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 Mr B, aka Bruno, aka Bru came to town and thanks to Shannon, I got to visit with him and meet his new brother, Dawson!
Bruno looks amazing. His coat shimmers and it's sooooo soft. He played shy a bit, but once he knew that the neck massages were on offer, he let me know that was cool by stepping closer for more. Being his foster family, Shannon got loves and shared some treats and Tica gave him a few big sniffs of remembrance. But the best is the connection between Bruno and his mom. Most of the time he just stands next to hear while she runs her hands through his fur - they're a beautiful match. Bruno's new little brother is Dawson, who came into care from northern Canada back in February. He's one of Willy's three puppies, and he's also doing amazing. He's got those tall sleddie legs, flippers for paws and teeth like icebergs! He and Bru get along well though his humans are careful that Bruno (who's about 14 now!) doesn't get overwhelmed by Dawson's exuberance for life! I absolutely love meeting up with sleddies after they've been adopted and have settled into their new home. All too often I only get to see them when they arrive - scared, confused and out of sorts - so these meets ups are so special. Thank you so much to R + S for opening up their home to sleddies and continuing to advocate for them. They told me they get so many compliments on Bruno where they live... why am I not surprised! Thanks to Shannon and Tica for letting me tag along! xo wendy I've also included some photos of Dawson, aka Baby D (and his two siblings) from the night he arrived... I was looking for a photo and got sidetracked. It happens all the time really, especially when going through my sleddie archive. There are so many memories over the last ten years, I can't help but stop and reminisce. Whether it was a short meeting/photo op upon arrival, a long walk, or multiple walks... whatever. Inevitably, there are dogs who have really stuck with me. I can't put my finger on it - it's not looks or energy, whether they're loose or fearful... there's just a connection I feel towards them. Maybe it's akin to love at first sight... I don't know as it's not based on looks alone. Whatever this connection is, I felt it with Bruno (aka Mr B) from the moment I met him when he came into care. So when he went into foster with my friend Shannon (of the famous ChiChi), we started going for walks in the hopes of helping to widen his circle of people, places, things. When Bruno was eventually adopted earlier this year, I made a photo book of some photos from our walkies and I realized I didn't share it... so here's a little look-see. p.s. Bruno is doing great with a family who seems to really understand him and meet him where his is. And as a bonus, Shannon gets updates doing dog things, as all dogs should get to. p.p.s. now... to find that photo I was looking for! thanks for stopping by, w xo Bruno/Mr B's world is opening up and he's getting more comfortable in it!!! Today my husband joined us on our walk and it was so cool to see Bruno take to a new person. A lot of sleddies I've met seem to be wary of men - even a gentle guy like Rob - but not Bruno it seems. He went and stood by my husband as he talked to someone, did a sniff of him (as dogs do) and Shannon and I just stood with our jaws dropped. This was big! But... Bruno hasn't been around many men, and not really like this, so it's all helping to inform the adoption team on who his best adoptive home will be. Bruno even took treats from Rob (vid below), and stood for chin scritches quite willingly. Bruno is very good about moving away from things he doesn't want to engage in, whether it be other dogs, humans, or even if he doesn't like the treat on offer! It was so beautiful. And the Friday walk trio even stood for a new band photo - seriously, these guys need a name! [note: Bruno's leash has been edited out of some photos - although he probably wouldn't take off or go far, safety is a priority so he stays on a long line on walks] I'm usually the observer on sleddie walks.
