Indigo was brought into our little family with the intention of her becoming "just" a trained ESA. We drove the couple hours to get to Chicago, where Indigo (then named Melona) was being cared for in a no-kill shelter with her siblings after being rescued from a kill shelter in Missouri. It was love at first sight, and we took her home for all the cuddles and kisses she could possibly tolerate!
However, a week into our new life together, Indigo's upper respiratory infection (which she was recovering from) progressed into a severe case of pneumonia. Her tiny, 2mo old body was on fire with fever and her little lungs could barely take in breath. Faith rushed her to the ER, where they x-rayed her chest to find her left lung was completely filled with fluid. The doctor told Faith that since Indi was so young, the options for effective antibiotics would leave her growing body damaged irreparably; he prepared her for the fact that Indigo may not make it. All the training, walks, beach and hiking trips, pup cups, and doggie kisses that she would miss out on rushed through Faith's mind. She decided to go with a lower dose of antibiotics and other treatments in the hopes of saving her and her growing body. A week of pills, steam treatments, and coupage later...Indigo was recovered! She took her first full breath since she was adopted, and Faith cried with relief.
The thing that Faith never realized was that this experience would bond her with Indigo in a way she could have never replicated. They were inseparable! Faith looked for ways to show that bond any way she could, but what she found was that there wasn't a whole lot of products out there for mommy-doggie matching that fit their style.
This is where Black Dog & Company came into existence! As Faith browsed through Instagram and Etsy, she found that all the adorable and beautifully designed products were colors that were too dark to make that "pop" against Indigo's beautiful black fur. She thought it would be so nice if there was a shop that had lots of stylish options that were not only affordable, but also had options to match with mom (without having to pay $6 for a single scrunchie). She wanted to create a company that was inclusive of different dog breeds, used quality materials, met the needs of her customers, but would also spread positivity and cheer. Through the collaboration with amazing models and beta testers, support of her husband, and hard hard work she finally made that wish come true. She is the proud founder of a woman owned business (aka part of the cool club). Not only this, but Faith wanted a way to give back to all the people who helped Indigo live happily ever after with her furever family. This way, more dogs can have an opportunity for love. A percentage of all proceeds, and applicable product, are donated to local organizations to help more dogs find happiness. When you make a purchase from Black Dog & company, you are actively contributing to your own pup's hella good style, local rescue efforts, and spreading a little bit of happy through cute pups in bright colors.
And of course, it's all for the love of our own black dog.