I Was A Sled Dog Too, Part Two
I Was A Sled Dog Too, an addendum to part one, and a place to share images of all the sleddies I've met and photographed since 2012, which at last count was about 175. Pictured below are 174 of them, of which, 59 are also featured in Part One of this project.
The idea of a part two came about as I was making my way through Part One - makes sense, I know, but I realized that there was no way I would get all the sleddies into my little studio in my corner of the world - some have moved, some live too far away and some have passed away, so I wanted to make sure that every sleddie I've ever met and photographed made it into this project in some way. I want to make sure that every one of their names is shared and that a face can be put to the name. Giving them a voice is all part of standing up for them.
To be honest though, I had no idea that I'd be doing a project like this, for this long. A project that would evolve from basic 'Adopt Me' profiles for our local shelter all through reunions, travel, 300-page photo books, social media pages, countless hours of photography, editing, talking about dogs, and more than six years of advocacy with a gallery show of images and book still to come. Had I known, I may have approached things differently from the get go - catalogued images better, ensure I had clear photos of each dog - but such is life and I will do the best I can with what I've got because ultimately, between Part One and Part Two of this project, along with 'The Sled Dogs of Whistler', I have given a face to the names of dogs that have become ambassadors for change. And by showing the diversity of dogs used in the industry, it will hopefully open up conversations and people will see them as what they are... dogs.
Sled dogs are an often forgotten group. 'Living' (and I use that word in the lightest sense because most just exist, not live in any way, shape or form that a dog should) away from the public eye, what is seen during races and on sled-pulling tourist attractions is a kind of romance... whether it's the heroic tales of dog and man battling the elements, or the beauty of being pulled along the snowy tundra. But the dogs have no choice. They don't choose to go run hundreds of miles in sub-zero temperatures. They don't choose to pull sleds to earn their keep. To be subject to greater incidence of arthritis and disc disease, mental health issues and cancers. To be discarded when no longer useful.
The idea of a part two came about as I was making my way through Part One - makes sense, I know, but I realized that there was no way I would get all the sleddies into my little studio in my corner of the world - some have moved, some live too far away and some have passed away, so I wanted to make sure that every sleddie I've ever met and photographed made it into this project in some way. I want to make sure that every one of their names is shared and that a face can be put to the name. Giving them a voice is all part of standing up for them.
To be honest though, I had no idea that I'd be doing a project like this, for this long. A project that would evolve from basic 'Adopt Me' profiles for our local shelter all through reunions, travel, 300-page photo books, social media pages, countless hours of photography, editing, talking about dogs, and more than six years of advocacy with a gallery show of images and book still to come. Had I known, I may have approached things differently from the get go - catalogued images better, ensure I had clear photos of each dog - but such is life and I will do the best I can with what I've got because ultimately, between Part One and Part Two of this project, along with 'The Sled Dogs of Whistler', I have given a face to the names of dogs that have become ambassadors for change. And by showing the diversity of dogs used in the industry, it will hopefully open up conversations and people will see them as what they are... dogs.
Sled dogs are an often forgotten group. 'Living' (and I use that word in the lightest sense because most just exist, not live in any way, shape or form that a dog should) away from the public eye, what is seen during races and on sled-pulling tourist attractions is a kind of romance... whether it's the heroic tales of dog and man battling the elements, or the beauty of being pulled along the snowy tundra. But the dogs have no choice. They don't choose to go run hundreds of miles in sub-zero temperatures. They don't choose to pull sleds to earn their keep. To be subject to greater incidence of arthritis and disc disease, mental health issues and cancers. To be discarded when no longer useful.
"progress is impossible without change, |
Had the privilege of meeting, but no photos as of yet....
Kusko
Kusko
If you have a sleddie and would like him/her to be a part of this project, please contact me.