Meet Our Team
Our Team
All staff members are bonded/insured, background checked, reference checked, professionally trained, and K9 First Aid & CPR Certified.
Lyndsey
Owner/Founder
Dagmar
Senior Adventure Leader
Dagmar Fehlau, an outdoor enthusiast and dog lover, has lived in Boulder for 15 years with her family of 5. Originally from Germany, she spent a decade in and around NYC, studying art and starting a successful career as a children’s book illustrator. Dagmar and her family moved to Boulder in part to realize their wish of being able to hike and camp their way through the great wildernesses of the West. Over time, while owning her own two generations of adorable mutts, her focus turned away from book illustration and more towards being with dogs, her own as well as her friend’s and neighbor’s, and all other doggies passing through her life. Owning her very special fear reactive Lab/Greyhound mix fueled her passion for learning to work with and getting to know dogs of all kinds of needs and personalities. Being able to combine her boundless love for dogs and enthusiasm for hiking in the beautiful surroundings of Boulder is her life’s dream! We love Dagmar for her strong work ethic, her dedication to BDA, integrity, and positive outlook on life.
Katie
Admin/Assistant, Senior Adventure Leader, Leash Walker, Pet Visitor
Originally a 4-H kid with dairy goats from rural Wisconsin, Katie moved to Colorado after completing her B.S. in meteorology with a minor in rhetoric/applied writing from St. Cloud State University. She went on to earn her GIS certification from Front Range Community College and helped design many of OSMP’s trailhead kiosk maps you see around Boulder. The trails are her happy place! She has both worked for and volunteered with City of Boulder OSMP and spent 10 years volunteering with Boulder County Parks and Open Space. She is a trained Emergency Medical Responder, wildland firefighter, and state certified Firefighter I with a local, volunteer department. She won’t ever be found without a pack full of emergency supplies! She lives in the mountains with her husband and rescue beagle mixes, Ellie, Sammi and Zoe. We love Katie for her passion for animals, attention to detail, situational awareness, and awesome attitude.
Andrea
Senior Adventure Leader
When she made her first trip to Colorado as a kid in the 60’s, her heart told her that she had a found home in the mountains here. At 17, being an avid hiker, backpacker, river rat, and self-proclaimed tree-hugger, the University of Colorado and the Boulder foothills seemed a perfect fit. While attending CU she lived in a rustic cabin above Jamestown, the first of several mountain communities, along with a beloved line of mountain dogs and cats, which all led her to her current home west of Boulder in 1992. Her professional background is rooted in the service industry and includes real estate, mortgage services, bookkeeping, and hospitality. In between hikes, you will find Andrea volunteering with seniors, swimming or sledding with the neighbor’s kids, or working in her extensive flower garden! Hiking daily for over 30 years above 6,000ft with generations of dogs has made her an avid nature enthusiast and relentless in her identification of local flora, fauna, and scat. She is passionate regarding respect for all wildlife and the preservation of the integrity of the ecology of our local mountain-urban interface. Andrea lives with her husband John and her adopted kitties Tula and Oscar. She loves meeting your dogs and leading them on mountain adventures!
Yumi
Adventure Leader, Leash Walker, Pet Visitor
Yumi was born in Tokyo, Japan where she studied architecture and worked in the field before moving to the US in 2006. She learned English while employed as an assistant architect in LA where she eventually met her husband. After moving to various corners of the US, camping and exploring along the way, they eventually settled in Boulder in 2016. Yumi has two sons, a golden retriever named Lucky, and a cat named Sushi. She’s always on the go with her kiddos and dog, and adores all of the BDA dogs!
Julee
Leash Walker, Pet Visitor
Originally from California, Julee has called the Boulder area home for 33 years. For over a decade she has provided pet care and animal healing for dogs, cats, birds, horses, reptiles, and even elephants! She also utilizes her Masters in Psychology and numerous certifications as a meditation teacher and holistic healer (for humans!). Motivated by the beauty of the Earth and a passion for exploration, Julee has slow traveled through 14 countries, leading transformational workshops and retreats along the way. Now she focuses on sinking deeper roots into the Boulder area, while learning the lessons dogs teach: meet each day with enthusiasm and playfulness; passionately adore your family and friends; give lots of love and cuddles; appreciate every moment of life. Each animal she has worked with has imparted profound insights and wisdom. A book about her experiences with animal communication and healing is on the horizon.
