The week marked the end of an era for one magical sleddie from our community.

Ten years ago I first met Apex. July 23, 2014.
A group of us went to the foster kennels to take him and his newly-arrived kennel mates out for a walk.
Apex, Charlie, Colby, Dave, Felix, Mars and Punk.
In the sleddie* world, there was no guessing for how "ok" or "not ok" a dog would be once it arrived into care. Some were ok with human interaction, some not so much.
What we knew, was that every dog in this group was a survivor, having come from a situation that was not only lacking in every possible way, but was seemingly, deliberately cruel.

But we don't dwell on the past life.
We take the information on past lives, but focus on helping each dog integrate into a home life as best as possible. And walks are one of those things. Most dogs are ok with walkie time,  but I remember it being pretty tough with some of the dogs in this group. For Apex, he preferred to be at the back of the group. He didn't want anyone walking behind him, so if that happened, he got a bit sketched out. But he did the best he could that day. And for the next decade I knew this guy, he always seemed to be at the back or on the periphery of the group.

Apex was the dog that watched what was going on, especially in those early days. I remember him at one of our sleddie reunions - instead of exploring the fenced in acreage with all the other 40+ dogs, he stayed close to Deb, who had taken him home as a foster to help him learn about our wild and crazy human home lives. He was really bonded to her and seemed to trust her more than anyone else. But he was a foster, so in October 2014, he got adopted to a home up in Sechelt. But just days later, he got spooked and bolted after his new family had tripped and dropped his leash. 
He bolted up the stairs, across the highway and into the forest.
Poof.
Gone.

For 5 months, Deb took 2 ferries every weekend to go look for him, until the one weekend she was going to miss because her other dog was needing surgery, Apex appeared on a fish farm dock in the inlet. 
So off she went.

From October 2014 to March 2015 Apex survived on his own in the wilderness. There had been occasional sightings, but nothing could be confirmed.
After his vet visit the day he was found, it was determined he was little skinny and had some ticks, but he was otherwise ok. 
He was a survivor.

He ended up going back to live with Deb and that's where he stayed. He met other foster sleddies and went on other grand adventures, but always stayed close by.

But age and some health issues caught up with him and Deb made the incredibly difficult decision to let him go.
The day before he left, I went over for a visit and we went and got him some Timbits, a new favourite of his. 

Apex was a survivor once again and his incredible resilience was proven once again. But under whatever toughness kept him alive through the rain, snow, blasting at the mine, thunder + lightning storms and summer heat of Sechelt, he had the softest fur and he was a sucky boy who loved neck rubs and to be told how amazing and handsome he was. He also loved to be brushed and of course, treats and forest adventures. What did he dislike? My camera....though he seemed to not hate it quite so much on my last few visits.

His life, the real life he got to live, after he was adopted was what every dog should have. Love, care, adventure and respect for who he is as an individual. 

I will miss you gooby-doo. From your little Elvis lip, to your sideways glances. I will always remember going to help Deb look for you that weekend, laughing that you were probably watching us, but wouldn't come out because I had my camera with me. I'll remember the first time you tried those gross cheese slices. How they were kinda sticky, but when you finished the piece, you wanted more. And I'll remember our last visit, taking the soft part out of the timbit for you, because you didn't like the harder outside and watching you eat that gross cheese, one last time.

Below are some photos from our last visit, Oct 26, 2024. There are so many posts on my site that include him, I'd urge you to take some time to learn more about him by going to my home page and entering his name in the search bar.

Thank you to the Victoria Humane Society who brought him and his mates in all those years ago, all his dog friends and human friends for helping him navigate our weird human world. And especially to Deb, who met him where he was, through all the ups and downs and I know will miss him the mostest.

Rest in peace and love little buddy and say hi to our friends when you see them.

​xoxo
auntie wendy

*sleddie: affectionate nickname for former sled dogs

Some sleddies got together this morning to support their friend, Sparky, who recently lost her brother.

Sweet Sparky has been a bit out of sorts after Buddy's passing so with help of a couple sleddie friends and a walk in the forest, she was able to have a break from her day-to-day and get some new sniffs in.

