Yeti is a member of WAMAL’s class of 2022! He recently passed, but he had a very, very happy tail!

Yeti was the most beautiful, happy boy, who absolutely loved his life. He enjoyed snacks, snuggling, hiking, eating, backpacking, paddle boarding, xc skiing, biking and meal times. Most of all, he just liked to be with his pack, whether that was on an adventure, running errands or lazing around. 

We couldn’t have asked for a better friend than Yeti, we are so lucky to have been able to share these years with him, and we know that Yeti had a wonderful time as well. He taught us how amazing the snow can be, the art of a dip on a warm day, and most importantly, that squirrels are NOT friends. 

Yeti was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2023, he fought so so hard, constantly amazing all of vets, but unfortunately started losing his fight recently. We are so proud of all that he was capable of, and his tenacity to keep going. 

We love you so much pal 

Yuma (or Yumaevsky, as he was affectionately called) was a 10-month-old Malamute mix who was found abandoned in a Seattle park and was very nearly euthanized. He had clearly been stored in a cage and produced only for ceremonial occasions to shake, which was the only command he knew. When we adopted him, we discovered that he was out of control. He was destructive, disobedient, and appeared untrainable. His general attitude of defiance did have its amusing moments, though. One evening, my daughters came running down the stairs screaming, “Dad, he has a knife.” Much to my amazement, I discovered that he did indeed have a knife, and even more than that, he evidently knew how to use it. He was holding the handle in his mouth with the blade straight out, and he was charging at us. It took me about 10 minutes to disarm him.

Eventually, long after the trial adoption period had ended, we decided that the adoption simply was not working out, so I arranged to return Yuma to WAMAL. As we were packing his belongings, a strange interaction occurred between him and our other Malamute mix, Yiska. Yiska walked up to Yuma, stared at him for several long seconds, then walked away. Yuma was clearly shaken and even seemed apologetic. I cancelled the appointment with WAMAL and told him that we’d give him one last chance, but he needed to change his behavior. And amazingly, from that point onward, we saw a dramatic improvement. From being out of control, he gradually became a well-behaved friend and companion.

Yuma was always very stoic even for a Malamute (except for feeding time, when he ran around the perimeter of the yard squealing, and when he was trying to climb the walls to better smell the cooking odors wafting throughout the kitchen and breakfast nook). When he was six, however, he became critically ill with peritonitis and needed emergency surgery. In the hospital, his recovery was threatened by his refusal to eat. My younger daughter suggested we bring him food from home (Eukanuba mixed with broth and Parmesan cheese and topped with sprinkles of shredded cheddar). We did, and he gobbled it down. It was a revelation for me: it was the first time that I realized how much Yuma appreciated the food prepared for him, how much he valued his home, how much he loved each of us, and how much he loved his life.

As Saya, our Corgi mix, aged, and as we adopted two elderly dogs, Xena and Kenai, it became clear that Yuma was a caregiver. As Saya struggled with memory loss and disorientation, Yuma tried to guide her and watch over her. When he realized Xena was deaf, he led her to the window so that she could see me getting out of the car. (By himself, Yuma never came to greet me.) When Kenai was very ill, he watched over him and comforted him.

One Tuesday in May 2023, Yuma lost the use of his hind legs. Miraculously, early the following morning, he was able to walk again, although falteringly. Over the next six months, as good days alternated with bad days, Yuma’s mobility and general health gradually declined. But despite his physical decline and despite enormous pain, Yuma tenaciously clung to life. In fact, we marveled at how much he loved living despite his diminished state.

On November 3, 2023, it was clear that his end had come, and Yuma passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family and his veterinarian with his wife. After his death, we realized that Yuma had fought so hard to live not for himself, but because, as the caregiver he was, he was concerned about us and about how our lives would go on without him. Not only was Yuma a protector, but he also structured my life. Regularity was important to him; perfection was achieved when every day was the same as every other day. He controlled waking time, breakfast time, the time for his long walk (always promptly at 11:30, when he was healthy enough to go for a long walk), dinner time, and pill time. He imposed a structure and a regularity on our lives that filled our lives with joy – and he knew it. It was his gift to us.

St. Irenaeus, the great second century bishop and theologian, wrote that in the new heaven and the new earth at the end of time, not only us, but also our animals, will be given resurrected bodies. I know that, in his stoic way, Yuma will be eagerly awaiting me so that we can once again go on our long walk together.

A Tribute

We lost our sweet hound dog, Cedar, to mast cell cancer in April. It was sad and difficult, but we had time to spoil her (even more than usual) and adjust to the fact that she would soon be gone. When Cedar crossed the rainbow bridge, we were left with Ginny, our sweet 11 year old malamute. Mals are not known to live long lives, but Ginny’s lab work could have been that of a much younger dog. We looked forward to loving her for several more years.

One day in May, while on our usual walk, Ginny slowed down…way down. Once home, she spent the day panting heavily. The vet determined that Ginny had an issue with her spine. We went home with medication and limited hope of recovery. We rode a rollercoaster of despair and hope for a bit over a week as she alternately suffered and rallied. I have always had a strong conviction not to let an animal suffer and, ultimately, we let Ginny go. I was far from ready to say goodbye to her, however I knew in my heart that I would never be ready. Even now, as I compose this, the pain is as raw as it was on June 5th. It’s been almost 3 months and I still shed tears most every day, but it’s time that I finally post a tribute to this beautiful soul.

