Meet Elizabeth Dinschel | MA, MBA, President and CEO of Mountain Dogs and President and CEO of a national museum

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Dinschel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always wanted to own my own business. In 2018, I decided to get an MBA from the University of Iowa to further my career in nonprofits and to prepare for entrepreneurship. The MBA program encouraged me to chase my passion and I was not exactly sure where that would lead me, but I kept an open mind and heart as I explored options. We thought about campgrounds, convenience stores, and hotels as possibilities for businesses we wanted to owner operate.

I have owned dogs my whole life. I have volunteered at shelters and worked with dogs as a handler for about 20 years. I traveled the country and Canada with my dog Lucy and found that dogs were not welcome in most National Parks and there was not adequate dog services in many places. I decided I wanted to explore dog kennel ownership when my service needs were not being met. I wanted to relocate to Colorado to live my best outdoor life with my best girl, Lucy. After we moved to Leadville, Colorado the only overnight dog boarding facility in town came available for sale. My husband and I purchased Mountain Dogs on December 1, 2022.

We accept tourist’s dogs and work hard to make sure that visitors to Leadville can have a safe place for their dogs to play. Locally, my husband and I do our best to serve the needs of our very rural community. We are a business, but we are dog lovers serving our community and the dogs of Colorado. We love volunteering with, and helping, Planned Pethood and the Leadville Veterinary Clinic- who we share a building with.

What should our readers know about your business?
Mountain Dogs has existed in Leadville for about 40 years. It was called “Cold Noses, Warm Hearts” for a very long time and became Mountain Dogs in 2020. We provide dog daycare in a co-mingled facility and overnight boarding. We also have retail space and a website with nationwide shipping and same day local delivery. We make single ingredient treat bags called “Barkuterie Bags.” Our barkuterie bags have different themes, with the Leadville bag being the most premium bag. We love retail, but the dogs are why we are here. We recently re-branded with a Boulder-based branding agency. Our logo and colors feature the things we love- Sawatch Range sunset colors, mountains, and our three dogs. Archie, our dachshund lived to be 16.5, Lucy is a 7-year-old Giant Schnoodle and a rescue farm dog from Iowa, Betty White is a 1-year-old Great Pyrenees who was found on the highway in Leadville at 8 weeks old and our first foster fail. Recently, we built a new website around our love for dogs with Solve Design Create. We write blogs to help people understand mountain adventuring with their dogs, choosing foods, and other fun tidbits about pet ownership. When you come into our shop, you are greeted with the soothing and happy sounds of Reggae. Studies show that reggae increases REM sleep and calms dogs.

Running a dog kennel is not all puppy kisses and playtime. We are open 365 days a year and are responsible for dogs in our care 24 hours a day. We cannot take vacations together and we live 3 blocks from the business. This business brings so much joy and so much heartbreak. Dogs that we love and spend time with nearly every day pass away from illnesses and old age. Losing dogs we love is heartbreaking and when you have hundreds of dogs, it happens too much. People also move away. There was a dog that was very special to my husband. The owners had to move for work. I will never forget watching my husband hug that good boy for the last time. Staffing is challenging at times and there are downshifts in business sometimes. It is equally stressful when we are sold out and cannot assist people with safe care for their dogs. We recently visited the Aspen Animal Shelter for some heart-to-heart mentorship with the owner and manager who gave us amazing insights into owning a dog kennel with service to the community. The Aspen Animal Shelter facilitates the adoptions for Pitkin County and we love that. We dream of a larger capacity facility where we can also help with adoptions. Mentorship and inspiration is key for overcoming challenges, even if the outcome is not what we are hoping for.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Leadville is amazing and I am also on the Tourism Panel for Visit Leadville. We have more museums per capita than any city in the country and they need support. The National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum, the Matchless Mine, the Tabor Opera House, Healy House, House with the Eye, Temple Isreal, the Irish Miners Memorial in Evergreen Cemetary- go see all of them!

Rent an ebike on 7th Street from E-Bike Leadville and ride the famous Mineral Belt Trail. I loved this so much I bought the e-bike I rode on the trail for the first time!

No trip to Leadville would be complete without riding the Leadville Train. It is magical any time of year, but most special in the winter.

The Delaware Hotel was recently remodeled and is a testament to Leadville’s luxurious past. Staying there and eating at the Mineral is the only way to go.

There are great breakfast places like the Silver Llama in town. Amazing coffee at Before & After, Zero Day, or City on a Hill. Leadville may be famous for pizza, though. We have award winning High Mountain Pies and now, The Famous. There are fast bites at Wild Bills where a husband and wife team make the best fries in Leadville. If you want to get off Harrison Street, the Grill on Elm Street has amazing Mexican food. Then for afterhours fun, the Silver Dollar Saloon, the Manhattan, the Scarlett, and the Pasttime are all saloons that have been in operation since the 1800s.

Leadville has world class outdoor recreation. Twin Lakes is the most beautiful and peaceful place I have ever been in my life. You can catch the trailheads for our largest 14er- Mt Elbert in Twin Lakes. There are also trailheads for La Plata, Mt Massive, and more. You can drive up Independence Pass and catch wildlife, fall colors, and head over to Aspen. Kayaking on the lake is the most beautiful paddle you can imagine. There are great small businesses, food trucks, restaurants, and camping as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout my husband Adam Dinschel who is 49% owner of our business. He runs the operations of the business and leads with empathy and kindness to make my dream come true.

I want to shoutout the wonderful people of Leadville and the Leadville Veterinary Clinic. They have become our family, our community, and their dogs are our why.

Website: https://www.mountaindoglife.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountain_dogs_leadville/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Mountain-Dogs/100041167013758/