Summer has hit us here in Victoria, BC, and it's been day after day of sun and warm temps, so a morning walk in the woods was refreshing and welcome.

Joining Sparky was Blue and Zuzu (formerly Zouave) and low-riders, Frankie and Ollie. 
I know I've said this before, but because I mostly only see sleddies when they arrive into care, it's such a cool thing to see them after they've had time in their new homes. Time to decompress, time to be dogs. And today was no exception.

Blue came into care in Feb 2023 as part of an intake of 14. (read about Blue's arrival here: https://www.iwasasleddog.com/blog/14-new-arrivals-14-new-friends) and Zuzu arrived in September 18, 2023. I may have an extra soft spot for this guy as I picked him up from the airport myself and got to deliver him to his foster home (5 mins from my house!)... and I think I still have his fur embedded into my car seats (https://www.iwasasleddog.com/blog/welcome-zouave).

Sparky has some arthritis so while she kept up with the group, it was Blue and Zuzu who put on the mileage. The zoooooomed along paths, jumped over stumps and even had a wallow of sorts in some mud (*ahem* Zuzu!). But not to worry, there was also plenty of time to: refuel at various treat-dispensing machines (aka humans), show off skillz (Blue's treat catching), avoid the camera (Sparky) and stretch out those looooong sleddie legs (Zuzu).

Thanks to the crew who was able to make this forest bath for Sparky. Our community has said goodbye to a few too many  friends over the last while because age and/or illness has a way of catching up with our sleddie family, but the crew steps up to support when and how they can.
Like today.
It's a remarkable group.

So please enjoy the photos of today's adventure - but before you begin, I would like to point out I finally got one photo of Sparky looking at me (!), Blue's photobomber of a tail and Zuzu's stillness in the Blue-catching-treats series! ;) 

Sleddie roll call: Sparky (white socks), Blue (one blue eye), Zuzu (floopy ears) along with low-riders Frankie (yorkie adjacent)  + Ollie (pom adjacent)

For more on the sleddies in this post, click on their name over to the right under 'Categories' or use the search option located on the home page.

I met Homer on June 29. He had arrived late on June 24 and was whisked away into a foster home. Not much is known about Homer other than he was running loose for about three weeks before being trapped. He then ended up at the SPCA in the NWT who then kennelled him at a dog boarding/day care/sled dog kennel where he's spent the last few months. And though it hasn't been confirmed he was a sled dog and if so, which kennel he may have escaped or been released from, between the video of him in harness attached to both a sled and a bike, he seems to know what he's doing in both situations, and where he was found, well... we've been told it's not uncommon to find sled dogs out on their own 

So without any ID or a microchip, this fearful stray became Homer.

Five days after his arrival in Victoria I met Homer at his foster home. One look at him and he broke my heart. There was nothing physically wrong - no scars, cuts, broken limbs, he wasn't starving. But inside, that's where the broken bits are.
There he was. Sitting as far back as he could in the crate that's in his kennel. Front legs stuck together and head lowered looking at me.
We make eye contact. 
He wears a collar - the kind used at sled dog kennels with the big 'D' ring on it and a GPS tracker attached to that. 
His left foot looks to be wearing a spotted sock - is there heeler in there or pointer?
I have my camera ready and move it slowly up to my eye and he watches. Click. No response. That could mean he's in freeze or it doesn't bother him. I click some more, moving slowly, taking breaks and watching him. 
Deb, his foster, goes in to his kennel and attaches the long line to his collar to bring him out.
He's not ready. 
So we sit in her yard with her other dogs - Apex, Mary Kate and Roo - and talk for a while. Every once in a while we can see Homer's feet come out of his crate, walk to the gate of the kennel, perhaps to see where we're all at. Two hours of our visit goes by and Deb tries again.
Success!
Homer comes out and the dogs do their sniffing and Deb and I pretend we're not watching him. I continue to photograph him at a distance which he's not seeming to be bothered by. He also doesn't mind the kids riding their bikes on the street. And when Mary Kate gives him a lip when he gets too close, he backs off. He rubs back ends with Apex and follows Roo into the best dirt holes in which to lie down.
It's a delicate balance helping a fearful dog with no history -- sometimes they need the gentlest little nudge to help them along, but not enough that it sends them into a backward slide. Teeny tiny steps along with seemingly thousands of decisions every day for both the foster and the dog. 

