Abner/Zephyr Update

As many of you know, who have been following our posts here on this blog and also on Facebook, James Langston has been working and helping out at the kennel for some time now. His help has been so awesome and selfless that it has been an absolute joy to work with him, and the dogs love him too... that is always an extra bonus! :)

So when he proposed that his husky Abner come to live with us I was elated and didn't take long to tell him we would LOVE to have Abner here living with us.

Coming from James' home, being only one of two dogs, Abner didn't understand what all the quiet in the house was about. We see this a lot with foster dogs who come in from different places who have lived in a dog yard their entire lives. Some make the adjustment to house life easily, while others struggle and become destructive not quite able to understand why their life is so much more quiet.

It was clear to James that Abner needed an outlet for his energy, and even though he had his buddy Regime to pal around with, he really needed a yard full of dogs to get back to his working husky roots.

When we had first talked about the change in ownership James was clear that we include him in Abner's life as much as we could since he is still so connected with him. The feeling is mutual and I see it every time those two are together. Abner, who is normally quiet, wroo's a greeting when ever his buddy James comes to see him. Its a wonderful connection they still have and something I am very grateful to keep wide open for both of them.

After a bit more discussion we decided that since Abner has a new life here at the kennel that he should have a new name... and Zephyr was reborn...

His name comes from the Greek god of the west wind. It fits him well since we fully intend to allow him to work and feel the wind in his face when ever we can. Once fall begins and the weather cools we will be able to test his ability and the strength of his body to determine how much exercise he is willing to do.

I suppose a bit of 'basket training' will be in order since I don't like to leave anyone at home, especially Zephyr who LOVES to work and is thrilled to be on the trail in whatever capacity. If we can get him to ride then the team can continue training while he rests his rear leg and is ready to put on a few more miles.

But, as with all things, it will take some time before we can fully explore what hes up for and where we can fit him in. We have big plans for this guy, one of which is to get him registered as a therapy dog to talk to some of the amputee soldiers who have come back from the war. Zephyr's story is an inspiring one and I know many soldiers will delight in seeing that he was able to spring back to work even after suffering the loss of his leg. Nothing slows this boy down! :)

Zephyr was also seen in the Daily News Miner before he come to live with us. This is only one of many stories we will see him in as his future unfolds with us. His life is an inspiration and we will continue to spread that inspiration to others as we work the details out in our many projects...
http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/6867396/article-Abner--the-three-legged-sled-dog--gets-his-turn-on-the-race-trail?

If you would like to join us in making a difference in this world and the lives of others (human and canine) please join us! We welcome donations of food, time, funds and what ever you are open to providing to help us along with this journey.

Thank you to Scott Chesney at Loco-Lobo Photographic Arts (http://www.loco-lobo.com/) for donating photos of Zephyr at the races and for being there in the early stages of this program helping us to spread the word about this amazing sled dog!

Thanks also to Wayne and Lori Stiles for your help on the military side of things and also to Jamiell Domingez for her help through the medical branch at Fort Wainwright.

And finally, thanks so much to James Langston for allowing Zephyr to live with us and for continuing to be such a bright light in this dogs life! Zephyr and I continue to look forward to the times your able to help out at the kennel or even just coming by for a visit!