a little gathering of some new sleddies friends and a couple old friends - including one of the first sleddie friends I made back in 2012, SHREKKIE!

I met Mossy + Kit on Monday eve, and tonight I met their kennel mates Vinnie + Jo who were reuniting after not seeing each other for a bit. Apparently Vinnie and Jo are siblings of Casey who came into care back in April. 

I don’t have much history on this group, other than they’ve come from Whistler, but they remind me of so many sleddies I’ve met in the past. 

We met at a beautiful spot outside of town in a fully fenced area so the dogs could run and explore and relax. Experienced sleddies Shrekkie + Jasper didn’t have to show these guys how to have fun - all six of them were sniffing and running, checking in with the humans for treats and pets, then back to playtime. And Mossy - who was on a long line for his safety - even found a dead mouse to roll in.
It’s a sight that never gets old. There’s something incredibly special in being witness to a former sled dog running and playing and showing off that extra prance-y bounce they exhibit when not tethered to anything. It’s one of the many reasons I keep doing this. 
Vinnie + Jo represent sleddies #182 + #183 that I’ve photographed. 

I’m not sure what the future holds for the sled dog tour company Kit, Mossy, Vinnie + Jo came from. If they’ll continue to operate with Covid continuing to lurk about or if they'll be seeking homes for more dogs. And I wonder what the future holds for other sled dog tour operations, long distance racing kennels and operations that rely on the commercialization of their sled dogs. But I will keep featuring them as long as I can. I will keep sharing their faces and names to prove their existence. For as this project is just a small representation of former sled dogs in a small area of the west coast of Canada, I can’t help but imagine what this project would look like if I travelled across the country, the continent, the world - photographing former sled dogs. What that pool of diversity would be like. The stories from rescues and shelters, fosters and adopters. Proving existence to even more names and faces.

For now, I will continue to stick close to home and keep sharing the stories to help educate, advocate and remind people that sled dogs are dogs - just as deserving of love, care and compassion as the dogs we share our homes with.

Thank you to all the fosters and adopters who helped make this gathering happen.

​If you're interested in adopting Kit, Mossy, Vinnie or Jo, please visit www.victoriahumanesociety.com

Update- June 30/20: Vinnie has since been adopted and Jo has a pending adoption!

As former sled dogs in the Whistler, BC area, sleddies Kit + her brother Mossy have been given the chance at retirement and are new into care with Victoria Humane Society. 
The two came to my house for about an hour the other evening (with Kit's foster brother Jasper) for a  wee photo session and they were so gentle and lovely, albeit a little stressed from all the recent changes after coming into care. Mossy (short for Maserati) - who is basically blind - sniffed, pooped, had some treats (very gently) and then ended up laying down and falling asleep. And Kit (as in the car from Knight Rider - are you seeing the litter theme?), stopped looking for an escape route long enough to chill for a spell. Neither gave any mind to the camera, which is odd, because they're so photogenic and give amazing head tilts and ear lifts!

At 8(ish) years old, these two will need time to decompress and continue their introduction to life inside a home and all the newness that entails while learning that they can have ALL the comforts they desire - at their own pace. And although they're buddies, the won't need to be adopted together.

​After years working for humans, it's time for humans to work for them. 

Thank you to Jillian + Deb for bringing these lovelies over and Jasper for being such a awesome fella - sorry about the squeaky sounds.
Mossy is #180 + Kit is #181 in my collection of former sled dog photos. You can view the full gallery here.

How cute is this???
Fiddle, the current cover girl of the I Was A Sled Dog blog page, got her copy of Wunderdog Magazine and was clearly surprised (as evidenced by her photo) to see herself inside! ;)

You can read more about Fiddle's story here!

ChiChi retired life was full of joy. A life full of doing the things that made her happy - mostly running… off leash… and sometimes being gone longer than was comfortable for her human. As a former sled dog one could argue that running was in her blood, and that may be so, but it didn’t mean that she had to do it at the will of humans. She ran on her own terms… and napped on her own terms. And was always present when the treats came out.
She blinked for more photos than almost any other sleddie I’ve photographed. Her brother Jeff, did the same.