Everyone's trying.
So hard. 

But Homer is going to need a champion, or 20. People who will show him kindness and patience and understand he's doing his best. 
He's eating and drinking and doing his business which are great to see. But like so many sled dogs, when he's outside in the yard on his long line, he starts the circling behaviour so ingrained in many dogs from sledding kennels. When dogs are kept tethered, circling is about all they can do... for entertainment, for stress release, out of frustration, for attention. It's their 'go-to'.

On Homer's side is an experienced sleddie foster home (thanks Deb!), a community that has helped hundreds and hundreds of former sled dogs make the transition into a retired life, and the Victoria Humane Society who will ensure whatever help Homer needs, Homer will get. However long it takes.

In my photo story, I captured Homer as he was and include my usual sets of series to help illustrate the nuances of his behaviours and movements.

Thanks for stopping by,
​wendy

For adoption info on Homer or to donate towards his care, please contact: https://victoriahumanesociety.com/save-animals-everyday/

New arrivals Gadget (blue collar) + Penny (rainbow collar) are being fostered close to each other so I invited myself to the impromptu gathering yesterday afternoon.

Penny had a dental a few weeks back which meant some extractions and now she has a bit of an Elvis snaggle-look. She's also had some other medical issues appear, so having some friends come over put a little pep in her step for a bit and she seemed to have a good time. Her foster family is all about the dogs -- they've had about 50ish fosters come through their home over the years and though Penny has a couple foster brothers currently, there's something special about sleddies when they get together - especially old kennel mates like her friend Gadget - that can help with the transition from their old life into their new.
Along with Gadget,  Apex, Mary Kate, Roo + Smokey also came. Amongst the photo ops, there was lots of sniffs of hello, then treats, then hanging out, then treats, then more sniffing and potty breaks... and cheering for poops.

Apex, as always, was suspicious of me and my camera, Mary Kate stuck close to Deb and Roo kept an eye on his sister Mary Kate. Smokey just woo-woo'd and followed the treats... and stopped in for neck scritches.

After a bit, Harry the gentlest bear (and one of Penny's foster brothers) managed to 'lick himself out of the house' and came for a visit (and looked quite pleased with himself!). Penny's other foster brother, little Lenny visited through-the-window, and dearest Diesel, the neighbour got some treats through the fence. 

With full bellies and business taken care of, I sat next to Penny - who just loves people - while the humans kept chatting. Eventually this little lover rested her head on my leg.
Quite possibly one of the cutest things ever. 

Thanks to Penny's fosters, C+D, for hosting this last-minute gathering. 

Gadget + Penny are currently in the care of the Victoria Humane Society.
For adoption info, or if you're able to donate to help offset the veterinary costs while Penny's medical issues are investigated, please contact VHS directly: www.victoriahumanesociety.com

Thanks for stopping in,
​w

Gadget, Hailey, Junebug, Loretta, Oak, Penny, Shanti - seven sweet sleddies who arrived into care March 28.

When the van pulled up to the shelter, Hailey was the first sleddie I saw, right there on a lap in the passenger seat. She was very much not a fan of being in her crate so she used her voice to express this to her drivers. Hailey probably would've preferred to ride in the driver's seat, but all parties came to an agreement and Hailey got the chance to show off her lap-dog skills.
Gadget & Penny being besties, shared a kennel for the trip and Oak, Junebug, Loretta and Shanti had their own private kennels.

As always, for safety and security, before the dogs get out of the van, they're fitted with a martingale collar, flat collar with GPS, harness (with top & front clips), two leashes (one to attach to the martingale & one to attach to the waist leash/belt) which the dogs wear when outside and on walks. Some may think this is overkill, but experience has been a very good teacher. The most well-known story in our group being that of Apex, whose new adopter slipped, dropped his leash and he was missing on the Sunshine Coast for 5 months. Thankfully he was found safe (which isn't always the case with missing dogs), but we don't want that to ever happen again, so safety first! 

