wendy nesbitt
  • home
  • photography
    • curios + collections >
      • open the cabinet
      • play
      • little bottles
      • marionettes
      • the dollhouse
      • the old retold
      • bella's treasures
    • photo essays >
      • formerly abandoned
      • home studies
      • small worlds
      • the artist was present for 100 days
      • dale roberts studio j
      • the thorson family
      • highways and horses 4
      • highways and horses 3
      • highways and horses 2
      • highways and horses
      • the gaudins
      • horses
      • water to the woods
      • the broom cut
    • pets >
      • studio sessions-pets
      • before I go
    • portraits
    • bands
  • advocacy + art
    • i was a sled dog
    • home away from home
    • #the100dayproject
  • about
  • blog
  • galleries

galute, the gentle bear

2/26/2018

0 Comments

 
galute
My ol' pal Galute passed away the other day. 
His mom sent me an email to share the news and included a lovely little slideshow of photos of him. He looks so handsome in all of them. His coat gleaming while he just soaks up his surroundings in the sunshine. It wasn't wholly unexpected. He was an old fella  (even though it said 5 years when he was up for adoption). But when I hear of my sleddie buddies passing on, it still brings on a sadness like no other, and I have to honour them.

I met Galute (Galoot) in March 2012. In the gymnasium of the local SPCA - he and another dog named Vixen were just hanging out. Galute posed for photos and sat next to Penny and let her talk gently into his ear and get kisses. He lay down on the ground and let me give him love after love after love. He let a camera crew film him and paid no mind to them at all. 

Galute (Galoot) was one of the first group of sled dogs from Whistler to come to Victoria to find a retirement home.
There had been talk that the sled dogs were feral. They would never be happy living in a house. They couldn't be happy not running.
But that wasn't the case with this guy.
Galute was a big, gentle, stoic bear. 

He was adopted by a friend so he came to all the reunions he could - from the first retired sleddie reunion in November 2013, to the most recent one in April 2016. He got so many hugs and loves everywhere he went... and he seemed to just soak it all in.
When I started a new advocacy project focussing on sled dogs, I reached out to his mom and she was eager to have him join in. He came to my studio in May 2017 and had a hard time getting up the three steps at the front door. He only had one eye that didn't work so well (the other one was lost during his time as a sleddog), he was basically deaf and walking seemed to be a bit tough. He was really uncomfortable during the session so we put down a mat to help him stand in one spot, but even that was tough - his humans had to keep him harnessed otherwise he'd lay down. Needless to say we made it a quick session. But damn if didn't look absolutely beautiful. And seeing him seek comfort from his humans, and eating wieners was a lovely thing.

Having his life spared in the Whistler cull of 2010, led him to his humans S & A. For almost 6 years he lived a life getting whatever he needed to be comfortable. He got love, and soft beds and a dog buddy to go for walks with. And for that I am beyond grateful.

Rest in peace and love ol' pal, Galute.
​xo

​Please enjoy the photos below...

Need more sleddies? Click here for more photos of retired sleddogs! 


0 Comments

welcome to the west coast!

2/2/2018

2 Comments

 
A new sleddie has come to the west coast!

Leaving Thunder Bay early this morning Bella had a small army of super sleddie volunteers escort her on the journey to Victoria while her plane stopped along the way.
She arrived sporting her ThunderShirt (in case of anxiety) and was pretty relaxed, yet stunned, when she came out of her crate. Once her Tractive GPS was attached to her collar and her harness attached (safety first!) and leashed up, it was time to head out. But not before a nice lady stopped to say hi and was share her surprise at how small she was for a sled dog. After the humans explained a bit about sleddies, it was time to head out for some sniffing... and then the last leg of her journey to her new home. 

As a retired sled dog from Thunder Bay, ON via the Thunder Bay & District Humane Society, Bella has come to live a life. A great life in fact. One where she'll have warmth, care, love and companionship for the rest of her days.
A sled dog in a commercial or sport industry doesn't live - it exists. Dogs like Bella here - who have slim builds and single coats - live outside 24/7. Their existence is tethered to a post on a 6-foot-chain. If they're "lucky", they get to run and pull - but with that can come a whole host of physical issues such as fused spines and arthritis. When not running it's back on the chain where they eat, sleep, urinate and defecate all in the circumference of that 6 feet.
It's not a life, it's an existence and as humans we can do better.
We have the capacity to evolve, look with fresh eyes, learn.
Just because something has always been done a certain way is not an excuse.
For commercialized sled dogs, the change has to happen now.
Please visit Humane Mushing or Sled Dogs film for ways on how you can help, today.

WELCOME to the west coast Bella and congratulations to your new family! xo
2 Comments

    Archives
    all images © wendy nesbitt

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    #100dayproject
    #100daysofdiscarded
    Art
    Art Show
    Bands/music
    Books
    Dayinthelife
    Documentary
    Dogs
    Farmlife
    Garden
    Horses
    #instagram
    #iwasasleddog
    Nature
    People
    Places
    Portraits
    Rescue
    Retired Sled Dogs
    Still Life

    RSS Feed

wendynesbitt.com
facebook   //   instagram   //   contact

Images and content on this website and corresponding social media can not be used without prior written consent from the artist.
Website and social media content is copyright protected. © Wendy Nesbitt  // © Wendy Nesbitt | Photo // All rights reserved.
  • home
  • photography
    • curios + collections >
      • open the cabinet
      • play
      • little bottles
      • marionettes
      • the dollhouse
      • the old retold
      • bella's treasures
    • photo essays >
      • formerly abandoned
      • home studies
      • small worlds
      • the artist was present for 100 days
      • dale roberts studio j
      • the thorson family
      • highways and horses 4
      • highways and horses 3
      • highways and horses 2
      • highways and horses
      • the gaudins
      • horses
      • water to the woods
      • the broom cut
    • pets >
      • studio sessions-pets
      • before I go
    • portraits
    • bands
  • advocacy + art
    • i was a sled dog
    • home away from home
    • #the100dayproject
  • about
  • blog
  • galleries