welcome to the west coast!

A new sleddie has arrived on 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 in this evening sporting her ThunderShirt (in case of anxiety) and was pretty relaxed, yet a bit stunned at her new surroundings, 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 be yet another person to register surprise at connecting this petite dog with being a sled dog.  Of course the humans jumped at the opportunity to explain a bit about sleddies and the industry and then it was time to head outside for some sniffing, some business... 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.

WELCOME to the west coast Bella and congratulations to your new family! xo
​More at: www.iwasasleddog.com