As she got older she ran less, but still loved her outings - especially to her favourite place, Fleming Beach, where there were lots of things to sniff - dogs, wildlife, the ocean breeze.
She was adopted at 8 years old, a senior in the eyes of the shelter so she was 50% off. But that meant nothing to Chich… the last (almost) 8 years she lived with Shannon made up for whatever labels and expectations other people had for her in those first 8 years. 
She was the happiest dog in the world. 
She was the tiny wonder.
Chich mageech.

She reunited me with an old human friend, and she and her human helped grow a community of retired sled dog adopters here on the west coast of Canada. From that first reunion of nine dogs in September 2013, to over fifty dogs in following reunions. She made friends with all the other dogs while allowing her sister Lola (RIP) the space she needed. She welcomed a wee, wild puppy, Tica into the home.
She was an ambassador.
She was my muse.

She lived just past her 16th birthday, and was able to pass with dignity and in peace in Shannon’s lap.

There are many, many more photos throughout my archives, but it's been a hard week on many levels so I'm sharing an odd little collection of some I've shared before, some I haven’t. 

Rest in peace and love tiny wonder.

Photos:
#1 Sledder day out, November 2013
#2 Thetis Lake walk, January 2014 (captured on film and the cover of Dogs with their Eyes Closed, Retired Sled Dog edition)
#3-9 Documentary day, February 2014 (pictured with Lion + Nordique, also this is the day Shannon tried to teach ChiChi to sit for a treat!)
#10-13 East Sooke walk, April 2014
#14 ChiChi's 10th birthday, May 2014
#15-17 Esquimalt Lagoon, June 2014
​#18-23 Reunion #3, June 2014 (the pool photos are 4 direct succession images showing her settle in to the pool)
#24-26 Canadog Day, July 2014 (the day she was reunited with her brother, Jeff)
#27 UVic dog park gathering, November 2014 (captured on film)
#28 Fleming Beach, April 2020

Video:
April 2012, at the shetler

Dandelion. Dandi. Lion.
As his name changed, so did he… until he passed away on Friday.

I met Lion as Dandelion in 2013 when I visited the kennels in Whistler. I remember hearing his name and it made me think of the cute yellow flower, that were taking over my yard.
​And his ear... that partially floppy ear.
I saw Lion again in November of that year, and then on various walks. He got off-leash time, but it was always a bit of a guess how long it’d take for David to get him back on leash when it was time to go. 
At one reunion, the group photos just show Lion walking back and forth in front of the group, in each photo.
His human, David, adopted he and Nordique (who passed away last week) from the shelter. He brought them home and then allowed them the space to be dogs. They lived close to ChiChi so they would go on weekly walks, the three sleddies leading the way around the neighbourhood.

Lion was diagnosed with bone cancer recently and then lost his brother, Nordique earlier this month, which left Lion very confused and sad.
My heart breaks for his family and friends, and the sleddie community.

Here are some photos of the time I got to spend with Lion…
Thank you David and Alina for loving this gentle soul.

Photos:
#1-3: Whistler kennels, September 2013. He was kennelled with Kawasaki in the evenings.
#4-6: Sledder day out, November 2013
#7: Documentary day, pictured with his buddy ChiChi
#8-9: Mt Finlayson hike, August 2014
#10-14: Reunion #3, June 2014
#15-16: Francis King walk, December 2018

Nordique passed away.

I first met Nordique in Whistler in 2013 - he was more on the shy side, mostly sticking to his area in Sonny's Acre's at the kennels. We didn't have a lot of interactions and I got confused between he and his hockey team named litter mate, Jet (it came down to the chest markings). But like all the sleddies I've met, he's always in my mind.
Working on what's turned out to be a long-term project means I am constantly pouring over images of other people's dogs. And in doing so, I'm transported to all the times I've interacted with that dog and the feelings that come along with those events.

I'd heard Nordique wasn't well, and considering that most of the Whistler dogs who survived the 2010 cull are getting up there in age, it's not surprising.
But every one of their deaths, like their lives, is important to me. 

