It may have taken 9 years, but it happened!

Super Sleddie Reunion #8 happened on September 27, 2025 and it was a sight to behold.

27 sleddies gathered to run, play, steal snacks, swim, get muddy, explore, sniff, make new friends and even nap. 
You may think it would be noisy with over 30 dogs in all, in attendance, but it's not. The dogs have found new routines that are more than just being "on" or "off" for work. They've found a middle ground that allows them to make their own choices on their own time. To choose friends. To have some license when it comes to their daily lives.

The reunion took place at Victoria Humane Society’s new property - the site of what will be an incredible animal care and adoption centre - located in a magical forested area, just outside of Victoria. 

Since the first gathering in November 2013 to this latest almost 12 years later, I’ve had the honour to meet and photograph 278 former sled dogs who’ve had the opportunity to leave working life behind and live life as beloved family members. 

Aside from sweet Smokie who’s 15 (maybe 16?), the dogs at this gathering is a new generation of sleddies. The inspiration for this project - the survivors of the Whistler sled dog massacre - have all passed away, but their names and faces live on in some pretty cherished memories from those who knew them, along with photographs and stories on this site. And some of those original families have continued to adopt sleddies!
The majority of this crew have come from the Whistler area, but some are from the Yukon and beyond. 

To the new friends visiting this page/post, you will see many photos below. I haven’t picked out just the single portraits because I share as many photos as I can as this project is not just about the ‘pretty pictures or posed portraits - it’s about sharing the realness - the fun, the messy, the eyes closed, the turned away faces. 

There is a magic that comes along with sharing your home with a sleddie, a camaraderie between the human and the dog as you both learn about each other. The comfort that can be found in new routines. The time for the dogs to learn that life is not just about being “on” and “off” for work because there are now opportunities for mid-range adventures, hikes, or afternoon naps with their bestie.

But as it can be when bringing any new dog into your home, some assimilate very easily and some need a little more time. Time to learn about their new roles in a home. Time to trust.
But this group has stepped up.

These days I generally only get to see the dogs upon arrival, so it’s super special to see how those sweet, yet fearful dogs, have learned to relax and bond with their family. 

As long as there are sled dog operations, the Victoria Humane Society will need foster and adoptive homes, so if you’re interested, please contact them.

Sleddie roll call: Bagheera (adoptable!), Baloo, Biggie, Blue, Clyde, Dawson, Elton, Gadget, Heart, Idéfix, June, Keelah (formerly Akeela), Lady Arthur (adoptable!) (formerly Arthur), Louie, Louise, Oman, Patsy, Peach, Penny, Pepper (adoptable!), Raksha (adoptable!), Shine (formerly Shining), Smokie, Star, Titan, Toledo, Zuzu

As it's taken me over a month to actually get to sharing this post (life sometimes takes over), some super cool news has come in! At the reunion there were 4 adoptable sleddies (Bagheera, Lady Arthur, Pepper and Raksha), and I'm happy to say Bagheer, Raksha and Pepper have all been adopted! Our sweet Lady Arthur is, however, still awaiting her forever home.  I ask you to just take a look at the photos of this sweet girl near the end of this post -- most of the dogs had gone home, but Lady Arthur continued to request loves and attention in her very gentle way from any human close by. This girl is a 100% a gem. So sensitive and sweet. Whoever adopts her is going to be very lucky. 

Some other friends came too — whether they were sleddie siblings, honourary sleddies or “fake” sleddies… they all had a blast! Flurry, Murphy, Rachel, Wesley, Zoe

Thank you so much to the organizers (Jill + Deb) and all the fosters, adopters and supporters of this incredibly special group of sweet dogs!
Names and captions are included for all photos (fingers crossed I got them all correct!) - just click on the photo to view captions!

~wendy
​xo

p.s. printable versions of images from this reunion can be ordered for $10 each, with the money raised going back to help sustain this project and fund future sleddie-related advocacy. Please contact me for to order!

Our second meet up of the year was a great success!
17 sleddies along with one honourary sleddie came out to the woods to run, romp, trundle and get their paws muddy.

We started with a group photo, and then met up in the woods with some more friends and another photo op. Some were off leash and weren't too happy with having to stop the adventure so soon after starting, so it's a bit of a group-photo mash up with wayward dogs wandering in all directions!

In addition to old friends reconnecting, some new friends joined in! Twister, who came into care in March 2022 got adopted last spring so came for his first group walk, and Spinner, who it turns out is Jasper's brother! They have the same cute snouts and soft, floofy-ish coats.

With so many attendees it made for a long line of humans and dogs on the forest trails so I tried my best to capture everyone along the way. Some gave me lots of chances as they ran from the front of the line and back, likely putting on 10x more mileage than the rest of us and others made me work a bit to find them along the way.

All in all, it was a great little adventure and I'm so glad were 2 for 2 with groups walks this year!
As usual, I include a whole host of photos so you can join along virtually and share in those split-second moments of head tilts, facial expression nuances and body language changes... all without getting your feet muddy. 

Thanks to all who came out... I'm looking forward to March's meet up already!
​xo

Sleddie Roll Call: Apex, Mary Kate + Roo, Argus Arwen, Clyde, Jack, Jasper + Portia, Samwell, Sparky + Buddy, Smokey, Spinner, Stevie + Peach and Twister... and honourary sleddie Tica, who was a great little sister to ChiChi.

Clyde, aka, the Shadow.
He'd arrived the evening before on a flight from Winnipeg. Upon arrival his GPS tracker was attached to his collar, and he was chauffered to his foster home where he spent the first night without any issue. The next afternoon his foster family had some things to do so instead of leaving him on his own in a new place, he got to hang out with some local sleddies! And then I got to meet him!

He followed... his nose, his ears, Apex, Deb... all the newness. And found a friend in Apex.
Not much is known about this fella at this point other than: he was transferred from Lexi's Rescue Relief in Manitoba to Victoria Humane Society here in Victoria. His age is noted as 6, but after watching him for a bit, it could possibly be more like 8-10. He's got signs of arthritis in his back end (spine, legs, hips?) and he's got a couple white spots in his eyes which may or may not be part of the reason his sight seems to not be all there. He's been neutered and had a dental. He has a sibling named Echo that could also come out if a foster home can be secured. 
He's very sweet.
He's a gentle treat taker.
He's got floopy ears.

Once he's decompressed a bit and had his visit to the vet, Clyde will be ready for adoption. He's going to be a great companion as he's still got lots of beans in him and seems to be cool with other dogs as he just wants to follow them around and maybe get in some playtime. He's quite hand shy which could be partly due to sight issues (he reminds me of my own little dog who's only got one eye that  doesn't work well at all),  but once he knew I was there, he was very content to get some loves  (see vid at end of photo gallery) and he may have even given in to his tiredness if it weren't for the music of the live band coming from the nearby park.

As always, I've shared many photos in the gallery so you can see the nuances of Clyde's  movements and personality. Photographing new sleddies for me is just about sharing them as they are. There is no 'sit' or 'stay', because even if they knew those words, this is not the time or place for it. But in the case of Clyde, if they happen to sit in front of the flowers, I'm stoked and the shutter will click!
​Who's the goodest boy?!

Also pictured in this gallery are Apex, who is notoriously camera-shy with me, but for some reason allowed me take photos of him at this visit - even looking at me sometimes (!), Mary Kate (with the springs in her hind end) + Roo (singularly focussed on treats).

Welcome to the west coast little shadow, Clyde! I can't wait to see you continue to flourish!
​xo