 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!  Sleddie roll call: Smokey, Patsy, Pluto, Apex, Mary Kate, Roo, Jon Snow, Baloo, Jasper, Portia, Louie, Argus, Blue, Oman Though it's been over a month since this rainy walk in the woods, I remember it all very clearly. The dogs, the people, the flooded trails, the bike racers. Me abandoning my camera for my camera phone because my body was sore from holding my beast of a camera for over 40 dog photo sessions in the previous 2 weeks. And then putting all that aside to try to just 'be'. Though I still took some video while talking to dogs and offering treats. And then I pushed my luck by talking to Apex just one too many times while offering him a treat, which proved to be a bit much for our delicate walkie relationship, so Deb was going to have to head into the bushes to coax him back from 'the dark side' as she calls it. Deb was already managing 4 dogs -- 3 of her own (Apex, Roo + Mary Kate) and one recent intake who was moving foster homes, Jon Snow. Since Roo and MK would want to be with her, once she headed into the woods, I took the leash of the odd man out, Jon Snow. I didn't even think about it, I just did it. Something had compelled me to take that leash. And then as we started I walking I wondered what I had done. Jon was a big boy and a bit of a puller. Some sleddies pull, some don't... Jon did. My greatest fear walking a sleddie is it getting loose and being too scared to come back -- and with my painful body I was suddenly worried. But the muscle memory of years of walking both shelter dogs and sleddies clicked to the 'on' position and off we went. We walked with Ally and Argus, though puddles, around puddles, up hills where I appreciated the bit of pulling help, and down hills where I thought "don't let go, don't trip, don't fall"! Maybe Jon knew just how much tension I could handle because we made it the rest of the forest walk without any problems and best of all... no lost dogs!! (including Apex who was fine once I was out of sight... sigh...) As we milled about in the parking area with the others Jon did some circles - a common behaviour with sleddies due to their time spent on chains - but then the circles went around me and my legs ended up cocooned in his leashes. I managed to unravel myself without falling over and laughed a bit to myself. I'm not usually the one in these situations, I usually capture it happening to others. But here I was and I was loving every minute of it. As some began to leave it was a split moment when I happened to catch Jillian's dog Portia stumble getting into her car and Jon Snow noticed it too because he then put his front legs up on me in a 'hug'. Of course it seemed like the cutest thing and others saw him do it too, but then I realized why he was doing it, he had gotten scared. Some sleddies want to bolt, some look to the closest warm body. Thankfully Jon came to me rather than bolt away. I gave him reassurances and a few kisses on his head and after about 20-ish seconds he put his feet back down on the ground and shook it off. Recovery... yay Jon Snow! I'm thankful I saw that happen because it not only informed us of Jon Snow's fears, but it hit home the concept that something seemingly innocuous as a dog doing a small stumble while getting into a car... across a road -- an action that barely makes any noise and doesn't seem like much -- can be scary to a dog that's learning about our big, wide, weird, human world. Sleddie School is always in session with the dogs as teachers, we just have to be open to listening. Here are a few photos as well as a video so you can enjoy a bit of the walk too! xo wendy p.s. Jon Snow has since been adopted and his new family just adores him!!  Oman + his new friend It seemed fitting that today I got to meet and photograph three more Whistler sleddies who have become official retirees and will automatically assume the roles of ambassadors of change. Why? Because, nine years ago this weekend I spent three days on a mountain just outside of Whistler, BC meeting and photographing 43 survivors of the 2010 Whistler sled dog massacre. (dig into my 2013 Archive Gallery for those stories and photographs) The myths surrounding the adoption (and post-working lives) of former sled dogs are many and after doing this for over ten years I still hear the same things from people when they hear about my work or just the subject of sled dogs is brought up. "They're born to do it/it's what they're bred for", "it's their job", "it's all they know", "they love to run", "they pull too much", "they're not suited for living in a family/in a house/ in a city/ with other dogs/ without other dogs/ with cats"... the list goes on. And while some of those points may be true at some time in each dog's life, it doesn't make up each dog's whole story. I'm pretty confident in this. Because with the help of 228 former sled dogs, I've learned that they are not the label we humans have put on them. All you have to do is read through previous posts on this blog to learn about post-working life and what fosters and adopters have learned along the journey. Because learning about their past helps the transitions into adoptive homes. It helps us understand seemingly odd behaviours like wanting to stand on furniture and countertops, preferring inside to outside (or outside to inside), fear of fireworks/loud noises, flinching when putting on collars or harnesses, chewing behaviours and even just being couch potatoes. Once we know, we can try to 'speak their language', translate it into 'human' and find the place to meet up and continue to build a relationship built on trust. Like ANY dog who finds themselves in need of a new home, this transition can be easy, or it can be challenging. But ultimately it's up to us humans to do our absolute best for the animal friends who become entrusted into our care. Speaking of trust, some may wonder if I have adopted a sleddie. The answer is no... not yet! Over the past decade I've had a series of small dogs who, although are very friendly and have been on outings with sleddies as well as shared their home with one for short spells, they don't want to actually live with one. This holds true for my current "low rider" Mr Coco, who joined me on today's outing. Bubbins (one of his many nicknames) is a one-eyed, 12-year-old crooked-legged little man who would likely pack up his stuffies and head to nana's house if a big dog camped out here for any length of time! This little dude was picked on in his previous home and a subsequent injury is the reason he lost his eye. So the trust we've built over the last 9 years includes me helping him with confidence, but also keeping him out of situations where he doesn't feel safe, thus he supervised from the passenger seat of the car. So, today... I introduce:
While in foster, their families will get to learn a bit more about them and then once they get their clean bill of health, they'll be ready for adoption, through the Victoria Humane Society, so keep watch on their facebook page if you think you'd be a good match for one of these sweet sleddies. Thanks to Jillian, her mom and sleddies Jasper + Portia who went along for the day trip to greet their new friends! Welcome friends! ~xo |
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