Sunday was the day of some super sweet summer sleddie arrivals. Amidst a jumble of "things that can go sideways, did", and a record-breaking day of summer heat, 5 sleddies were lovingly transported into care. 

Welcome Arthur, Bagheera, Heart, Pepper and Raksha!

Life as a sled dog is quite predictable - so it's no surprise that when new sleddies arrive into care they can be very concerned. Even the most relaxed sleddie can be having some tremors and/or stress panting upon arrival. 
But one of the most beautiful things is to see photos of them that same evening in their foster homes. This group was no exception. 
And I even got to see it with my own eyes as I had to drop off some medication to one of the fosters who lives close to me just before 9pm. When I peeked around the corner, there was Bagheera flat out on his side, lying in front of the open screen door. After his arrival home, he had some outside time and then came inside and lay down by the door, where he continued to snooze in the cool evening air.
Ahhh... 

The intake also brought a couple other surprises -- a 'pirate' by the name of Arthur (a female), who had recent surgery to remove her left eye. Having shared 12 years of my life with a 'pirate' dog, I hold an extra soft spot for these sweeties and Arthur was no exception.

And then a tall, gangly youngster arrived... it was Yukon! 
Yukon was one of Willy's puppies who arrived from the Yukon late at night in February 2023 (https://www.iwasasleddog.com/blog/14-new-arrivals-14-new-friends) . His family is fostering one of the new sleddies -- it's so amazing to see adopters continue to help with fostering. 

It's not quite been 48 hours since they arrived, but I wanted to share what I noticed as well as some updates from their foster homes:
Bagheera - gave me the most adorable head tilts for me! He's been enjoying his yard and napping.
Arthur - (now known as Lady Arthur) the cutest sleddie pirate, with a penchant for very close snuggles when she's nervous! She has spent lots of time napping and is now learning how to go down stairs (going up is fine, down is a bit of a learning curve, which may have something to do with depth perception missing an eye)... what a champ!
Pepper - she reminded me of a spry old lady -- and so loving. She apparently didn't move off the sofa for the first 24 hours -- which is totally normal. It's been a lot of change in a short time.
Heart (now nicknamed Hermes) - the blue-eyed heart melter and a bit of a 'bulldog' in a sleddie costume, also quite goofy... (see him appear under Jill's armpit), he has had some issues chewing his tail (which are being monitored). On Sunday he attended the VHS bottle drive and has been taking dirt naps in the shady yard with the other family dog.
Raksha - a very snuggly girl when she's nervous, also a serious sunbather.

Below I share the photos of the arrival and intake. From jumping out of the van to vaccination to heading home with their foster... there are many images because I feel that helps communicate where each dog may be at, what they may be feeling... those brief moments of relax amidst the unknown... 

Also included is a photo of Bagheera with his eyes closed. If you know me, you know how much I love and embrace photos of dogs with their eyes closed. 
Sigh.

For the intake photos, please see my previous post: https://www.iwasasleddog.com/blog/august-23-2025

Thank you so much for stopping by, 
Wendy

p.s. our crew has a reunion coming up in September, so if you have a sleddie and would like to join, please get in touch!

WELCOME TO RETIREMENT Arthur, Bagheera, Heart, Pepper, Raksha!

These 5 SUPER sweet and very loving sleddies made their way into the care of Victoria Humane Society after a long and hot travel day yesterday from the Whistler area. 

With the help of loving foster homes, these gentle (and very snuggly) pups will have time to decompress, have a wellness exam with the vet and allow time for the foster to get to know them so that they will be set up for success for their adoptive homes.

Ranging in age from about 3 (Heart), to 8-9 (all the others), Bagheera and Pepper will be getting neutered/spayed and there will likely be a dental or two.

Thanks to Jill and Deb for navigating a very long (and hot) travel day with such precious cargo, Heather for helping with intake, Karen for helping to clear the van for the next VHS intake and to the devoted and caring sleddie foster homes - one who is on their 7th or 8th sleddie foster!

There will be more sleddies coming into care, so if you’re interested in fostering, please contact VHS.

These 5 now mean I have officially photographed 278 former sled dogs. Each one has been an individual, with their own needs, likes and dislikes. I would urge you to read through my website to learn more about what can be like for former sled dogs, because they are adoptable (they don’t all have boundless energy and need long runs) and they all deserve to be treated like the individuals they are.

If you would like to help donate to their care, please contact VHS. 

thanks for visiting, 
​wendy