As any dog lover will know, there is a worldwide crisis with over population, caused in the main by unscrupulous backyard breeders or those that ‘just wanted one litter’, or just plain ignorance or carelessness. Siberian Huskies are no exception, and in fact their plight is even more dire. They have gained so much popularity in recent times from movies like Snowdogs, 8 Below and Balto, and more recently the series Game of Thrones has severely impacted on the crisis of unwanted Sibes. Shelters cannot cope with the influx of unwanted huskies, many of them coming in with the actual names of the dire wolf dogs from the series Game of Thrones.
Another contributing factor is the Siberians themselves. Let’s face it, they are beautiful dogs, especially as puppies. Their unique blue eyes, wolf-like looks, stunning coat colours add to their allure. Sadly far too many people, acting on impulse, get a dog or a pup, with no research into the breed (read: what they are getting themselves into), and very quickly discover, because of the very nature of his personality, that they require hard work, dedication and a very different way of interacting with them, compared to other dogs.
The Sibe is a companion animal with special needs, and as a result is a very misunderstood breed.They are breed unsurpassed by any other, except their relatives, in terms of intelligence, stamina, and the uncanny ability to use that smart brain of theirs to work things out. They can be headstrong and stubborn, and are more inclined to co-operate (if they want to) than obey. The more familiar you become with this breed, the more you will grow to love their independent, intelligent, and free-spirited nature.
People do not research the nature of this breed adequately before owning one, and are then often not able to cope as the Sibe matures. As a result, the Siberians end up abused, neglected, chained up, caged or simply abandoned. Alternatively, due to boredom and lack of excercie, they end up escaping, and the “lucky” ones find themselves locked up in animal shelters, if they avoid the fate of being killed on the roads. The tragedy of this however, is that they are one of the two most euthanized breeds of dog in shelters throughout the world because of their inability to cope with confinement for indefinite periods, and their reputation – undeserved – of being ‘difficult to re-home’. The Pitbull is the other breed also falling into this sad category. We cannot rescue every Siberian, but for those that we are able to, we provide a safe sanctuary, and, where possible, placement in a home where their unique needs and personalities will be understood and met, and become part of a family. We also aim to educate and get Husky owners, present and future, to get involved with fun activities with their Huskies, like bikejoering and dryland carting. We aim to give all the dogs at the sanctuary a purpose, which in turn will help to show owners and non-owners alike, just what these amazing dogs can do. Have a look at our club page, for more info. Above all, we are here to help with any questions. Send us an email ar whatsapp us and we will do our best to advise you.