We rescued Ginny when she was almost 8 1/2 – I knew that it wouldn’t be a long relationship, but I wasn’t prepared for how much I would grow to love her in such a short time. Ginny wasn’t just a happy dog, she personified joy. I desperately miss her excited zoomies when we prepared for a walk, her impatient woos while she awaited her evening treat, her quiet knock on the door when she wanted to come into the house, and even her sassyness when she didn’t get her way. I love gardening and one of Ginny’s idiosyncrasies was that she would stop to smell flowers (literally) when we were out for a walk. Stole my heart every time. She was dog reactive, but adored children – ADORED them – and was incredibly gentle with them. We planned our walks to coincide with recess at the local elementary school and the children would come running to pet Ginny as she pressed her large, fluffy body against the fence, then rewarded them with happy woos. We walked twice a day and many in our neighborhood knew her – it wasn’t unusual for people to stop their cars to say “Hi Ginny!” She left an indelible mark on so many people.

On Ginny’s final day, she was no longer able to walk by the school as it was too far for her weak hind legs to carry her. I loaded her into the car and took her to the local park so that she could walk on the grass. We saw a small child and Ginny walked right by… It was then that I knew she was ready… Her joy was gone. Absolutely the most devastatingly painful decision I’ve ever had to make.

Ginny was amazing and I am so lucky that I had the chance to love her.

Love your pups. Treasure every single day.

I’m Lukas’ Mom. This is just meant as a tribute to my boy. We found Lukas through WAMAL. My step-daughter wanted a big dog to take on her walks to feel safe. I wanted a dog who would live longer than a Great Dane or Irish Wolfhound, so we compromised on a Malamute. I’d never had a dog in my life before. She & my husband had, but not a Mal.

We met Lukas in Richland, WA at his 2nd owner’s house. It still boggles my mind that we were this magical dog’s 3rd family! How could anyone give him up! But at the time all I could think was “we’re putting THAT in my Hyundai Sonata and driving back to the Eastside?!?!?” He was HUGE. 110 pounds and super tall. The answer is, yes, he did have gray wolf in his DNA that we did get tested later and that accounts for his huge height. I ended up in the hospital for an operation in those first 2 weeks and then spent all my time at home, alone, with Lukas while I recuperated. He was scared because we were new to him and I was just scared of dogs in general and his size made him truly intimidating. But he needed me and I needed him and we bonded. He took me from dog fearful to dog lover.

I call Lukas a generous dog. Generous with his love, his happiness, his enthusiasm, his time, his attention, and his joy. He could run like the wind and look beautiful doing it, he could curl himself up into a pork bun and snooze half the day, and he could dance, truly dance to bring a smile to your face when he was happy or seeing his friends — human or canine. Every barista knew him. One had a special mug for him that she would fill with whipped cream and top it off with dog treats. He stopped traffic. Everyone in town knew his name. And he was unaware of how popular he was. No ego. Just happiness to see you and always ready to lick your face and accept a treat.

My family will miss him more than I can ever express. Thank you, WAMAL, for bringing this magical dog into our lives. Loving Lukas has been one of the best experiences of my life and saying goodbye to him one of the hardest. Thank you to everyone who knew him and to everyone who has said something. It does help. I’m glad I could share him for 8 years and share a life with him.

Last month we had to say goodbye to one of our all-time favorite pups — Bear. Our tripod extraordinaire, real-life teddy bear. He would have turned 12 years old today (May 8, 2023).

We weren’t able to add a commercial song to his video due to Facebook and copyright rules. Had we been able to, we would have chosen “Happy” by Pharrell.

Because that’s who Bear was. A happy, fun, funny, very loving moot. And he made all those fortunate enough to have spent time with him very happy too. 

Happy birthday in heaven, Bear.

Cruise (known as Kruise) to our family was an amazing boy who came to live with us for a short span of time but filled our lives with so much love and light.  We were blessed to have this quirky old man join us at the age of 12, and he celebrated his 13th birthday in late November.  From the day we met him our hearts were filled with love for him as he moved into his final “retirement” home.  He was known as the stuffed animal thief in our home as he would quietly walk into the children’s rooms and gently pull them off of their bed and take them to his own.  Sadly, he has passed over the rainbow bridge.

Though our time was short, we loved him very, very much and we know he is without pain, with his true pack,  and loving his new furever home (wherever that may be).

Love you Kruise Missal

Dora had been doing very well, but not long after my last email, she became unable to put weight on her leg with the tumor. I was able to manage her pain and help her get around, but the tumor turned ulcerative and as of this morning I believe it is beyond the point of management. It’s a difficult decision, but I do not want her to suffer. I could spend a million years with her and it still wouldn’t be enough. I am so, so grateful for the time I did get with her. Dora is pure kindness and love with some delightful goofiness. I wouldn’t trade my time with her for anything. I am also very grateful for the kindness and support you all have given me.