Welcome ​Idéfix + Shining!

These two super sleddies arrived into care on August 7 and it's taken me a bit to put their story together. I originally tagged along on the pick up with camera in hand, but ended up using my phone for video mostly. So... I've created a 3-minute video from about 3 hours on Monday.

​Idéfix is the beautiful blue-eyed male. No, you're not seeing things... he's got somewhat crossed eyes and/or a lazy eye. Also he's got a spotted coat, a bit heeler-ish, but more than likely German Short-haired pointer as they're often part of the sled dog mixes. He's a young 9.
Shining is the beauty with two different coloured eyes. She's a bit floofier than ​Idéfix and was a bit slower to open up. When she did though, she loved getting some loves. Shining is 8!

Both dogs had travelled on a morning flight from Whitehorse, YT to us in Victoria, BC. I'm really amazed each time new dogs arrive after flights. I can only imagine what they may be wondering. Their started their day as usual, but it took a left turn somewhere and they've landed in a whole new place. The sounds, sights... and SMELLS. It's all new. It's all different.

It's been a few days now since they arrived and their foster homes have noted that they have both finally did their business (outside!) and are eating a bit. This is a big win as it often takes days for new arrivals to feel safe enough to do seemingly normal things like eat and do their business. Mostly they sleep or pace... or sleep and pace. 

I've learned ​Idéfix is being fostered close by so I'm looking forward to popping over for a visit. Upon arrival he was a velcro dog. He gave licks - the kind where you can feel his teeth pressing on your face because he's really getting in there (see video). And though they were mostly stress-related 'kisses', instead of shutting down, he was looking to me... an unknown human, for some sort of comfort. Back at the shelter for intake, he gave kisses to Deb while getting weighed.

Their decompression will take time, but the support is in place for these two to learn about a whole new life and maybe even dip their toes in the ocean.

Welcome to your official retirement Idéfix + Shining!!
xo

p.s. Idéfix and Shining are the 250th and 251st sleddies I've photographed for this project! A milestone for sure.

I'd been trying to meet Sweet Rocket since he was adopted back in 2020, but between covid and the travel time to get to him, I hadn't been able to make the trip. So in mid-July when my family was headed on a road trip to Saskatchewan, we'd be travelling so close to Rocket's house, I had to take advantage of the opportunity and stop in.

As we left the ocean breeze, heading to the interior of BC, we watched the temperature rise. By the time we got to his house, it was 31 degrees and sticky.

Nikki and I met years ago after she adopted her first sleddie, Piper. We've kept in contact since, and in 2017 she even brought Kismet to me so he could participate in Part One of I Was A Sled Dog. Rocket is her third sleddie, but she's also fostered sleddies along the way. Clearly she's hooked on sleddies.

So after the human pleasantries were exchanged, Nikki said "Rocket is hand shy so when you meet him, he'll like it if you let him sniff your face". Sure thing! Offering up my face isn't what I would normally do upon meeting a new dog, sleddie or not, but having met so many unique sleddies over the years, I've learned to just go with it.

And it was magical. To be honest, from what I'd heard about Rocket, I wasn't sure he'd even look at me, but once he had a good sniff, he watched me with Kismet and then even took treats from me! Maybe he could see that his brother and I were old friends. If Kizzy was cool with me, then Rocket could be too. Or maybe it was his Adaptil calming collar that helped.... in any case, Rocket rocked it.
Since we were travelling, we also had my dog Mr Coco with us. My husband had tried to take him for a walk but it was too hot and his was a bit distressed without me, so they ended up joining us in the backyard and both dogs had a bit of a sniff, but since our little guy is pretty blind and deaf, he stayed close to my husband. 
Kismet, true to what I remember of him, was adorably silly. When I crouched down, it was clearly his cue to come to me and get pets. We even tried for a family portrait and given the nature of both dogs, I think we nailed it!

