Many rely heavily on the companionship of their dogs, but don’t often stop to really honor them. Inspired by her two rescue dogs, Rowdy and Roxy, and her time working at Minneapolis Animal Control, Amber Rhodes, co-founder of Minnetonka-based HERO Dogs, saw the unique characteristics of rescue dogs as something to be recognized.
Rhodes decided something needed to be done to set these strong dogs apart and to encourage more people to adopt. She and co-founder Matt Johnson founded HERO, a line of collars, leashes and capes to help raise awareness about rescue dogs, and sold locally at Pet Stuff in Minnetonka and Bubbly Paws in St. Louis Park.
“It’s a vehicle to drive awareness for the dogs that don’t make it out of shelters each year, giving them a chance,” says Rhodes.
Needing $10,000 to get their products on the shelves, they used indiegogo.com, a crowd-funding source, to get the community to back their projec. The community stepped up, surpassing that goal.
Bubbly Paws
952.657.5300
3730 Grand Way, St. Louis Park
Pet Stuff
952.930.9383
14665 Excelsior Blvd., Minnetonka
