It’s Bark Week! To celebrate all things dogs and restaurants, we invited industry professionals to send in photos and information about their beloved pets. From a chef who rescues pups to a dog with his own portrait to a canine employee of the month, read on to learn about these outstanding furry friends.
Louis Bear
Human: Angela Neri, owner of Pony Up and Side Pony
Breed: French Bulldog
How long have you been together? 8 years
Tell us something about Louis Bear: He is all personality! It’s like he knows that there is a huge portrait of him in the bar so he always walks in like he owns the place.
Birdie aka Larry Bird
Human: Chef Carrie Baird of Fox & the Hen and Culinary Creative Group
Breed: Dachshund
Favorite thing about Birdie: My favorite thing about her is her athleticism. She’s a natural athlete, protector, and hunter. Ha, not really, she has zer skills.
Chef John Wilson and All His Dogs
Human: John Wilson, chef and co-owner of Bella Colibri and Old Capitol Grill and Smokehouse in Golden
10 Rescue Dogs: Luna and Cooper, Great Pyrenees; Honey and Dom, mixed breed seniors; Maya Lou, Border Collie; Chuck Norris, Yorkie; Stevie Nicks, a Maltipoo and Korean slaughterhouse survivor; Hugo, the newest member who is a Poodle mix; and not pictured dogs include Angel, a three-legged feral dog and Alvin, both Yulin Dog Meat Festival survivors
Tell us about your rescue mission: John’s wife is a passionate animal rescuer and serves as the Development Manager at the Humane Society of the South Platte Valley. She and John have a special place in their hearts for senior and special needs dogs, and there’s always a foster pup in their home.
Marge and Ham Bone
Humans: Cliff and Cara Blauvelt, chef and co-owners of Odie B’s and the soon-to-open Boombots Pasta Shop
Breed: English Bulldogs
How long have you been together? Ham Bone since COVID and Marge since April, 2025
Favorite thing about your pets: For Ham Bone, every day is the best day of his life. Then there’s Marge, she’s in her goblin era. A shout out to Mac the cat. Also, the dogs have their own Instagram so please follow: @margeandhambone.
Oreo
Human: Natalie Pilsk, Front Office Manager at Hotel Teatro
Breed: Australian Shepherd
How long have you been together? 5.5 years
Tell us something about Oreo: I love his morning cuddles and high energy.
Mr. Charlie
Human: Delores Tronco, owner of The Greenwich
Dog name: Mr. Charlie
Breed: A mix of Great Pyrenees, Maremma, and St. Bernard, otherwise known as the Colorado Mountain Dog
Time Together: 3.5 years
Tell us something about Mr. Charlie: My favorite thing about Mr. Charlie is the genuine joy and wonderment he brings to others. Whether we’re out for a walk, running errands, or at the restaurant, people stop and honestly lose their minds over him. “He’s so big! How much does he weigh? He’s regal! Magnificent!” These are all things we hear regularly, and I have to agree with them. The dog is a prince.
Bonus: Mr. Charlie is the official “Employee of the Month” at The Greenwich indefinitely, he even has his photo up at the host stand.
Pancho Villa Silva and Emiliano Zapata Silva
Human: Jesus Silva chef-owner of Tora Ramen & Poke at Milepost Zero in Denver and Sushi Sora, Republik of Chicken, and Tacos al Chile at The Golden Mill in Golden
Breed: Xolitzcuintle/Xoloitzcuintli
Time together: 4.5 years when we brought them home as puppies from Guadalajara, Mexico
Tell us something about your dogs: These guys are our second generation of Xolos. They are super smart, great with our kids, and make us laugh every day with their hilarious dinosaur fighting.
Bonus: No shedding and the Xoloitzcuintle is the national dog of Mexico.
Galaxie aka Miss Baby
Human: Michelle ‘Meesh’ McGlone, owner of Lucy’s Burger Bar
Breed: Corgi mix
How long have you been together? 12 magical years and counting
Favorite thing about Galaxie: Includes but not limited to every single thing from the rooter to the tooter.
Black Cat Farm Dogs
Human: Eric and Jill Skokan, chef and co-owners of Black Cat Farmstead
The pup gang: Skye, a blend of Great Pyrenees, Akbash, Kangal, and Anatolian shepherd. Hazel, the newbie, who is a mix of the aforementioned four plus Karakachan.
What they do on the farm: They help the farm by protecting the flock of sheep every day from predators, mostly coyotes and mountain lions. The dogs live 24-7 with the sheep, which is exactly what they prefer.
Neca and Bear
Human: Cody Cheetham, executive chef at Tavernetta and Sunday Vinyl
Breeds: Neca, Great Pyrenees, and Bear, Bull Mastiff
How long have you been together? Neca was adopted five years ago. Bear was adopted one year ago.
Favorite thing about your pets: Both dogs are seniors, so they are very easy going and good natured. They are also both gigantic with Bear capping at 150 pounds and Neca at 120 pounds. I love that they can look so intimidating while being total sweethearts.
Axel Foley
Human: Sheila Lucero, culinary director Big Red F
Breed: French Bulldog
How long have you been together? 5 years
Favorite thing about Axel Foley: The unconditional love.
Ryder
Human: Ben-Zion Yaakoby, general manager of Pizzeria Alberico
Breed: Hungarian Puli
How long have you been together? 3.5 years
Favorite thing about Ryder: His ability to dance with excitement on two legs, without fail, when I get home from work.
Porter
Human: Courtney Griffith, General Manager of The Nickel and Hotel Teatro
Breed: Labrador Retriever
How long have you been together? 7 years
Tell us something about Porter: Porter has a calm demeanor for a lab but is known to have a playful spirit for my 5 a.m. wakeup call. He gets a good case of the zoomies when we get home from work or when it snows. He is the perfect companion for our lifestyle and always ready for a spontaneous road trip or outdoor adventure. He’s the best!