I only had about half an hour to visit, which worked out because it was so dang hot and my glasses were fogging up. So after Kismet and Rocket did a couple laps of chase through the garden, we mostly hung out under the covered patio in the shade. And then the overhead misters were turned on. Game changer! That beautiful, cooling mist allowed us to have a bit more of a visit while providing some cool photo ops.

Nikki was gracious enough to provide some more info on Rocket to share based on the questions I asked for each of the 59 dogs who I photographed for Part One of this project. If you'd like to dive deeper into this part of my work, click here.
​---------------------------------------------------
Name: Rocket Age: 7.5 years old (approx.. birthdate Jan. 2016), male
Weight: 50 pounds
Breed/Mix: Saluki x Husky ?
Kennel name at birth: Rocky 
Age at adoption: 4.5
Adopted from: Commercial Sled Dog Kennel, June 2020
Coat - single/double: Single – very much like a Saluki coat.
Likes: He LOVES his companion dog Kismet more than anyone or anything. He enjoys a gentle alliance with his house kitties. He has recently decided he really loves mealtime and he barks with joy. He loves to snuffle for kibble in the grass. He is also becoming a snack monster. He loves forest hikes with his buddy Kismet but also loves his yard and his “fort” (a large metal crate wrapped in blankets with the doors removed).
Dislikes: He is a very shy guy and it took him a long time to overcome his fear of garbage trucks. He’s working hard to relax during fireworks and thunderstorms. He doesn’t love hands coming at him, he would rather say hello by sniffing your face if offered.
Sleeping locations: he loves his Fort but also loves his other dog beds and loves snoozing in the grass in the shade.
Off-leash time: Lots if we are away from roads. If we are in town he is on a long line.
Escaped or lost?: He was AWOL once for about an hour, which was terrifying and that was the day his name changed from Rocky to Rocket… he “took off like a Rocket”.
Siblings: unknown
Medical conditions: chronic bronchitis
Spayed/Neutered at adoption: Yes.
Known history: He was bred and born to be a working sled dog in a large commercial kennel. Both of his parents were/are working sled dogs. He was surrendered at 4 years due to his chronic cough.
Anything else you'd like to add: Rocket is a gentle spirit with an inner monkey and it brings us joy to see him feeling mischievous.
---------------------------------------------------

I loved seeing my old buddy Kismet and meeting his new brother. I'll say it again and again... I love visiting sleddies in their homes, especially when some time has passed post-adoption and their personality is coming out. With time and patience it's really beautiful to see just what's possible for a group of dogs who have such limited license in their working chapter of life.

So, here's my 30 mins with Rocket + Kismet... complete with lots of photos to show the nuances of expressions and movements as well as my fave kinds of photos: "dogs with their eyes closed". 

Thanks for stopping by!
​xo

Hello! Surprise sleddies arriving on Tuesday!..."
Said the message I received on Friday at 4:43pm.

And then today - Monday - at 11:54am: 
"So I screwed up and the dogs are on their way down now.. not tomorrow..."

Ok... today's plans of practicing making a Japanese bound book will be moved to tomorrow and today will be SLEDDIES! YAY!
I had been eating lunch when I saw the message so I wolfed down my Beyond burger, grabbed my gear and headed to the shelter. 

And there they were...in all their adorableness, Black and Robbie, with licks and hellos as I walked in the door.

Black and Robbie are both females and about 8/9 years old. You can tell who's who because Black is, well, black other than a little bit of grey muzzle (gah!). They were already getting saddled up (collars, harness, leashes, GPS trackers) and Black's foster was already on hand. This lucky lady was going to hang out with Twister and his family so once she was ready, she got loaded into the car and off they went!

It was hot out today and Robbie's foster hadn't got the day change memo yet so Jill - the lovely human who volunteers her time to organize all things sleddie for VHS - and I hung out in the air conditioned shelter for a bit and since Robbie standing next to me, I started to massage Robbie's hips.
Oh my god.
Her eyes started to close and her bum slowly lowered until she was sitting in my lap. 
We stayed like that for 5-10 mins and I tried to get video but as soon as I stopped massaging with both hands, she got up to readjust and massage time was done for now. 

