Beyond the Donation: How Working with GSD Rescues Kickstarted Bolder K

From a chewed up leash to a full-fledged mission, Bolder K9 is more than just handmade dog gear. It’s a story about purpose, perseverance, and the power of giving back.

In 2021, Jake and Catherine adopted their first German Shepherd puppy from True North GSD Rescue. As dual income millennial dog parents do, they bought him an expensive BioThane® leash, which he chewed through. They made the mistake of buying a second one, expecting a different result! Instead of buying a third, Jake decided to learn how to repair it, and unknowingly started down a path that would become Bolder K9.

In the early days, Jake and Catherine started experimenting with making leashes, tugs and collars for volunteers of True North GSD Rescue. Eventually, they started making custom BioThane® gear for free to every new adopter of the rescue. Before long, this passion project became something much bigger. In March 2022, they decided to make the passion official and named their business Bolder K9, after their dog Theobold (Theo).

From the beginning, Bolder K9 was built around a core philosophy they call Beyond the Donation, a commitment to boots-on-the-ground volunteering, not just financial support to nonprofits. That means volunteering weekly, fostering year-round, supporting other volunteers, processing adoption applications, helping with social media, testing new intakes, and more. Every foster and adopter also receives a free leash and collar, along with exclusive lifetime discounts on gear. It's about making a difference that lasts, not just writing a check.

To date, Jake and Catherine have fostered over 40 dogs themselves and helped hundreds more in other homes. Along the way, they’ve also adopted four very special dogs into their own family.

Theo, their “unicorn dog,” lives with idiopathic epilepsy but remains a loyal, intelligent, and friendly ambassador for the breed—gentle with kids, kind to puppies, and unshakably confident.

Cooper, their second Shepherd, passed away unexpectedly at a young age, but left a huge mark by deepening their love for rescue and training.

Asher is the calm, gentle, playful soul who helps nervous foster dogs come out of their shells and build confidence. And Archer, the youngest, is Bolder K9’s unofficial head of quality control—completely obsessed with gear, especially if it’s made by mom and dad.

SSG David Keller - U.S. Army Disabled - Founder of Forgotten Dogs 4 Forgotten Vets

Bolder K9’s mission doesn’t stop with dogs. In 2024, they partnered with Forgotten Dogs 4 Forgotten Vets supports veterans who are matched with rescue dogs trained as service animals. One story that sticks with everyone is that of Talon, a veteran living with PTSD, and Honorbull, a rescue from Sova’s Special Tails Rescue. After a chance meeting, Bolder K9 helped facilitate their pairing and outfitted them with custom-made BioThane® gear. As sponsors for the program, Jake and Catherine create a full set of new gear to accompany each new veteran-dog pairing. They also attend every volunteer event, helping in any way that benefits the organization and its members.

When they say all of their BioThane® gear is handmade, they really mean it. Every single cut, stitch, and screw is meticulously thought-out and carefully placed. Each piece is as rugged and ready to adventure as it is a work of art, crafted in the eye of the customer as a completely personalized piece. For Bolder K9, it’s not just about making gear: it’s about making a difference.