Following along, assessing my movements, planning shots, all while doing my best not to startle any of the dogs. But I'm also a participator as I come equipped with treats and sleddie-appropriate affections when requested. I chat to different people along the way to learn about their dogs and catch up on life. And I chat to the dogs too. But today was different as I was a guardian to one of these super-special-sleddies, my friend Bruno! And that meant I was going to try and do double duty -- guardian and photographer. For fearful sleddies, one of the toughest things to work on is helping to widen their circles and socialize them to the world in a safe manner. Our human world might seem very arbitrary to sleddies (chew on this dog-specific toy, not on my slippers/shoes/furniture; you must pee and poop outside on a schedule, not whenever/wherever you feel the need; eat from the food dish on the floor not on top of the dining room table/counter where you've always eaten and hung out; sit, stay, come when I call you because I'm asking, yet you have no idea why; don't be afraid of me, I'm being nice to you) so bridging this gap between trusting humans and learning about home life, can help make their world a bit easier to navigate. And today's walk was a perfect opportunity to help Mr B in this area. Having met and photographed so many adoptable sleddies over the years, one must figure I've adopted one too. Alas, I have not, and that's another story for another post. However, because of our close-knit sleddie community, I've been fortunate to be a part of their lives - through not just walks, but sleepovers, afternoon sleddie sitting, walks, hangouts, vet visits and lots of adventures. And since Bruno's mom is a friend, he and I have started up a what I like to call (with crossed fingers) a friendship. Bruno came into care back in October 2021. Although his history is not totally clear (sled dog kennels don't keep the best records), we do know he spent time in a specific kennel in the Whistler area where a lot of the most human-fearful dogs have come from. I once called his baby steps "blink-and-you'll-miss-them-steps" because they are so little, if you weren't watching, you probably wouldn't notice them. So although he's familiar with me, we've never had one-on-one time, and this outing would be new for him. But because we were going on a walk with his 'people', it was safe and familiar to him. To be honest, I was very nervous before picking him up and was second guessing it all. Would he be ok? Would he get startled and try to escape? Would this be too weird for him? But I took a deep breath, I knew it would be ok. I had a community who would help us. Shannon had him ready before I arrived and he was wearing his collar (with tags) and a well-fitting harness.. as well as his fully-charged GPS tracker. Safety first. He came outside with me no problem and tolerated me lifting him into the car (he's a bit too arthritic to jump). Once in, he laid down - sort of like he's afraid or nervous. Sadly, this is 'normal' for him. But once I got in and started the car, I saw his little head pop up and he was ready to see where we were headed. Off we went and even though it was chilly out, I opened the back windows so he could turn his sniffer on. I felt like I was driving extra careful - and I guess I was - I had special cargo after all. About 10 mins later we were almost there. Stopped at a light on the highway, waiting to turn left. I could see him in my rearview mirror turning around a bunch... and then I smelled it. Yup. He pooped. And there was nothing I could do about it right then. He was secured so he couldn't jump out, so all the windows came down for the final part of the drive. On the way to last week's walk he pooped in Shannon's car and stepped in it, so when they arrived, it was a bit of a mess. Last week and today, his morning poops were taken care of before the car ride, but it still happened. Nervous poops or just when you gotta go, you gotta go? Either way, I guess it gives a different meaning to the title of this blog 'double duty'? Sorry. We arrived and Argus and Ally were there and Ally hung on to Bruno while I cleaned up the back of the car. Everyone else arrived and greetings were made by the dogs and the humans. The gang got together for a group photo, with Jillian hanging on to Mr B as well as her two, Jasper and Portia. Then we were off for a walk. It was a lovely day with lots of people and dogs on the trails. And though I was more focussed on my time with Mr B than photographing the walk, I did manage to get a few. There were some new faces out this time - Millie, Batman, Biggie, Rio and Samwell along with some more familiar faces - Argus, Jasper, Portia, Arwen, Stevie and of course, Mr B. When the walk was over, I got Mr B into the car and off we went. We made a pit-stop at my house so he could meet my husband (widening Mr B's circle) but he seemed more confused about why were were hanging outside and not going inside. He made moves to my front steps and would've been very happy to walk right in, but my little Mr Coco (who only has one eye that doesn't work very well) was very confused at what was going on, so Mr B and I headed back to his home. As we got closer to Shannon's I could hear the sniffer working extra hard. And when we pulled in, he was ready to be home. I opened the door, dried him off a bit (hoping any remaining poop on his feet had washed away on the walk) took off his harness and off he went to his bed, his most favourite spot in the world right now. I gave him the kong filled with treats that Shannon had prepared to help bide his time until she and Tica came home. Then I said my farewells and told him he was a very good boy. I know the perfect home is out there for him. A home that will provide sanctuary to him, put his needs first and gently help him along this journey. It's in him to connect with people - maybe not everyone - but even if it's just one person who can give him that time, I have a feeling it'll be a pretty amazing relationship. Each time I see him, I see that progress and one of the coolest things of today was the pit-stop we had in the forest. Bruno's not great at asking for attention, but he's good at moving away when he doesn't want it. Today, he let me give him rubs on his shoulders, chest and cheek. I stopped and he looked at me, took a step towards me and let me give him more pets and tell how handsome he was. What did I learn? Bruno's a champ and it's really great to know that if you're feeling stuck, that there's such a supportive community of sleddie adopters around to commiserate with. Thank you everyone who came out! I would like to extend extra thanks to Millie + Batman for coming out. Along with age (Millie's 16! and Batman's getting up there) these friends are dealing with some other medical issues so they only joined us for a little bit of the walk, some sniffs and a couple treats. Thankfully they have veterinary care and caring guardians who are ensuring they get the help they need. I did my best to get individual photos of each dog, but with a different priority this walk I may have missed a couple. Sincere apologies to both Arwen + Portia - thankfully I did get some snaps of you at last weekend's walk! Sleddie roll call: Argus, Arwen, Batman, Biggie, Bruno, Jasper, Portia, Millie, Rio, Samwell, Stevie Sleddie friends: Deacon (Rio's brother), Jo (Bruno's former foster sibling) and Zoe (Millie's floofy sibling). xo ~w Ten sleddies plus a little Tica and a teeny, tiny Peanut (neither of whom are, or ever were, a sled dog!) came out with their humans for a walk around a lake.