Ranging in age from about 3ish to 7ish, this group made the trek from Whistler to Victoria where they were met with the welcoming crew made up of intake helpers, fosters and a couple senior sleddies.
Each dog has been matched up to their foster home according to variables such as other dogs in the home, ok with cats, someone home most of the time, etc. and most of the prep with the fosters is done in advance to help make the arrival process a bit more streamline. But each dog still has to get weighed as well as de-flea and de-wormer (if needed) and any last-minute bits of info learned from the trip is shared with the fosters. 

My job is to get photos. Not only for this work of I Was A Sled Dog, but to ensure we have photos for their file, should one of the dogs go missing. Having created an archive of 264 former sled dogs over the last decade, my hope is that it brings to light the diversity in what is considered the 'sled dog breed', or 'Alaskan Husky' while hopefully dispelling some myths about their behaviours when it comes to life after being a working dog and living in a home. With the diversity of personalities and behaviours amongst former sled dogs, each intake is a learning opportunity. And when we learn something new, we can apply it to new intakes as well as sharing it with the growing sleddie adoption community. 

I have no idea how each of these dogs is going to settle in. Some take longer, some know retirement the second they walk through their foster's threshold. I'm writing this the day after their intake and have heard that all had a good night, some are confused about being indoors and some don't want to go outside (the weather here today has been sunny and cloudy). That sounds pretty typical for a new group! The next few days will be time to decompress and learn new routines while their fosters learn more about their likes and dislikes, which will ultimately provide info for their adopters. All seven will get wellness exams with the vet and any medical treatments taken care of before they're available for adoption.
A new chapter has started today for each of these dogs and I'm thankful I can help share their story.

Here's my take on meeting each of the dogs last night. It's by no way a personality assessment or indicative of how the dogs will be once in homes or anywhere else... it's just how they interacted with me for the approximately one hour I got to spend with them after their transport and intake and all the newness they were experiencing:
Hailey (~1ish), this youngster was sweet from the moment I saw her. She's in heat so Oak, the only male in this group, was very interested in wherever she was. His sniffer was go-go-going the whole time he was outside. Hailey loved treats gently and her kisses warmed up my cold hand!
Gadget and Penny wanted to be close to the humans, especially Penny. If you stopped petting her, she'd make a fuss and then all you'd have to do is rest your hand on her side and she'd be ok. Take your hand off, she'd start again. It was as if her whole body was an on/off switch (see video below). These two are besties and word on the street is that they're possibly sisters which wouldn't be a surprise. Once Penny was at her foster, we were told she settled and slept on a cushy bed by a fireplace. Both girls took treats very gently and easily.
Shanti (~7/8ish), who has one blue and one brown eye was quiet and gentle. She didn't like my treats, but was ok with others which isn't a surprise with any dog!
Loretta (~7ish) (Junebug's sister from the country singers litter) with the red fur, spots and blue eyes, is a very unique looking sleddie. And as it turns out, she matches her foster human! Seemingly overwhelmed by what was going on, Loretta  went into 'hug' mode, but she's going to an experienced sleddie foster home so she's in good hands. She didn't want treats but I suspect it's because she was a bit too stressed.
June/Junebug (~7ish) (Loretta's sister from the country singers litter) looks more like their other sister Patsy who came into care in October 2023. She totally mugged for my camera and was so sweet. June loved treats!! 
Oak (~3ish) reminded some of us of Bamboo, a pup who came into care in October 2021. Oak has legs for days, but more of a slight build and short coat. He was very sweet, but very distracted by Hailey so he didn't take any treats.

The end of winter marks new arrival for sleddies into care, with more dogs ready to retire as soon as foster homes are available. If you're interested in fostering, please contact the Victoria Humane Society www.victoriahumanesociety.com directly.

As always, big thanks to everyone who made this new intake possible! From Victoria Humane Society to Jill, Amanda, Deb, Shannon and the amazing people opening up their homes and hearts to foster this crew!