Both took treats easily, gave kisses and had no concept of personal space... like so many other sleddies I know. Black did some good head tilts and Robbie's got the ear signals! 
They will get to learn about life in a home, get a vet checkup and any medical needs taken care of and then will be ready for adoption through the Victoria Humane Society (VHS).

As a side note, VHS is in dire need of foster homes for not just sleddies, but so many other dogs and cats. With summer holidays coming up the usual foster homes are either full or needing to take a break as they've been helping record numbers of animals for the last 3+ years. With multiple requests to take in animals daily... single dogs and cats, litters, pregnant, abandoned, in need of costly medical... and on it goes... the bigger pool of fosters, the more animals they can help! So if you're interested, check out the application on their website. 

Welcome to retired life on Vancouver Island Black + Robbie! 

As always, I share many photos of their arrival to help illustrate the subtle changes that happen when clicking the shutter.

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...

A month or so ago I was contacted by a musher up in northern Canada who needed to rehome some of their dogs and did I know of anyone. With few adoptions and full shelters in their area, they were in need of help.

I contacted my friends at the Victoria Humane Society (VHS) and they said absolutely they would take them in, as long as foster homes could be found. So I messaged Jill who helps co-ordinate all things sleddie for VHS and she thankfully jumped in taking over the arrangements with the sled dog kennel and then found foster homes. 

And today, we welcomed Gino + Olaf to Victoria!

These sweeties are the first 2 of about 8 sleddies who’ll be making the trip to retirement in Victoria with the support of Air North who’s donated the flights and VHS who’s no stranger to helping find homes for former sled dogs.

With new arrivals, I usually meet the dogs once they arrive at the shelter and before they head to their foster homes, but today I got to go on the pick up with Jill!

The flight was to arrive at about 9:20am, so we met at the shelter at 8 to get prepped. A variety of collars and leashes were gathered into a bin, flea/tick and de-worming treatments were retrieved and food and supplies for the fosters were set aside.
After a short debrief, we were ready to head to the airport.

Without having pet escorts, Gino and Olaf flew as cargo, so once we figured out where to pick them up, it took another hour after landing before we got to meet our new friends. We were smitten at first sight.
They were pretty calm when we met them, though Gino had destroyed his bed in transit. We got their kennels loaded into the van and one at a time we removed their sled dog collars and Jill fitted them with their new collars, harnesses and GPS trackers. During the fitting, Olaf nuzzled Jill and gave her some kisses. Gino, wasn't kissy, but seemed to want to be close. We offered water and a couple treats and Olaf took one treat, but neither drank so we decided to get them back to the shelter to finish things up and they could meet their fosters. 

It'd had been a long day for them already but it was important to spend a bit of time at the shelter with the foster homes to chat about what to expect as both were new to fostering sleddies. Though Gino and Olaf had been exposed to home life, kids, other animals and hadn't lived on a chain, this was still going to be a culture shock for them. It’s common for sleddies to find one spot to hunker down in and they may look for escape routes so instructions about keeping things quiet and safe so they can decompress is super important. Basics like leashing (they must be leashed when outside), keeping their GPS trackers on, it's normal for them to not eat, drink, pee or defecate for the first few days, and they may have accidents were reiterated. And then we hung out with the dogs and chatted about previous fostering experiences.

As the humans talked, it was pretty clear that Olaf was a big kisser and Gino was king of the head resters. It's been a long time since I met a new-into-care sleddie that would be so free with kisses and Olaf was that guy. It wasn't just me though - anyone on the floor got it. Gino, not much of a kisser, made sure to be close though. As I sat on the floor Gino stood on me for a bit, sniffing my camera and if I put my hand out, he'd rest his head on it. I only remember Louie doing something similar when he came into care in 2021.

