7 years

Seven years ago today, Skye left the dog meat farm with the last shipment of dogs to North America. After a long journey through Toronto, she landed at LAX. We picked her up and drove her home. Her home.

It’s been a while since I last wrote here. Last year, I went through cancer treatment and it took all my time and energy. This year has been about recovering. The diary had to wait.

We also paused her weekly training sessions with Tanya, and we haven’t restarted since. Honestly, I think we’ve reached a good place. We have a routine that works for all of us. Skye is happy, we know how to manage her, and with a few fences we can still have guests over.

When I first met her on the farm, she was a skinny, tired mama with an open fracture on her wrist. She kept her distance, but she let her puppies climb all over her. I wrote back then that she just needed love and patience.

It took a lot of both, and more. Nights outside, meds, collar training counted in seconds, and so many trips back to square one. But also her first belly rub, sleeping in our bedroom, trusting dad, surviving pyometra, and making a new friend.

That new friend, Corinne, is now Skye’s third person. And last year, after my treatment, she gave us the biggest gift for our 30th anniversary. She came to our home and dog sat Skye, so Peter and I could get away for two nights together. Our first time away together since 2019!

And this week, she’s coming back to do it again. More on that soon :)

Today, she’s getting a brand new plushie. She loves them so much! She’s really gentle with them, carrying them around the house like she used to carry her puppies.

Earlier this year, Humane World for Animals (formerly HSI, the team who closed her farm and brought her to us) made this little before and after video of her rescue:

Happy rescueversary, Skye!

PS: If you’re new here, you can discover her story in her children’s book My Name is Skye and the short film Freedom for Skye.