Most of the group was familiar with each other, but we had a new addition in Argus -- a super sweet fella who made it out of the industry last year and was recently adopted into a loving home where he's since taken over the recliner. He was a champ meeting his new friends and he and his family were officially welcomed into the sleddie community. Once again I share quite a few photos of this gathering. More than some would share in a photo essay. But I want to provide an opportunity for viewers to see nuances in the dogs - their ears, tails, eyes, body posture. See them greet each other, sniff, take treats. But also the moments of nervousness, tucked tails, ears back, the unsureness. Because for as far as some of these sleddies have come, there are still things that can rock them a bit. And sharing a few extra photos supports my aim of telling the truth - in photographs and words - of what I take in when I'm with my sleddie friends. It's not all great leaps forward. There's good and not-so-good. There can be many mis-steps, steps back and breakdowns along the way. Baby steps when you see how easy it could be for them to soar, if only they let you in. It can be really hard, yet incredibly rewarding at the same time. It can be beautifully messy. It can just be. Any way you look at it though, it can change your life and the life of the animal relying on you. So, for example: Stevie gets worried on leash, so he spent most of the walk (when it was safe from cars) off leash and forging his own path. Literally. He'd truck along adjacent to the path and then stop - sometimes seeming stuck or looking for his Geri - so I'd say "come on Stevie", and he'd start moving again. Champ! And Bruno, (aka Mr B) trotted along and when we stopped he got some pets. It may seem like Mr B doesn't want them, but for him, if he doesn't want pets, he will move away. He's slowly showing his 'tells'. So today when we were stopped and he stood next to me I gave him some shoulder rubs. Then stopped. Then he'd look at me. So I'd rub his shoulder some more. He did this with Geri and his foster mom Shannon, too. Champ! I hadn't seen Arwen and Pluto for ages! It was beautiful to see them continue to thrive! Their coats were shiny, their eyes were bright, and they were loose... just tearing it up off-leash as much as possible. Champs! Roo and Mary Kate represented Deb's gang. (Apex, Flash and foster Troy decided to stay at home and have a party or watch tv or something...?) They trotted along politely, on leash the whole way. It felt weird to not have them zipping around, but them doing so well on leash further proves that they're dogs as dogs can be. Champs! Sparky and Stevie came in together back in January 2021 and it's really, so cool to see the positive changes in them. Stevie literally hid behind Sparky when they came into care, but now, they're their own personalities! Champs! Portia came into care in April 2021. Originally being fostered by Jillian, Jasper decided Portia was a-ok, so she stayed. This girl does not stop... she's a go, go, go... and she's a tough one to photograph. So at the end of the walk, Jill gave her a hug and I think I got one. Champs! As for non-sleddies Tica and Peanut, well, Tica is my little buddy (and Mr B's foster sister) and she made sure I kept her fed and she showed up for bum scritches every time I crouched down to get a photo of another dog. As for teeny-tiny Peanut - she's a foster through Victoria Humane Society and was happy to be carried around all snuggled up, although at home, she has no problem telling foster sister Sparky what to do. Also included in the photos are a random family who wanted me to take their photo - they had cute dogs, so I said ok! Wherever they're from - Whistler, Thunder Bay, Salmo, and beyond... and whatever their story - abandoned and left to starve, abandoned and pregnant, seized as part of a cruelty investigation, surrendered... this group shows the strength and resilience of former sled dogs and proves once again, that they are individual dogs with likes and dislikes and deserving of a life beyond the end of a chain. Sleddie roll call: Argus, Arwen, Bruno (Mr B), Jasper + Portia, Mary Kate + Roo, Pluto, Sparky and Stevie Thank you to the fosters and adopters for helping me share their stories. p.s. and even though our old friend ChiChi passed away in 2020, she was able to join us in the form of a little purple glass stone. xo what was captured by camera on this walk: - Bruno getting pets - Bruno going up stairs - Bruno going down stairs - Bruno standing in the warm, morning sun - Bruno getting treats (he's the gentlest of treat takers) - Bruno meeting other dogs - Bruno on the beach and not interested in the ocean - Bruno watching the world what was not captured by camera: (because sometimes it's just about being in the moment) - Bruno following me (who he's always