Also, don't miss the two videos at the bottom... one featuring Hailey and the other illustrating just how much Penny wanted loves. Oh my heart.

WELCOME HAILEY, GADGET, PENNY, SHANTI, JUNE, LORETTA & OAK!

~w
xo

p.s. also in attendance was Smokie & Apex, though only Smokie made an appearance... prancing as usual!

Sleddie roll call: Smokey, Patsy, Pluto, Apex, Mary Kate, Roo, Jon Snow, Baloo, Jasper, Portia, Louie, Argus, Blue, Oman

Though it's been over a month since this rainy walk in the woods, I remember it all very clearly.
The dogs, the people, the flooded trails, the bike racers.
Me abandoning my camera for my camera phone because my body was sore from holding my beast of a camera for over  40 dog photo sessions in the previous 2 weeks.
And then putting all that aside to try to just 'be'.
Though I still took some video while talking to dogs and offering treats.

And then I pushed my luck by talking to Apex just one too many times while offering him a treat, which proved to be a bit much for our delicate walkie relationship, so Deb was going to have to head into the bushes to coax him back from 'the dark side' as she calls it. Deb was already managing 4 dogs -- 3 of her own (Apex, Roo + Mary Kate) and one recent intake who was moving foster homes, Jon Snow. Since Roo and MK would want to be with her, once she headed into the woods, I took the leash of the odd man out, Jon Snow.
I didn't even think about it, I just did it.
Something had compelled me to take that leash.
And then as we started I walking I wondered what I had done. Jon was a big boy and a bit of a puller. Some sleddies pull, some don't... Jon did. My greatest fear walking a sleddie is it getting loose and being too scared to come back -- and with my painful body I was suddenly worried. But the muscle memory of years of walking both shelter dogs and sleddies clicked to the 'on' position and off we went. We walked with Ally and Argus, though puddles, around puddles, up hills where I appreciated the bit of pulling help, and down hills where I thought "don't let go, don't trip, don't fall"! Maybe Jon knew just how much tension I could handle because we made it the rest of the forest walk without any problems and best of all... no lost dogs!! (including Apex who was fine once I was out of sight... sigh...)

As we milled about in the parking area with the others Jon did some circles - a common behaviour with sleddies due to their time spent on chains - but then the circles went around me and my legs ended up cocooned in his leashes. I managed to unravel myself without falling over and laughed a bit to myself. I'm not usually the one in these situations, I usually capture it happening to others. But here I was and I was loving every minute of it.
As some began to leave it was a split moment when I happened to catch Jillian's dog Portia stumble getting into her car and Jon Snow noticed it too because he then put his front legs up on me in a 'hug'. Of course it seemed like the cutest thing and others saw him do it too, but then I realized why he was doing it, he had gotten scared. Some sleddies want to bolt, some look to the closest warm body. Thankfully Jon came to me rather than bolt away.
I gave him reassurances and a few kisses on his head and after about 20-ish seconds he put his feet back down on the ground and shook it off.
Recovery... yay Jon Snow!

I'm thankful I saw that happen because it not only informed us of Jon Snow's fears, but it hit home the concept that something seemingly innocuous as a dog doing a small stumble while getting into a car... across a road -- an action that barely makes any noise and doesn't seem like much -- can be scary to a dog that's learning about our big, wide, weird, human world.

Sleddie School is always in session with the dogs as teachers, we just have to be open to listening.

Here are a few photos as well as a video so you can enjoy a bit of the walk too!

xo
​wendy

p.s. Jon Snow has since been adopted and his new family just adores him!!

I heard my old friend Mr B (Bruno) was coming to town recently so of course I invited myself along for the visit! Those who know me know this is a common occurrence, though what they may not realize, is that it's not just for photo ops. I really and truly love meeting their sleddies, hearing their stories and just being around them.

The visit was arranged with Shannon and Tica, Mr B's second foster home. It's very common in our sleddie world for fosters and adopters to keep in touch and it's that community and support that helps both the dogs and their new families navigate the good times, the silly times, the hard times and the sad times.
Bruno not only left his mark on his foster family, but on me too. While in foster Shannon, Tica, Bruno and I started meeting at Fleming for weekly walks, and his legacy lives on after his adoption because Shannon, Tica and I continue to meet up weekly at Fleming, for almost two years now!