The expression "dog tired" was evident as Olaf lay down and sighed and Gino's eyes were closing as he stood. It was time to get them secured into the cars and then head home with their fosters.

Jill and I emptied out the van, put the unused supplies away in preparation for the next intake, and then a VHS volunteer brought out a 3-week old kitten who's feral mom and 4 siblings were recently rescued. 

From sled dogs to teeny, tiny kittens, VHS is doing an incredible job of helping as many animals as they can. As an organization who relies on foster homes, the sheer volume of animals needing help means it's pretty taxing on the fosters. So while fosters were found for Gino and Olaf, they're in need of loving homes who can commit to helping the sweethearts who find themselves in need of their help. If you think that's you, please contact them through their website.

Sweet Gino (black with spotted chest and front paws) is about 7 and was originally bred for sprint racing. We were told he's very loyal and friendly but can be bossy. He does have an odd-looking nipple which will be looked at by the vet soon.
Darling Olaf (white with blue eyes) is about 8 and we were told he lived in a home over the winter as he may have a straw allergy. Also he's very affectionate and loves the couch! He's missing the tip of his left ear so it doesn't seem to flop like his right.
Both came into care neutered thankfully so that's one less thing to worry about!

It's been a couple days between their arrival and posting this and both dogs are settling into their foster homes. We have a group chat where the fosters are sharing what they're learning and are asking questions as support is important to help set them up for success.
Welcome to the west coast Gino + Olaf!
xo
wendy

p.s. thanks to Jill for the snaps of me getting Olaf kisses too!

Portia is home!

After three weeks and one day on her own she was spotted, and within about 40 minutes she was in the car, and within the hour she was back home.

We haven't seen much of the sun here lately. Sure there are the little teasers that get the birds chirping and me out into the garden, but there's still that chill. But yesterday was different. Saturday, March 18/23 was going to be sunny and maybe even kind of warm.

The weather was a welcome change because Find Portia 2.0 was scheduled. When we'd endeavoured with a search a couple weeks ago it was cold and rainy and windy - not great for postering and meeting people. But the sun can work magic. 

I'd had dreams the previous night of losing things and then figuring out how to find them. I hadn't actually found the things  because I can't often complete tasks in my dreams, but I knew I'd be able to. So at 8:45am I picked up my buddies Shannon and Tica along with Shannon's magical ChiChi memorial glass and we hit the road out to Sooke.
Once at the meeting spot everyone was feeling really positive. 

We all said our hellos -- Sparky, Buddy, Tica, Louise, Jasper and Biggie (who wore his best tie and got a hug from Jillian) -- and then got our assignments. Our area was #4 on the map -- some private property we'd gotten permission to search. Shannon, Tica and I along with Biggie, a sleddie who came in to care the same time as Portia, and his person parked and chatted with a dog walker who kindly shared her insights on the wildlife beyond the gates. "Saw some bear scat so the bears are waking up these days. There are cougars out too so watch them, but the wolves are just curious".
No problem for us city folk (!!) and off we went heading past the gate and private property signs. 

​Even though there hadn't been any confirmed sightings of Portia, the idea of walking trails was more in the hopes of flushing her out of hiding than thinking we'd actually find her.

​We happened upon a couple off-leash dogs and my first thought was 'get a photo in case their lost!', but one had a ball and it became clear, they just wanted to play fetch. Turns out they belonged to another volunteer. Phew!

All the other volunteers had done their walking and talking and it was mid-afternoon when we headed back to Victoria. I dropped off Shannon and Tica and headed home where I showered (we'd heard the ticks were also out in full force) and then hit the sofa for a nap. I guess most of the other volunteers were in the same boat as the group chat went quiet.

Then, at 6:30pm a message popped up in our group chat "Sighting at Amanda Plc. Anyone available? Jill and I are running out of bush"

WHAT?!?