kept at arms' length previously) as we walked - Bruno sniffing the pathway, then peeing (he's only recently learned to sniff on walks) - Bruno taking treats from me as if he's been doing it for ages (he's taken them before, but not so easily) - Bruno looking at me and not turning away when I looked at him - Bruno jumping up onto a cement block because that's where I was... then taking more treats - Bruno looking relaxed while getting loves (he's camera shy) and treats from his foster, Shannon Bruno is such a gem. He asks for nothing, just follows along. He looks around to see the world and he is trying so hard to fit in. For some sleddies, it takes a bit to work through new things. For Bruno, one of the ways he does this is circling. He was on a long leash line on this walk so he had the chance to explore a bit more (which he did), but he does this sort of pace/circle action. In his past life, he lived on a chain tether so it's a very familiar action and without trying to decode his psyche too much, I've see it in countless other sleddies as they worked through new situations. Bruno did this action before he joined me on the cement block and he does it sometimes when stopped on the path, or something new is in his midst. He's taking those steps though. And in the couple months since I first met him and started going on walks, it's so ridiculously beautiful to see his progress. In a previous post I likened his progress to not just baby steps as they were more like "blink-and-you-may-miss-them steps", but to know him is to see this new world unfold for him. I know the perfect home is out there for him. Someone who just wants to trundle around with him, gently, at his pace. Who can provide sanctuary for him while he continues to heal and learn. Thanks to Shannon and Tica (the costa-rican-street-pup-turned-Bruno-guardian), for a beautiful walk. ~wendy xo p.s. After the gallery, check out the two video clips!
24 new retirees in 6 sets of new arrivals
1 puppy 12 meet up photo ops 53 gb of raw images thousands of shutter clicks 1 sleddie turned 17 6* sleddies passed away It was a year like no other... but then again, aren't they all? 24 more sleddies joined the 'officially retired' team. I use 'officially' for two reasons: 1) because a few of them had retired while at the sled dog kennel but they didn't have anywhere to retire to; and 2) because the moment they left the kennel and were in care of the rescue, they became 'domestic pets' and thus covered under domestic animal protection laws here in BC. They may be outdated laws, but they're a LOT better than the agricultural animal 'laws' that covered them previously. I'm not sure of the costs incurred to date, but it would be well in to the thousands - gas, ferry fares, spay/neuter surgeries, lump removals, dentals, specialist appointments (Pumpkin's eyes), food. Plus the volunteer hours provided by foster homes who not only opened up their homes for months to some of this crew, but made sure they got to all their medical appointments. Some arrivals looked more like what one thinks a sled dog should look like - a bit floofier and husky-like (Ace, Ice, Saturn), some looked more like hounds (Biggie, Ginny), some had piercing blue eyes (Saturn, Centurion, Ice, Batman, Loki, Meso, Toledo), and some were incredibly fearful but are coming out of their shells at their own pace (Ace, Bear, Catty, Bruno, Herman, Stevie). Two were adopted by their foster homes (Pumpkin, Sparkle), one was adopted by her transporter (Portia), and one was just a puppy (Bamboo). And at the time of writing this, one is still awaiting adoption... Bruno. It's one thing to photograph dogs at intake as it's not really the best photo op. It's confusing, they may be scared and not themselves, there's new people, smells, they're getting fitted for new harnesses and collars. Their GPS trackers are getting tested. They may be getting a flea & tick or deworming treatment. They may just want to sleep because it's been a big travel day. They may just be super shut down. All the while I'm trying to be a bit of a fly-on-the-wall to get a photo of them, to document their existence and give them space in this world, while they hide behind another dog, a human, under a desk. It's a lot. This is why I'm so incredibly stoked to meet up a few days, weeks, months down the road. There is always a positive change. To see them more relaxed and comfortable, have time off leash, taking treats, giving eye contact, responding to their name instead of tucking their tail. Sometimes it's a teeny tiny change, but it's celebrated. These meet ups are also a lot, but in a super beautiful way. With a passionate group at the helm, there were chances for (safe) meet ups and connection for both the humans and sleddies and its inspiring to see this community continue to grow and evolve. 