Rebel Paw
“We can make that, and we can make it better.” For Amelia Paulson, owner of Rebel Paw - with her partner, Nicholas Black - the instinct to create, to work with her hands, to take something simple and turn it into something meaningful, has always been there. Growing up in Salt Lake City, she was constantly making something: dolls, handmade books, chocolate truffles tucked into little boxes. “My whole family is very entrepreneurial,” she says. “It just seemed to be the way I go.”
That creative thread carried into her professional life as well. Since high school, Amelia has worked in the picture framing world, eventually evolving into an art consultant, helping hospitals, clinics, and local businesses find the right pieces to fill their spaces. It is thoughtful work, rooted in aesthetics and feeling. But even alongside a full career, she always had a side project, something small, handmade, hers.
Nicholas Black’s path, though entirely different, carries that same quiet determination. Also born and raised in Salt Lake, he began working at the University of Utah while still in high school, starting at the most basic level in a lab. Over time, through curiosity and persistence, he worked his way up - learning on the job, guided by mentors - until he became what Amelia simply calls “a scientist.” Today, he works with genetic engineering in support of cancer research, a journey that began with cleaning cages and grew into highly technical work under a microscope.
Animals were always at the center of Nicholas's life. His first dog, adopted from the research center, stayed with him for seventeen years. That bond shaped something deeper - an ongoing idea that one day, somehow, his life might involve dogs in an even more meaningful way. When Amelia and Nicholas met in 2019, just after both had come out of previous relationships, there was an immediate connection. Two people, each with their own paths, but both were wired to build, to create, to try.
Not long after, Nicholas returned from a trip to Colorado with a bandana he had bought for his dog, Nash. It was expensive. Amelia looked at it and saw something else entirely. “We can make that.” She brought over her sewing machine. She taught Nicholas how to sew. They started making bandanas for friends. A small experiment quickly grew - first a handful, then more. Their designs were double-sided, a small detail that set them apart, and people began to notice.
A year later, they baked a birthday cake for Nash. Friends came over with their dogs where they were given treats, and in that simple gathering, something clicked. That was the beginning of Rebel Paw.
The couple started with booths at local events - Yappy Hours in the park, anywhere dogs and their people gathered. “We sold a handful of bandanas and were so excited,” Amelia recalls. At the time, there were few others doing anything similar. The response was immediate, and they kept going. Farmers markets followed - Wheeler Farm, Ogden, Pioneer Park - along with every dog-centered event they could find.
Then came COVID. Markets disappeared overnight, and with them, their entire business model. But without the burden of a storefront, they were able to hold on. And when the city reopened, people returned in full force, eager to gather, to connect, to be outside again. Rebel Paw grew quickly from there.
The next natural step came from a simple question they heard over and over: Where can we find you in the winter? For a short time, they opened their home. Customers would stop by on weekends to pick up treats and bandanas. It worked, but only for so long. In 2022, Amelia and Nicholas added a small treat trailer, allowing Rebel Paw to evolve into a traveling dog bakery and expand its presence at events throughout the valley.
In 2024, they opened their shop on Main Street in Midvale. It is, in every sense, a reflection of them. The bakery sits at the heart of it, with a refrigerated case filled with pupcakes and treats made in-house. Dogs walk in off the street and head straight for the counter. Birthdays are a daily occurrence with hats, bandanas, and a small celebration for what, to many, feels like family.
Nicholas sews every bandana himself, right there in the shop. What began as something Amelia taught him has become his domain entirely. In addition, there is a carefully chosen mix of products with many by local makers they have met along the way. Items include sweaters, goggles, leashes, raincoats, hiking gear alongside the essentials - food, brushes, shampoos - selected with the same care as everything else.
The shop has also become something more than a place to purchase things. It is a place to gather. Amelia has always been drawn to community, and now there is space to bring those ideas to life. She and Nicholas organize a variety of events including a dog Easter egg hunt across multiple locations in the valley, they offer a photo booth and paw print crafts, and “Puperoni Night,” where people make pizza cookies for their dogs and spend time with one another. It all feels like an extension of how Rebel Paw began - in small, joyful moments shared between people and their dogs.
Looking ahead, there is more to come. Amelia and Nicholas continue to expand their presence at markets, adding new locations like Daybreak and Sandy. They are considering a second storefront, perhaps in Ogden, a community that has already embraced them. There are partnerships in the works, including plans to be part of a future off-leash dog park and social space.
And through it all, they are building toward something steady - something that can eventually become their full-time focus. At home, their lives are just as full. Four dogs- Huckleberry, Birdie, and two rescues adopted through events - fill their space. "They are our testers as well as our companions, and the constant reminder of why Rebel Paw exists at all." What stands out most, however, is not just what they have built, but how they have built it - together - where every decision is shared, every step collaborative. It is a true partnership in every sense of the word. “This is our life for both of us, and we’re very supportive of each other in everything that we do.”
