, rock climbing, skiing, wave diving, or soaking our feet in a river. We are both guilty of remembering pet names before owners and finding the dog at any social event. Hermosa Collars is everything our family loves and we want to be a part of it in your family adventures.
Christie is a Florida girl who loves the mountains just as much as the salty air of the ocean. She was born into a home with 8 dogs and 12 cats of all shapes and sizes, it's obvious this is where her love for animals started. But it didn't stop with dogs and cats, in 2013 Christie had an urge to give back and help the animal world through volunteering. Her volunteer adventure took her to South Africa at the Knysna Elephant Park. During this month long endeavor, she bonded with and studied a herd of rescue elephants, reigniting her desire to create a life focused on animals. Within 6 months of returning home Christie had a void to fill and she rescued Marty. Since then Marty has been in the passenger seat for every road trip, finding his bed under Christie’s desk in the corporate world between trips.
Dave is a mountain man at heart having grown up hiking and climbing in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. He grew up with cocker spaniels and Labrador retrievers as a child and loves big, goofy, cuddly dogs, (he’s kind of big, goofy and cuddly human himself). After having the opportunity to live on both coasts, as well as the Midwest during his childhood, the place that felt like home was Colorado. The perfect balance of sun, snow, warm summer days, and stoked people laughing in the mountains makes for the perfect place to play and to raise happy, balanced dogs. Dave and Butters have been on a 12 year non-stop adventure with Butters’ head hanging out the car window, smiling, and drooling down the side of the car the entire way. These two have had some wonderful adventures together and don’t intend to stop anytime soon.
Marty is a 16lb, Jack Russel-Yorkie mix, rescue dog that found his way into Christie's home in January 2014. He loves feeling large and in charge, he climbs on boulders, walks up fallen trees, and uses his Jack Russell athleticism to get the highest viewpoint possible, he's our resident mountain goat. Marty is no stranger to multiple day hiking adventures on the weekend with no slowing down. From the sand dunes of the Oregon coast to the hoodoos of the Utah desert, Marty is a machine. He howls at the site of his leash in excitement to go on a walk, or even better, a long hike. Just as much as he loves hiking, he loves to snuggle and never leaves a lap empty. Marty has been to 44 of the lower 48 states and is looking forward to his next road trip! His arch nemeses are the usual suspects, squirrels, rabbits, and of course, the vacuum. This little man is up for a car ride at a moment’s notice and uses his big brown eyes to swoon any drive-thru worker into a treat.
Butters is a 92lb Golden-doodle that found her way into Dave’s life when she was 7 weeks old. Dave and her have been inseparable for the 12 years since. Butters started her life out early hiking and spending time scrambling the Red Rocks of the high desert of Nevada. After a few years of desert adventure, Butters was introduced to the snow of Colorado and let’s just say this dog LOVES snow! Butters has spent an equal part of her life crushing powder lines in the mountains to rolling in the sand at the beach. The epitome of a happy dog, she just wants to be around people and cuddle. Butters has had many friends in her day from Golden retrievers she’s wrestled in rivers, to Bernese mountain dogs she’s shared snow banks with, but her favorite friend and wrestling mate of all time has been Marty (yes, the 16lbs yorkie mix). She loves to wrestle with Marty and then snuggle for a nice nap afterward. Happy Hermosa Hounds.