Nordique was adopted into a home with his buddy Lion (formerly Dandelion) and the two became  inseparable, each helping the other in their new lives.
Their adopter, David, gave them the space they needed to breathe, and as the intrepid duo dug up his back yard, he joked about them digging his grave.
They got to be dogs.
When David brought a new human into their lives, she fell under the sleddie spell and seemed to instantly understand, and love them. 
They came out on group walks, reunions and had weekly walkies with their old mate, ChiChi, who lived nearby. At the reunions, the dogs got to be off leash and run ​around as much or as little as they wanted. Come group photo time, it was hard to coax some dogs to come back to their humans because they were having too much fun. I remember one reunion, in July 2015, where in the photo David can be seen heading away from the group... to gather his boys.

I will always remember how Nordique would put his paw on David's leg when he was unsure about something... it was so touching because even within his fear, he found a way to communicate. He seemed to like ear scratches and gentle loves from those he trusted.

Thank you to his family for the love and care they provided to him.
Rest in peace and love Nordique. 
xo

Here are a few photos from the times I got to hang with him... there are more in my archives.
#1+2: Whistler, September 2013, pre-adoption
#3-10: Fleming Beach, February 2014
#11+12: Scafe Hill walk, February 2014
#13-15: Mt Finlayson hike, August 2014
#16: Reunion #5, July 2015
#17: I Was A Sled Dog photo session, August, 2017
#18-20: Francis King Walk, December 2018
Nordique also participated in I Was A Sled Dog, part 1 - you can visit his profile HERE.

Happy sweet 16 to ChiChi,  the tiny wonder who has been such an inspiration to my advocacy work over the years!

There are many, many photos of her in my books and all through this website so I encourage you to check out my archives.

Welcome to the retired life Camino, Casey, Millie and Splash!

I have so much to say about this arrival - things that go much deeper than the images - so I'm going to ask you to not just look at the dogs as 'cute'...which they undoubtedly are...
As you click through the gallery, I'd like you to stop along the way and look at the dogs as individuals... and as sentient beings who made a big journey this day.
They left what they knew, to be shuttled in cars of people they didn't know. They went on a 95-minute ferry ride and ended up somewhere they'd never been. 
Along the way they were curious, nervous, scared. Some gave kisses, watched out windows, wanted to meet new people along the way. They sniffed, wagged tails, leaned in for pats, took treats. 
When they arrived, they met more new people, then were separated and taken into new home environments.
And through it all, the humans had to keep their distance from the other humans so they zig-zagged and ping-ponged around. doing their best to be calm, yet quick in the transfer so as to limit stress on the new arrivals. The dogs got fitted for new collars and harnesses and had ID tags and GPS trackers attached. They chatted with a volunteer who's very experienced in fostering former sled dogs so they could be provided with background information on what may appear to be odd behaviours. There was a group photo op, then the humans grabbed a big bag of food, and headed out to their respective homes for their new fosters to sleep off the day... and they did.
I followed one dog, Splash, across town to her foster home to end this part of her day's journey.

What I've learned from following the post-sled pulling days of sled dogs is that they are individuals with their own likes, dislikes and personalities. They are resilient, adaptable and ready to be more a part of this world, than they had the chance to. That no matter where they've come from, what they've lived, they will try.

This crew arrived with only some verbal history and one-page vet records, so they'll live in foster homes to learn the sights, sounds and smells of all that is new. And the foster homes help them along the way and will report on what they've learned, because adoption is the goal here. They will visit the vet for checkups and receive any extra care necessary. In this group, some have poor teeth, one has a lump that needs looking at, and two haven't been spayed. VHS will make sure these get attended to, and likely put out a call to their supporters to help with donations... something that's not taken lightly, and even harder to do at a time when financial pressures are high for many people.
​
It's time for the retirement leg of their journey to begin. 
And from April 17, 2020 onwards, these four will finally be protected under the same animal protection laws as the pets we share our homes with.