And from that moment those of us who weren't there, just watched things the events unfold in messenger form... "If anyone can run out and buy bacon that would be super helpful!!", then the street names with typos, corrected street names, requests for house numbers, connectivity issues due to the remote location, screen captured maps, the name of the spotter... and more and more messages.... until finally...
"We have her!!!!!!!!!"

And then it was quiet for a bit more until finally we saw the photo evidence we were all waiting for...

​She looked ok, but was she ok?

Yes, she was ok other than being pretty skinny and having a little sore on her paw. 
Phew.

​More photos were shared and when the team had a chance to catch their collective breaths, we got the whole story of how Portia was sighted and subsequently caught on a remote, but thankfully somewhat residential, road:

​***************************************
Jill + Jasper, along with volunteers Deb and Val were out searching when a message came in to a local fb group that someone named Brett had seen Portia run through her yard...

“As soon as I (Jill) got into cell range, Brett called and said, your dog is 50ft away from me I will not let her out of sight. I drove up Clark road with Deb following and Portia was running down towards me with Brett following slowly behind in her vehicle. I pulled over, let Jasper out immediately and he wagged his little tail and Portia went right up to him. Then Portia did what Portia does best and decided she was done and started back down the road. Deb had blocked off the road so she had to think twice. Jasper went with Portia so I called him back and when I said “let’s go” Portia stopped and turned back towards me. She went past me and up towards where Brett was, then turned back and took off up the road we didn’t have covered. She ran, and stopped, and ran some more. Deb yelled at me to keep yelling “let’s go” and it worked. She would stop and come back down the road, think twice and turn around. Eventually, she came galloping down the road towards me. I sat down on the road and fed Jasper some treats and paid no attention to her until she was right beside me. She took a treat from my hand and I could tell that was it, she was done running and ready for me to get her. Slipped the slip lead over her head and she didn’t even flinch.”
***************************************

Jill noted that once they got home, Portia (on leash) went into the house, straight to her bed and lay down.

We'll never know what event led to Portia being found today. Was it last weekend's time change which offered more light for a chance at spotting her at 6:30pm? Was it the abundance of outdoor enthusiasts and ATVs on the remote roads, logging roads and trails on a Saturday afternoon that spooked her out of hiding? Was it the magic of sunshine, dreams, the ChiChi glass, Biggie's tie?
Or was it just time and place?

Whatever it was, it was the best news and Team Portia is incredibly thankful for the Sooke community and the volunteers who helped keep Portia's magic alive for the past three weeks and one day.

Portia's survival while on her own is pretty incredible. Her family had only recently moved to the area, she's a senior, we had some terrible storms and even some snow early on, plus the area is vast and remote and there are lots of places to run and hide... plus, there's a lot of wildlife out there. But she's home and she and her family will now have time to decompress and heal... and (shhh) pop over to the vet for a check up.

Jill has kindly shared the photos below of Portia, home and safe and sound.
​xo

Ten days.
Ten days of snoozing on a couch, sometimes snuggled under a blanket. 
Ten days of learning about life in a home... which came pretty easily to her.
Ten days of pain meds to help with arthritis, a sore back, or whatever was causing her pain.
On the tenth day she went in for her spay. Her foster family had noticed a lump on her and when they opened her up the vet found her full of cancer. 
She was closed back up and was gently sent along into her final sleep.
​
Keni, or Keenai as her foster family named her, had ten days of choosing her own schedule for naps, walks, outside time. 
Ten days to smoosh her sweet sleddie nature into the hearts of everyone she met.

I only met her the night she arrived, exhausted from the drive from up north, but she, of course, made an impression in the short time I knew her.

Thank you to her transporters, the Victoria Humane Society for taking her under their wing, and of course her foster family - both humans and doggos - for TEN DAYS of unconditional love.

Keenai's foster family kindly shared some photos, four of which have been included below as well.
​
Rest in peace Keni/Keenai
xo

Our friend Portia is still missing. 