Walking Mr B back then was like walking a balloon. And it still is. 
Being in his presence creates a sense of calm... encourage deep breaths... and being in the moment. He's a man of few 'tells', but if he likes something (like shoulder massages or rubs under his chin) he'll tell you in his subtle way. It forces you to just "be" with him. 

When Mr B was adopted, his new family had two other dogs - Murphy and Goose - who have since passed away. So in keeping with the sleddie theme, his family adopted Dawson earlier this year. Dawson was just a wee pup when he came into care back in Feb 2023 with 13 other adults and pups, all the way from a commercial sledding kennel in northern Canada. It's hard to believe Baby D was so small because he's got legs for days and when he stands up, he's almost as tall as his dad who's 5'7"!
​
In true Mr B fashion, he's handled a puppy in the house with patience and gentleness and in turn, even though Baby D is super silly and full of energy, he's very gentle with his big, ol' brother.

We met at our regular spot on a sunny afternoon at Fleming Beach. Tica was there for dog hellos with her friend Bruno and Shannon said her human hellos, holding his chin in her hand... as he moved in closer... and closer... to her.
​When we walked back toward the car, Bruno just fell into walking along with Shannon and Tica, like the old days in this same place.

Until we meet again Mr B.
xo

Five more sleddies arrived into care this weekend so warm welcomes go out to Goose (the hugger), John Snow (the shy boy), Patsy (the hound), Raven (the ears) + Star (the smiler).

It was raining on arrival day - not hard, but enough that we weren't going to be outside much. Usually when I photograph sleddie intakes I just mill around trying to capture what I can amidst the goings-on. But because of the rain, I thought it was a good chance to try something different -- indoor portraits against a plain backdrop. That idea soon went out the window because even after doing intakes like this for years, no matter how low-stress aware, calm, organized and prepared we all are, once the dogs arrive they are so stimulated by the smells, the location, the new people - that expecting them to hold still (let alone look at my camera) is not in their wheelhouse. Especially after their big day of travel. But hey, I had to try.

So I went back to doing what I do while Jill and Deb worked with the foster families making last minute adjustments on collars and harnesses, confirming GPS trackers were working, getting a weight on each dog, and then off they went to their foster homes. 

Though they may all be former sled dogs and lived amongst each other and had the same (or very similar) routines, they come in as individuals and are treated as such. General advice to foster homes include:

• it's pretty normal for a new sleddie to not eat or drink or pee or poop for a few days after they arrive
• they won't take treats
• they won't bark
• they aren't housetrained
• they'll try to escape given the chance

But within the generalizations are situational nuances as well as full on surprises and this group has surprised the seasoned fosters as well as the new ones, because within hours of arriving at their foster homes, most had taken care of business, had drinks and food, met other pets in the homes and found comfy spots to crash. And no accidents... so far.
The foster homes will still keep life pretty quiet for the next few days so they can continue to decompress and then in the next week or so all will go to the vet for wellness checks and Goose and Star will get spayed. 
​Then they'll be ready for adoption!

Speaking of surprises, I even got one with a visit from old sleddie friends, Smokey + Apex!

Smokey and Apex were hanging out in their van so Smokey came out for a visit and photo op and I'm just so amazed by her. Not only is she tiny and beautiful, she's happy and has such a spring in her step for a gal of 13(ish)! After some years with her original adopted family, Smokey ended up in the care of the Victoria Humane Society so the local sleddie crew stepped up and she now lives quite a charmed life and gets to go on lots of adventures with other sleddie friends. Soon after intake she had to have a whole bunch of teeth removed and once she healed up, she apparently became an even happier dog. The shyness I've seen in her on past visits wasn't there at all this time and she easily took treats from me - both outside and in the van. I love these stories!
My buddy Apex stayed in the van -- he's got a sore toe so he was resting it. But to my surprise, when I popped into the van  to visit him, he took treats from me too! He often plays shy with me and avoids me when I've got my camera, so I kept it out of sight, took the greeting slow and gave him his favourite neck scritches and then he rested his head on my hand. This guy melts my heart every dang time I see him. 