Thank you to the volunteers Kim and Bobbie who helped get them into care, and to Debra for sharing her wealth of sleddie fostering knowledge to the new foster homes. And extra thanks to the foster homes who are waiting in the wings to help, taking in dogs who may be adults - seniors even - but may act like puppies learning the ropes of potty training and living in a house.
Amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic, things have not slowed down for rescues like VHS. In addition to all the other animals they're helping (they also brought in two more dogs, a cat and a bunny who went to foster homes and the executive director's own dog was called upon to do an emergency blood donation last night), they know the need is great for the dog sled tour operators who are scaling down. Not only is it the end of their touring season and the usual time of year when the 'herd gets thinned' in a number of different ways, but there is also an uncertain future to face, which means even more sled dogs will be in need of patient, caring homes. The work will continue as the love begins.

If you're interested in adopting, please contact The Victoria Humane Society directly through their website or facebook page. ​

EXCITING NEWS!
Coming up in the next issue of Wunderdog Magazine... I Was A Sled Dog!
~ with photos and words by me and a cover for our girl ChiChi!

I get incredibly invested in my subjects and am very protective of how my sleddie images are used, what they're associated with and in what context, so I haven't really put this project out any farther than this website and corresponding social media pages. I've spent a lot of time musing and poring over dog publications over the years, but something didn't sit right or maybe I wasn't ready. There is an emotional toll that comes along with this work and although it's not about me, it had to feel 'right' to me.  So when I happened upon Wunderdog on Instagram one day, within minutes of looking through their site I felt a kinship and decided that if I was going to reach out to a publication, this was it... and it was time.

The timing on this is also important as April 21 + 23, 2020 marks 10 years since the Whistler sled dog cull.
And with the world in a global pandemic and travel at a standstill, now, more than ever, it's important that these stories are shared.
The annual post-long-distance race dump of sled dogs to northern rescues is underway and operations who rely on tourist dollars to exist are now left without tourists. With no customers, no spectators and sponsors for the races, will happen to the dogs? 
What usually happens after a season, will continue, but probably on a larger scale. There will be culls that we will never hear about. Dogs will be given away, sold, or abandoned. And some will end up with rescues and shelters who will then be tasked with getting medical needs met. From the basics like spays and neuters to   any number of untreated physical issues- and they will have to foot the bill.
And then the dogs will need homes. 
Those lucky enough to adopt a sleddie will need the support of other adopters of former sled dogs to understand that although it could take seven hours to seven days to seven years even for a former sled dog to learn new routines, new worlds and ultimately, how to be its real dog self, it's possible and we humans owe it to our canine companions to be there for them and help them along this next part of their life's journey.

Wunderdog Magazine is out of the UK and unfortunately isn't sold here (in Victoria, BC), so if you'd like to purchase a copy, I've ordered a few to help save on shipping costs. With the exchange it will be about $20(ish) CAD and I'll deliver within the  Greater Victoria area. 

I'm also going to be doing a draw (or two) so stay tuned!
xo

Check out Wunderdog Magazine here!: www.wunderdogmagazine.com

Today I wanted to send my condolences out to the family of Lola.
Although Lola was never a sled dog, if you had to bet which of Shannon's dogs was a former sled dog, chances are, you would've picked Lola. She was bigger, fluffier and with her all-white coat she was what we envisioned a sled dog to look like.
Lola was an only dog until Shannon adopted ChiChi in 2012. I had gone to middle-school with Shannon and we lost touch over the years. Then in December 2012 as I was photographing pets with Santa at our local shelter, a familiar face came in with two dogs. I had started focussing on sleddies by this time so I recognized ChiChi right away, and then was happily surprised to see she was with someone I knew, Shannon!
I was then introduced to sweet, sensitive Lola Granola.

Lola didn't come on all sleddie adventures, but she had her circle of familiar sleddie and non-sleddie friends  and this smaller group had some fun adventures together. Lola would often be found heading into the water, digging in the sand and carrying sticks... and being a treat mooch, of course!

Thankfully Lola was never a sled dog, but she was part of the sleddie extended family here and I wanted to share a snippet of her life, the one she shared with special human and sleddie sibling.

Shannon gave her 'Birdie' a beautiful life until she had to say goodbye earlier this week at the age of 13.
​Rest in peace and love, Lola.
​
Thanks for sharing your girl, Shannon...