Race season might be over but spring is just as busy. Trying to get those final runs in, rebuilding kennels now that the snow is gone, vet appointments, and house hunting. So much fun 😅

Thank you again, Jess! That helped the pups a lot ♥️ and it was good for my soul also ♥️♥️♥️

Syl is officially home 🥰 I'm also watching her brother Baloo for Jaye for a while

It's national puppy day... So here's my pack as puppies 🥰 including miss Syl who comes home later this week!

I know 😭 it feels like yesterday I was holding them as little babies

Yep 💯

Spring is here! That means the electric fence goes up ✅

Karyu, 8 months ♥️

I am certain she'll win me over immediately 🤣♥️

New photos of Syl! Can't wait to bring her home ♥️ she's a cutie.

Of course they didn't share that part 🤣

Omg I didn't see that one 💀 this page had shared a pic of Caleb and Brida getting amped up, celebrating when Caleb got dropped claiming he was an "aggressor". And then took her scratch interview out of context claiming the team hit a tree when it was the sled that hit a tree.

The second lived in Alaska, I tried to get them a necropsy immediately but there are more limited options there, the one main pathologist was on vacation at the time and they were having a big snowstorm making it dangerous to drive to another I had found. So that one was inconclusive.

I know of ones that would if they had it happen to them. In one case, the owner was a pet home that wasn't educated by their breeder of the new risk in the lines, and it was too late before we knew what happened. It is VERY likely it was ARVC.

How do you combat a disease when it seems you're the only kennel trying? Still, I won't give up. But that's why it's an extra insult to have people throw something in my face that I have done everything in my power to try to research and prevent for the future.

I'm still working with researchers, and trying to get more data. Both times a dog has died suspiciously in the past year from other kennels, I immediately offered to help arrange a necropsy and gave the info needed to send it to Cornell. Sadly in both cases it didn't work out.

Thanks everyone, and sorry for the late night vent. It's just frustrating to have something out of your control thrown at you like some kind of taboo. It literally is not something I can control. There's no genetic test to prevent ARVC.

I've personally spayed all my Yona kids from her first two litters. Rukia (Yona grandkid) goes in next month. That will just leave the Dragons and Kaisel, who are all too young to spay/neuter anyway. But as usual - responsible people will still be judged by others simply for being transparent.

The reality is genetic issues can happen to any line. Purebred or mutt. Yes, we had bad luck that it happened to our line. Do you know how many people would hide that and never say a word? We went above and beyond with health testing and ensuring people with the affected line knew of the issue.

But of course. How could they know, when they do not love our dogs and sport as we do. How could they know, when they see their dogs as beings needing to be bubble wrapped, rather than fulfilled and given purpose.

They didnt spend yet thousands more on echocardiograms and holter tests. They didn't share in knowing that our relief would only be temporary, but we still found it worthwhile to do something.

They didn't share in our heartbreak when ARVC was written on that page once the first necropsy came. That when it came a second time, it wasn't just about one dog, but a line of dogs.

They didn't spend thousands of dollars while we ran every test under the sun from water and soil at home and on the trails to bloodwork for everything we could research to test on closely related dogs after losing the girls, too scared of what was going on to wait for the necropsy.

Of course, they didn't mourn with us and share our tears while we grieved those losses. They couldn't know how much losing them hurt. They couldn't imagine how over a year later, as the Galaxies celebrated their fourth birthday, I have cried and cried for the one who couldn't.

A certain anti Iditarod page decided to make a jab at us for the dogs we've lost to ARVC when questioning the health of our dogs.

Happy birthday today to all my Yukikaze pups!!!

Happy 4th birthday to Astral and Comet with me, Stellar with @sibersong.bsky.social and Orbit with Terri and Ron.

Happy 2nd birthday to Saphira, Firnen, and Umaroth with me, Kuiper with @fartsock.bsky.social and Thorn also with Terri and Ron.

♥️

My friend Andie drew this of Blizzard - the pup everyone loved at the Rainy Pass checkpoint yesterday

While Jaye and her team have been out on the Iditarod trail, my dogs and I have napped, slept, and taken more naps. Featured here are Mousse's sisters (Chise and Tira) and Blizzard, Drift, and Storm's sister (Rukia).

A word from Jaye on her scratch. ♥️

While I've been up in Alaska, my good friend Tasha has been making her final picks for her keeper pups. I can finally announce miss Sylphrena, formerly Shanti, will be joining Yukikaze at the end of March. I can't wait to get her! She is the niece of my Deku from Tasha's Aleu x Banner litter.