It was Friday, February 24th when she bolted out the front door of her home when the plumber arrived. It's not something she would normally do.

Local social media groups who help find lost pets were notified and people sprang into action. Posters were made and put up around the community of Sooke, BC where she's lost. 
Sooke is district about 45 mins north of Victoria. It has a growing downtown area with some residential pockets, but it's pretty much surrounded by large rural properties on three sides and the ocean on one. Where Portia went missing from is full of Private Properties, farms, acreages, trails, wildlife -- and lots of places where a dog who's likely in survival mode now, can make itself unseen.

There have been a couple potential sightings since Portia went missing, but none confirmed so a search party was set up for Saturday, March 4th. The maps and areas to search were organized by Erin, who also set up a home base to keep track of everyone. It was cold and rainy and windy and at the forefront of everyone's mind was Portia, a senior sleddie who came into care in April 2021. Portia is very sweet, but very leery of new people. And while she's a cuddler at home, she needs her brother Jasper for support. And it turns out Jasper is really missing his Portia.
Volunteers drove around the rural areas checking out what maps couldn't show. Marked trails were walked and new trails were forged. With snow on the ground in some spots, volunteers watched for paw prints. More larger posters were put up and people handed out small posters and chatted up anyone they came across.

As I was driving around I would keep seeing things that I thought were Portia… or places where she could be hiding. But it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, in a field of haystacks. Where do you start?

At one point I ran into some family who lives out there and since he knows the area, I popped in for a visit and he - along with the help of his dogs - showed me some areas our group could search. (Thanks B, A + E!)

The Sooke terrain felt familiar with its dead-end rural roads, trails to who-knows-where, moss-covered rocks, lakes and streams, and it took me back to 2015 and the time I joined Deb on one of her trips to search for Apex.
Apex had been Deb’s foster dog and after he got adopted, he went missing. For five months he survived on his own in the rural areas outside of Sechelt, BC, until he appeared seemingly out of nowhere on a fish farm dock, safe and in reasonable health (save for some weight loss and a few ticks) [https://www.iwasasleddog.com/blog/finding-apex]. So armed with Apex’s remarkable story and the many other tales of lost dogs who are found days, weeks, months after going missing, it gives me a sense of hope in finding Portia.
​
There was a lot of groundwork laid by the volunteers, so along with other work going on behind the scenes including scent markers and trail cams we’re all just waiting for a confirmed sighting. Something that provides us with an area to focus the search. So while Saturday's search party may not have yielded anything concrete this time, the eyes and ears are open and word about Portia is spreading.

Some from our sleddie community came out to help too and I managed to connect with a few of them: Stevie + Peach, Sparky + Buddy (and l'il Koda Bear), Argus and Twister. And some of them even gave a “one-ear flop” in support of their friend Portia.

Thanks also to head greeter, Cedar, who provided some smiles on a very gray day and did her part by forging through some snow with one of the volunteers.

If you're able to help with posters or searches, please let me know.

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to help!
~w
xo

​I was up way past my bedtime last night for the arrival of these 14 loves - 8 adults and 6 puppies. Some had been kept on heavy chains connected to frozen urine encrusted wooded boxes. Some were in pens.
All were living outside in northern Canada up until a couple days ago.
Think that's cool?
Nope.
It's really f-ing cold.

The sled dog tour industry isn't all it's hyped up to be. I've been documenting the post-working lives of sled dogs for over 10 years and every time I meet a new group into care, I take a moment to tell each one that it's going to get better. 
The arrival can be very scary and everything they've known, whether it's good or bad, is thrown out the window and it's back to square one.

But the one thing I've learned is that sleddies are resilient and do their best to make sense of our seemingly random human world.

Welcome to a whole new world:  Ying, Yang, Yale, Watsit, Keni, Baloo, Blue and her 3 pups and Willy and her 3 pups!

This time I made a video of their arrival... it's about 5 mins long so grab a cup o' tea.
xo