As an avid black coffee drinker my whole life, I have always been on the search for new and interesting beans to drink, serve, and tell stories about. That is what got me into the specialty coffee business 20 years ago and kept me on that journey from barista to roaster over the decades. Now as the head roaster of Mutts Coffee, I have the opportunity to share some of those beans and stories with you as I discover them, and help save some dogs in the process.

My introduction to the coffee industry began in 2014 when I found myself wanting to trade in my full time job for something more flexible, while I finished my undergraduate degree in Anthropology at Portland State University.

I took a job as a barista at a local company and quickly worked my way up from barista to area manager, overseeing operations at multiple locations.

What I value about the coffee industry is that it’s fast paced and rapidly changing. Everything we think we know about coffee is always being challenged, forcing us to evolve our own understanding of the coffee world. If we are comfortable, we are probably doing something wrong.

My years of experience in the coffee industry has made me appreciate both the simplicity and complexity of a good cup of black coffee. A black coffee drinker myself, I’ve come to respect the talent that people like my partner Mark (our head roaster for Mutts) have when they can take a sip of coffee and make conclusions like, “I taste apricots and hints of chocolate.”

Though I aspire to one day have a comparable palate, for now, my talent lies with the behind the scenes production of Mutt’s. I also run two separate businesses: scArfs for Rigby and Rigby to the rescue R+ force free dog training, each one encompassing my passion and life’s mission of helping dogs.

Our dream is to one day operate a full scale dog rescue so each of these business endeavors will hopefully inch us closer and closer to making our big dog rescue dream a reality.

Hi there, I’m Pokey and I’m the face of Mutts Coffee. I’m only a little over a year old but have traveled through more states than some of you! I’m from Alabama and now live in Portland, OR with my mom, dad, Betsy, Rigby, and Fudge.

My rescue story started when I was discovered by some nice employees of a nearby business after they had seen me and my sister Elsa, scavenging for food. Some dog rescue folks eventually came out and trapped us and though we were terrified at the time, we had no idea that that would be the day our lives would change forever.

We were in bad shape and our amazing foster mom Ashley took excellent care of us, giving us rigorous baths with medicated shampoos to help us grow our fur back. When I was healed and ready, I caught my freedom ride out west and made a 2,500 mile journey to Oregon.

My mom met me at transport and I was carried straight off the bus and into her arms. She said she was just fostering me but I knew in time I would work a number on her heart and that I would become what the rescue people call a “foster fail.” My sister Elsa joined me about a month later since she had to stay behind and continue treatment. She went on to find her perfect family but I was already home.

I now spend my days championing for Mutt’s everywhere and I myself am what we call a “super mutt.” Am I a beagle? Am I a catahoula? No one really knows.... but one thing is for certain, I am the very best Mutt and am loved so, so much by my family. I sleep every night at the foot of my human’s bed and never have to worry about where my next meal will come from.

I feel very lucky because I know if the nice people at Free State Four Paws hadn’t saved me, I probably wouldn’t have made it. But because they gave a Mutt like me a chance, I am now a company ambassador for rescued Mutts everywhere. Because, Mutt’s RULE!