Cecilia
Adventure Leader
Cecilia was born in the mountains of Italy where there was never a time that she did not have a dog by her side. It was always clear to her that her purpose in life was to foster the connection between humans & animals through her devotion to dogs. Cecilia moved to the States & worked as a professional dog walker in L.A., running her own dog hiking business until moving to Colorado in 2020. She joined the Black Paw Dog Training team in 2020 where she advanced to the position of Head Trainer. Cecilia received her Professional Trainer Certificate in Dog Training in 2014 from the Animal Behavior College; to further understand pack mentality & dog behaviors, she continued her education at the Lucas-Agnew Advanced Learning Programs with a concentration in Dog Psychology. Cecilia collaborates with Earth League International, a nonprofit association whose mission is the safety & preservation of animals around the world. For over 5 years, Cecilia held the position of Foster Coordinator for A Purposeful Rescue, a nonprofit rescue that saves dogs from L.A. shelters with a strong focus on prevention & outreach. Cecilia also volunteers at Broken Shovels Farm Sanctuary, a safe place for animals rescued from abuse, neglect, slaughter, & exploitation. She enjoys a plant-based lifestyle as a private & silent way of advocating for animal rights & honoring our planet.
Ashley
Adventure Leader, Leash Walker, Pet Visitor
Born and raised in Washington state, Ashley grew up with a love for animals, nature and exploring the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. After graduating from the University of Hawaii, she began her professional career in travel and tourism while walking dogs in her spare time. She quickly realized that her true love was working hands-on with animals and she started a small pet care business in her hometown in 2014. Ashley spent nearly a decade providing dog walking and hiking services to her local community before embarking on her latest adventure to beautiful Boulder, CO. Ashley is passionate about creating a safe and positive experience for every animal in her care and loves enriching their days with activities that are meaningful to them. She holds multiple certifications in animal behavior and training and brings this knowledge with her in order to provide the best care possible to all her furry friends!
Gretchen
Adventure Leader, Leash Walker, Pet Visitor
Originally from the east coast, Gretchen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Dance from Point Park University in Pittsburgh before moving to Colorado to pursue and complete her MFA in Dance from CU Boulder. She has been a Colorado resident for eleven years and loves exploring all the trails it has to offer. During that time she took on many private dog walking gigs of her own, realizing how much she loved working with dogs in the beautiful Colorado outdoors. When she’s not hiking with BDA dogs or serving at The Boulder Cork, Gretchen performs with the Boulder-based dance company, Viskosity. Gretchen is a huge lover of all dogs but especially the big fluffy variety, and is stoked to fill her days with pup adventures!
Aurora
Adventure Leader, Leash Walker, Pet Visitor
Aurora was born and raised in Southern California but fell in love with Boulder during childhood trips to visit. After spending much of her youth exploring Colorado’s outdoors, she made the decision to permanently move here in January 2017. At a young age, Aurora discovered her love for animals and the joy of caring for them as a a pet sitter for friends and family. She worked at Cottonwood Kennels, a dog boarding/daycare facility, where she deepened her understanding of dog behavior and developed her skill set in providing excellent care. However, Aurora’s desire to make a profound difference in the lives of animals led her to transition to Farfel’s Farm, a dog rescue in Boulder. For seven years, she poured her heart and soul into this organization, working tirelessly to rehabilitate and find loving homes for rescue dogs. Her dedication and understanding of these dogs’ behavior and motivations were instrumental in their successful transitions to new families. She currently shares her home with three dogs named Grizzly, Ginger, and Gilbert, a cat named Spooky, and a turtle named Rosalina. She feels lucky to have built a life around her devotion to animals and looks forward to meeting new dogs and pet owners!
Conrad
Adventure Leader
Conrad is an avid outdoor enthusiast who loves skiing, running, and hiking. Catch him on top of your local 13er or 14er–he’s addicted! He’s been living in and around the Front Range since 2009, the year he started his first degree in photography at CSU. When he’s not exploring the mountains, Conrad enjoys playing video games and sharing his adventures on Twitch, where he works on growing his small community of like-minded individuals. His passion for both the outdoors and animals brought him to BDA. He’s also working towards a second degree in business at Front Range Community College. Conrad shares his life with his two dogs, Aki and Indie, who are the light of his world and constant companions in his adventures.
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