 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!
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