Paco Collars was born in 2002 when Ana Poe, a lifetime craftsperson and dog professional, was seeking a high quality leather collar for their pit bull, Paco, one that didn’t make him look intimidating. Nothing available on the shelves had the right “look,” and the custom collar market was pretty much nonexistent. While working at a dog day care, Ana’s mentor taught them how to make leather leashes for their training clients, and she casually suggested Ana simply make the leather collar they were looking for. Putting their art degree to good use, they did just that. And then made a few collars for coworkers. And then some for the display case. Soon, customers began inquiring about them and demand became so great that Paco Collars turned from a side gig to a full time job.

Paco Collars operated as a scrappy start-up for years, working out of warehouses, shipping containers, basements, and garages. Every cent made was poured back into the company. Paco Collars grew and grew, always striving to create better designs, do bigger shows, but never losing the core values of Strength, Love, and Style. In 2009, Paco passed away but, days later, the company moved into a small retail space in Berkeley, which is where things really took off.

Recently, the business has traded California for Tennessee as a home base, so that we can attend more events and bring our collars to a wider audience. But, we’ve never lost sight of what is important: making the perfect collar for your dog, from scratch, by hand.

Ana doesn’t like being called the boss, but Paco Collars was, and still is, their passion project. They’ve always been a craftsperson and find great reward in creating tangible, functional art. They spend much of their time working in the home studio on their farm where they live with cats, dogs, goats, chickens, and their not-so-small human kid, as well as brushing up on new and better animal training methods. Ana is grateful that they get to do what they love every day, and looks forward to what the future holds.

Jen has been with Paco Collars since 2017, and has had their hand in almost every facet of the business between customer service, working trade shows, making and decorating product and helping to keep the gears turning. They’re now Paco’s remote Californian crew member, still making collars from scratch out of their backyard workshop for the folks in Tennessee. When not in the studio, they can be found out and about birding and camping, or in their kitchen testing recipes for their future Taiwanese comfort food restaurant.

Lauren is an artist and tradesperson, and is a perfect fit in the Paco TN shop, where they actualize all of our most intricate designs. She has a degree in fiber arts, and years as a carpenter under her belt. Outside of the shop, Lauren loves to spend time with their dog, Bub, make art with their friends, and share meals and make memories with friends and neighbors.

With a background in carework, Cedar is the guy who answers your emails when you send questions and cute dog photos! If their correspondence is not sent from Paco’s TN workshop, then they likely typed it out while seated on their front porch, in the company of their dogs, ducks, and petunia-the-barn-cat. When away from the soft glow of the computer screen, they can be found in the garden, quilting, or on horseback alongside their neighbors, in the hills that surround home.