Huge thanks again to to Jill for being the official transporter/foster finder/sleddie intake planner of team sleddie and to Deb for her organization, guidance and sleddie storytelling!, the foster families for opening up their homes (it couldn't be done without you!) and the Victoria Humane Society for taking yet another group of sleddies under their wing. 

Please click on images to see who's who!

Thanks for popping by!
​xo

Welcome Zouave!
This handsome youngster just arrived this morning from Whitehorse, YT and is now officially retired!

I had intended to tag along on his pick up with my camera in hand, but when flights changed and no one else was available, I put my big camera down and headed out solo. 
You'd think it would be a no-brainer as I've done it so many times before. But knowing his pick up, collaring, harnessing, GPS'ing, transportation to his foster home, was up to me and me alone, was a whole new feeling. 

I'm just going to say I'm thankful I wasn't photographing myself!

Zouave was perfect at pick up. Once I got him out of his crate (collard and leashed of course), he velcroed to me. Since he didn't seem to be in flight mode, we moseyed over to a patch of grass and he did some sniffing (a good sign!).

It was then time to get in the car. He gave a hard pass to getting back into the crate so he'd have to ride secured in the backseat as his crate barely made it into the hatch of my car. 
But he didn't want to get in my car either. 
If he wouldn't go in his crate and I couldn't get him into my car... now what. 
"Think Wendy, think!" I told myself.
And then I remembered the advice I'd shared so many times before... get in the car first and then call them in.
It worked!
It took him a bit to push himself up and in - maybe he's sore or stiff - but once he was in I was able to secure his leash. I then had to reach over him and close the door he got in, then slide out through the crack of the other open door.
He took it all in stride.
Yay Zouave!!

It was a beautiful, sunny day so I cranked the AC and other than a few times he stood up to look out the windows with his sniffer going, he just lay down on the backseat for most of the ride to his foster home.

Once there, he trotted out, sniffed at the kids playing across the street and we headed to the backyard. His foster dad took the leash and let him wander around the yard. This is the same family who was fostering Idèfix (who's been adopted - YAY!), so perhaps there's still a bit of his smell back there to help Zouave. I had a couple minutes to get a few photos and then I had to go... thankfully he's being fostered close by so I can hopefully visit him again!

Zouave is only 1.5 years old so once he's had time to settle into his foster home he'll be off to the vet for a wellness exam and neuter. At the time of writing, it's been a few hours since he arrived and his foster family says he's eaten, done some business outside and is watching the world outside their window. Oh, and he's found his voice too!

Speaking of his foster family... Zouave is staying with the lovely family who recently fostered Idèfix because (drum roll)... Idèfix has been adopted! YAY! In fact he and Shining both have been adopted - double YAY!!

If you've continued to read this far, thank you. I try to make each story as unique as the dogs that are a part of it and with fewer than usual photos, I wrote a bit more.

Thanks to Jill for organizing his arrival, Victoria Humane Society for taking yet another sleddie under their wing, Air North for allowing him to fly for free, and his amazing foster family.

Zouave came from a smaller sled dog operation that needed to shut down. After re-homing some dogs themselves and a full shelter who couldn't help them, the operation reached out knowing of our dedicated community here and for that, I'm thankful.

I fall in love with every sleddie I meet and Zouave was no exception -- that soft fluff on his head, his cute little nose and those eyes... 

xo

There's always that excitement at the beginning of a sleddie walk. Anticipation. The hurry-up-and-wait. 
It's pretty much hard wired into them from their days of pulling sleds. 
Some of today's crew know the drill well having been on many walks over the years. Gather, wait, sniff, wait, photo ops, wait... and then let's go!
For others, this was pretty new and maybe a bit scary.
With 14 sleddies in today's group, it was an almost 50/50 split of experienced retirees to newbies.

