Retired Mushers

When the sled dogs of Talkeetna, Alaska, retire, or find themselves without a home, they can turn to a very special duo running a shelter for these hard working pooches. Named the Sled Dog Santuary, this husband-and-wife partnership is changing and saving the lives of many a Husky.

Pets Team 14 July 2015

Raven Vinter is a woman with a soft spot for abandoned Huskies, particularly Mushers, or sled dogs. In Alaska, Talkeetna, she and her husband, James Langston, opened a 40-acre shelter, where the duo care for the dogs abandoned or retired from their previous lives.

Currently housing over 35 dogs, Vinter often chooses not to know where the Huskies came from, instead focusing on getting the dogs rehabiliated. While it may not be easy -- since the shelter runs on donations and proceeds from selling her own art -- Vinter always put the dogs first, even ensuring they never go hungry even if it means she and her husband must skip a few meals. She also insists of only letting the dogs be adopted out after she is certain of their compatibility to the potential pet owner.

Giving all the dogs new names the moment they enter her shelter, she works closely with a dog therapist to help these pooches, and local groups such as Alaskan Wild Women, Challenge Alaska, FOCUS, and Arctic Paws Yummy Chummies often chip in, helping her and her shelter whereever they can, whether it be donations of treats, food to vet services.

If you’d like to know more about Vinter’s work, or would like to help, visit their page at Sled Dog Sanctuary.

(Images: Sled Dog Sanctuary)