The passing of an era...

Enjoying a blending moment with the water buckets

When the kennel started so many years ago we had a few main dogs who helped get us started. In reality all the dogs are 'main' dogs to us but for those who helped us get started, well, there is a very special place in our heart.

Spock was one of the first, then came Mercury, then Aquila, then Buddy... and today all but one has passed on. Mercury is still alive and well and we love every moment we have with him, each moment precious as the signs of age pass over his body. We know he will pass when it is his time, but today was not his... today Buddy took his last breath. We knew the day was coming as cancer took over his body but the heartbreak of his passing, even though we knew it was coming, is still hard to bear.

Buddy helped us through many miles on the trail and even though he was not a sled dog type breed his labrador genes refused to be expressed and remained a lab who hated water but loved to pull. If there was any husky in his blood we dont know but we do know that he worked so hard up until the day of his retirement many years ago.

Trying on a new pair of goggles on Christmas

Buddy originally found us 11 years ago, and considering that he must have been at least a few years old when we found him, we know that he lived a good long life. He ate everything you could imagine he could get his teeth into with the exception of furniture. If its smelled like food Buddy would eat it.

Every time we found he had eaten something terrible we would wait for that fateful day when we would have to take him to the vet to have his stomach pumped or prepped for surgery. That day never came and Buddy quickly earned the 'indestructible' nickname. If he couldnt digest it it would come out one end or the other, as his body's defenses took care of him when his mind had no control of common sense.

At times he was so hard to care for, would wander off if he was not watched, would eat anything within reach and had gas like you would not believe! But in all the times we had to clean up after him, and how frustrated his behaviors often were, there was a big part of us that always loved him dearly.


We still consider him 'one of the first' and that is a very high honor indeed... we will miss you Buddy dog... say hello to Spock and Aquila for us... until we meet all of you again...