The weather held, though fall is starting to arrive with leaves falling and a crispness to the air.
I had no idea who was all coming so when I realized that a young pup who'd stolen my heart back in February was prancing my way, my heart skipped a beat. This fella is now known as Yukon. He's 10 months old and has the legs of a giraffe, the silliness of a puppy and the speed of a sleddie. Back in February, he arrived as a wee little one who wasn't doing very well. He arrived late at night and I remember holding him and trying to feed him bits of food. It was a win when he finally took some. When the time came for me to put him back down with his siblings, he just looked at me with big puppy eyes and tried to hold on with his paws. 
I'd heard a few reports that he started thriving (yay!), and I was delighted to finally see it for myself!
I've said it before, but seeing sleddies who have settled into their new homes is just the best. And since it's hard to stop at one sleddie, his family is fostering Yang, who arrived in that same group and the two of them are fantastic playmates. (BTW, Yang is adoptable!)

Black and Robbie arrived together back in June. Robbie (who is now Raspberry) led the way so I didn't get any action photos, but she did give me some good faces once we were done! Black (who's rumour has it is all but adopted), got her  first taste of being off leash and, well, let's just say that she's going to be an on-leash sleddie for a while longer. Though she and her foster brother Twister (of the floppy ears) are close, Black's still learning about this whole retired life thing.
 
Sweet Ying just couldn't mentally get herself out of the truck to join on the walk - even with some friends and her foster sister Benga on hand. It just wasn't to be, today. I'm told she does really well generally, but maybe the pre-walk energy was just been too much for her. Her foster family are patient and let her find her own pace, so they'll try again another time.

Along the paths the younger dogs ran and ran and ran, and the older ones kept a more moderate pace with brief moments of zoomies. Yes, Jasper I'm look at you! 
Portia is back to her pre-lost dog adventure self from earlier this year and is doing so well! She took treats from me which she never did before, and just seemed more relaxed in general. She's still pretty silly though!

Argus is another one whose true self is emerging. He's super chill at home and on today's walk he was much more relaxed than I've seen at previous ones. With age catching up a bit he's losing a bit of vision, but his mom was gushing about him and what a bright spot he is in their family. Also, he LOVES being brushed so he got lots of finger brushing before the walk and even along the way!

Biggie is still the happy-go-lucky guy he's been since I first met him back in April 2021. He motors along, stops for treats and has some of thee best head tilts around!

My old friend Apex donned his best bell. It's now a fixture on him on walks and comes in handy when he trundles behind a bit or heads off the path... or decides to head off on his own like he did today. Mary Kate + Roo got their zoomie time too, but with a big group like today, they stuck close Deb.

Some of the dogs on today's walk were so fearful when they arrived into care it was best not to look in their direction, or they'd want to escape. To see them loose and happy and adventuring, something they may never have had the chance to experience, is something that isn't taken for granted by their families. To have the support of a patient human who will go at their pace to help them build confidence, experience the world safely and spend time with other dogs who are just cool cucumbers. Who will also be there to support them as they age and slow down, is how it should be. 

These walks are important for the dogs as well as the people. While the dogs do their thing, the humans talk about all things sleddie... and no topic is taboo! 

Along the walk, we met an adoptee named Duncan. His mom was expecting to meet another dog group for a walk but couldn't find them, so they ended up joining ours. Yay Duncan!

At the end of the walk a few of us stayed to chat. This is usually the best time for photo ops -- the dogs are tired, the excitement has worn off and everyone just chills out. Shi (formerly Shining) took the opportunity of the smaller group to get treats, LOTS of loves, drink water from my hand (!), pose for me, then nap. She and Idefix arrived into care not even a month ago, but she's settling really well, spending days napping in the front yard of her foster family's home and getting all the love she wants. 

Thank you to today's crew for allowing me the photo ops! You are all ambassadors for change!

​Sleddie roll call:
We had 14 sleddies on today's walk!
Apex, Mary Kate + Roo, Argus, Biggie, Jasper + Portia, Raspberry (formerly Robbie), Shi (adoptable), Twister + Black, (adoptable) Yang + Yukon (foster brother), (adoptable) Ying + Benga (foster brother).

Please click through photos in gallery to view photos full size.
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