On a beautiful fall day, a couple senior sleddies had a visit. Word has it Rio (red harness on the left) + Bruno had been keeping company within an "old man's club" of sorts. The club was made up of dogs no longer working, who were waiting for adoption and official retirement. Rio had left the "club" back in August 2021 when he came into care with Toledo. The seniors were leaving so Bruno, who's a very fearful fella, pretty much just stayed put in his kennel -- only going out when he had to. Of course, this is second-hand information, but it seems very plausible given what I've seen of the 'after' stories over the years. When Bruno arrived back in October, he quickly found a spot under a desk to escape to. He came out with a bit of gentle coaxing and took part in the goings-on and seemed interested in what was happening, but this was all so far out of his normal, that you could see he once again needed the safety of his den. At his foster home, that's his spot... in his kennel, his den, his safe spot. Since Bruno arrived, he and Rio have had a couple other mini meet ups and they do their thing - Rio being more interested in human attention and affection, and Bruno watching it all happen. But for all Bruno's fears, I do want to note that when I arrived at Bruno's foster, there was a moment when I was sitting down and Rio came to get sniff and get some rubs and treats and Bruno inched his way close enough to get a good sniff of the treat... and me. He's trying to trust us humans who only want to help, but his past includes time at a kennel where a number of the most fearful sleddies I've met have worked at. Apex, Lunar, Willow, Flash... to name a few. I made a little video of the visit in the hopes that someone may see these two senior sleddies and want to adopt them into their home as beloved family members. To dispel the myth that as former sled dogs, they'll pull too much, or have too much energy. And to also show some tiny glimpses into their personalities that still images may not show. Rio and Bruno are not bonded, but seem to appreciate the company of other dogs who are just as gentle, patient and understanding as the humans who are helping them along. Bruno + Rio are adoptable through the Victoria Humane Society. Thanks for stopping by. xo Ginny + Bruno.
100% gems. I was going to make a little video of their photos thinking I needed to switch things up a bit. But my video program kept gacking at me so I will share the intake photos as I usually do... lots of succession images to help show more of each dog's personality. I know the power one single image can have and I appreciate that, but when I photograph the arrival of new sleddies into care, I want to show as much of them as I can in the hopes that you see what I do. Bruno apparently originally came from a kennel that has provided seemingly no end of very mentally damaged sleddies. Dogs (with names that you may recognize from my posts) that are fearful (mostly of humans) in a way that they can't seem to shake -- Apex, Flash, Colby, Lunar, Summer, Ace, to name a few. But Bruno surprised us all. And that’s what’s so cool about these dogs… time and time again they prove just how individual they are. They're not all machines born and bred to do one thing: pull sleds. If we label them as one thing, they may show us different. And that’s ok. We can adapt to their needs. These images in this galley show Bruno coming out of the van - the looking, the sniffing, the baby steps and then taking that step that will land him on new ground. Bruno had been retired for a bit up in Whistler but it wasn't until his care was transferred over to the Victoria Humane Society that he became protected under the same laws that protect the dogs we share our homes with. (something that advocates are working to change) This older gent apparently spent a lot of time in his kennel laying down, so while Ginny was fitted with a new harness and volunteers looked to find one that fit him, he was let to explore inside and once he found the bed under the front desk at VHS, he knew what to do and the infamous 'sleddie donut' appeared. Then, once both had harnesses, we hung out a bit upstairs at VHS and they got to explore even more. Ginny was a go-go girl... on the move. Watching. Following. Coming when we called her name. She seemed to go up the stairs no problem, but down held a bit of a learning curve. So did squeaky toys. She was interested, but maybe didn't realize she could make the fun squeak herself. Time will tell. Afterwards, both headed to their foster homes with the help of Jill + Deb and will be in care until they get any medical needs sorted out, then they'll be adoptable through the Victoria Humane Society. Welcome to retirement Bruno + Ginny! Thanks for stopping by, ~wendy |
Archives
March 2024
Categories
|