2021, for me, meant year 10 of sled dog advocacy, bringing 24 new ambassadors into my world and the total number of sleddies in this work to 208. There are now 24 more faces and names whose mere presence in this world can help advocate for those who are still being exploited. They don't need to do anything else except learn to be themselves. 2022, for me, will mean 10 years since I clicked the shutter on my first sleddie. Ten years of following the 'after', what some may call the 'hard part'. But knowing there are more sled dogs ready to come into care if foster homes can be found, I will continue to share the names, faces and stories because as long as the sled dog industry exists, there will be dogs in need. I know our transport team is ready, are you? Thank you to the Victoria Humane Society who foots all the bills for these retirees, and to the volunteers who arrange fosters, help with adoptions and support in any way they can. Also, to the transporters of this precious cargo: Jillian+ Debbie, Jillian + Charla, Bobbie, Jillian + Amanda, Debbie + Jillian and Jillian and her mom. In alphabetical order, meet the new I Was A Sled Dog ambassadors! Ace, Bamboo, Batman, Bear, Biggie, Bruno, Cally, Cap, Catty, Centurion, Ginny, Herman, Ice, Kerri, Loki, Meso, Portia, Pumpkin, Saturn, Sparkle, Stevie, Teddy, Tig, Toledo *this is the number of sleddies I've heard passed away in 2021, the number could be higher The window opened up and the weather held. Just pockets of sun and a brisk chill in the air. The ground was saturated from the deluge of rain we've been getting here on the we(s)t coast which made the moss extra green, encouraged little mushroom families and created delicate droplets of water which hung from the lichen. But the dogs paid no mind.
They got to romp, run, trundle, and saunter over trails and bridges and throughout the forest. They got to see old friends and meet new ones. And Apex didn't run from me and my camera... a first in the 7+ years I've known him. The regular sleddie walk schedule has been difficult to keep during Covid, but sometimes the last-minute plans are the ones that work out. That was Sunday's walk. Sleddie roll call: Apex, Bear, Biggie, Bruno, Calli, Flash, Jasper, Mary Kate, Portia, Roo, Saturn, Stevie + Sparky ... plus Tica (Bruno's sister while he's in foster) and Bear's new floofy siblings (Abby + Lola) Baby steps. Sometimes former sled dogs take baby steps, some take smaller-than-baby steps. They're more like blink-and-you'll-miss-them steps. Bruno is one of those sleddies. The three times I've hung out with him - once when he first arrived, another in October and most recently, today. I can see the wheels in his head turning and he tries to sort out what's going on around him. He watches, he'll inch closer and then he'll stop himself and back up. Sometimes he does that again. It's like he has an internal "road closed" sign seemingly preventing him from going forward. But for all we know, it's an internal "detour" sign and he's going at his own pace, doing his best to navigate his way through this new life. Bruno's now in foster with my friend Shannon (mom to the tiny wonder, ChiChi) and her happy-go-lucky-but-just-keep-the-cats-away former street dog Tica so today we went for a little walk around their neighbourhood. He's been with them a couple weeks now and he's started to take treats from her hand. And when it's walkie time, once he hears Tica's leash being put on, he makes his way to the door, peeks around the corner and gets ready for his turn to be leashed up up. Shannon showed me how she gives him treats at the start of our walk so I tried with the treats I brought. He wouldn't take it.... but then he took one of her treats from my hand... and then he took one of my treats from my hand. And as long as I didn't try too hard or make too big of a deal about the amazingness going on, he continued to take them. He trotted along behind Shannon very politely and when the sound of the leaf blower worried him, he quickened his pace so he was closer to Tica. He then got another treat for being such a champ and making it past that noise. Bruno putting on his "brave dog face" today navigating his internal blocks and detours is another reminder of the resiliency of former sled dogs. Their legacies don't have to be steeped in the human ego attached to running 1000-mile races or being exceptional athletes, designed to be run for human gain and livelihood. It can be as simple as savouring those blink-and-you'll-miss-them baby steps towards a life as a beloved dog. Bruno isn't officially adoptable quite yet as he's got a dental coming up, but when he's ready, you'll see him on the Victoria Humane Society's facebook page. Well done Bruno and team! xo Here are some photos + vid taken with my phone as I didn't want to worry him by using my usual gear. ;)
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