Introducing our SIBE SNACKS organic dog biscuits
We are proud to announce that we have worked with a small bakery to create SIBE SNACKS. They are made with organic ingredients all sourced in the USA and taste tested by the huskies. We have 5 delicious flavors of our artisan cookies, just look at these fantastic ingredients.
We are selling them via paypal for $10 a bag (minimum 5 bags) and we are shipping for free.
This is excellent value considering that comparable, small batch, artisan cookies sell for almost double in pet boutiques PLUS all profit gets invested back into our rescue mission. No Wheat, No Corn, No Soy. Made in the USA and customized just for ARA Canine Rescue Inc.
Order Now before they are all gone. Questions? Email us.
The Huskies we saved in 2016
2016 has been a busy year for ARA. Another 169 Siberian Huskies have been saved from certain death in the high-kill shelter system of Southern California.
169 hearts beating in the loving forever homes of the families that adopted them.
New Drs. Foster and Smith donation program
We are now registered with Drs Fosters and Smith website to enable our supporters to donate gift certificates to us for medical supplies. Simply click through on the banner above - all our information is prefilled - and enter the amount you would like to send to us and checkout.
They have also agreed to send us a small donation for any purchases made on their site via our unique weblinks. If you are a regular shopper on their great site then please place your orders using one of our link…it will not cost you any extra.
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Husky Hero King and Sgt Preston
Did you know that one of the first radio and television action heroes was a Husky? His name as Yukon King and his mythical adventures thrilled audiences from 1938 to 1958. The series took place in the 1890s at the height of the gold rush in the Klondike. Scripts mentioned actual towns in the area which are still in existence today.
The radio show was originally entitled, “Challenge of the Yukon” and debuted locally in 1938 on WXYZ, a fabled radio station in Detroit, Michigan. Each episode ran 15 minutes. The theme song used for the series was Von Reznicek's Donna Diana Overture.
The series moved to network radio, and a nationwide audience, in 1947 where each episodes then ran for 30 minutes. The series changed its' named to “Sgt. Preston of the Yukon” in 1951.
The owner of station WXYZ, George W. Trendle, wanted an action series about a dog. He knew this meant that the dog had to be a rugged, working dog. The choice of a Husky seemed like a natural.
There is a bit of a controversy as to what breed King actually was, however. In the early years of the series, the writers often interchanged the terms “husky” with “malamute.” However, in almost every episode, Sgt. Preston could be heard yelling, “On, you Huskies!”
The backstory of King was that he was a Husky pup, raised by a mamma wolf. Shortly after the mother wolf is killed by a lynx, Sgt. Preston happens along the scene and finds the now orphaned King. He rescues him and raises him to be his friend and crime fighting partner. Given ARA's mission, it's fitting that King is a rescue dog.
Dogs are smart, but training one to bark on queue for a live radio program wasn't practical. The sounds of King, including his ferocious bark, were first made by sound effects artist Dewey Cole. After Mr. Cole passed away, the role of King fell to Ted Johnstone.
The role of Sgt Preston was first played by Jay Michael. Paul Sutton eventually took over the role and is the actor probably most associated with Sgt. Preston. For a time, the role of Sgt. Preston was played by Brace Beemer, the actor best known for playing the Lone Ranger on radio. Because “The Lone Ranger” and “The Green Hornet” also came from WXYZ, the writers, actors and directors at the station worked on all three shows.
Like “The Lone Ranger,” the stories on “Challenge of the Yukon,” were all family friendly. King and Sgt. Preston foiled bad guys, saved lost children and battled greedy miners in the Yukon. Most stories had a happy ending. At the end of most episodes, Sgt. Preston would say, “Well King, this case is closed,” usually thanks to the heroics of King.
Like many popular radio series of the day, “Sgt. Preston of the Yukon” eventually moved to television. It debuted on the CBS television network on February 9, 1955 and ran until September 25, 1958. Ironically, for a time it ran against the television version of another WXYZ radio favorite, “The Lone Ranger.”
On television, the role of Sgt. Preston was played by Richard Simmons. His co-stars were Preston's horse Rex and, of course, his faithful dog King. In the television series, King was played by a malamute, also named King.
The television series had the rare distinction for those early years of being filmed in color. The town of Ashcroft, Colorado doubled as the Klondike of the 1890s. The budget for the series was rather slim and many of the same sets were used over and over again.
Sgt. Preston and King remain favorites of those who listened to them on radio or watched them on television. Now, thanks to the Internet and DVDs, a whole new generation of fans is discovering King and Sgt. Preston
You can listen to their original radio show for free online here.
You can also buy the DVDs of their TV series. If you use our Smile.amazon.com link here, will get a portion of the sale, at no extra cost to you. Make sure you select supporting ARA Canine Rescue.
To quote Sgt. Preston, “This case is closed.”
F. Colin Kingston
The legend of Balto
Siberian Husky lovers can take pride in the fact that their favorite breed has a real-life hero whose memory still lives on among many. His name is Balto and he lived during the 1920s and 30s.
Balto, (whose exact date of birth is in dispute but is estimated to be 1920), was born in Nome, Alaska. Considered an inferior dog, Balto spent the first two years of his life as part of a dog team who brought supplies to the miners in the surrounding area. An outbreak of diphtheria in Nome on January 21, 1925 changed all of that.
Diphtheria was a common disease in the 1920s. It is a bacterial infection that causes patients to have a hard time breathing and swallowing. It also causes heart failure, paralysis and death. It infected many people in Nome, mostly children. The infection was spreading and the nearest medicine was in Anchorage, 1,000 miles away.
The town telegraphed for help. The medication was shipped part of the way by train to the town of Nenana. Bad weather conditions prevented it from being sent any further by ship or plane. The fastest way to get it to Nome, 674 miles away, was by dog sled. This is where Balto, and 20 teams of other dogs, mostly Huskies, comes in.
Time was running out for the people of Nome and the diphtheria was spreading. It was estimated that the trip would take the teams of mushers and dogs 13 days to make the treacherous journey. Temperatures along the trail were usually -40 degrees with severe winds. All the teams made a valliant effort. The medicine was handed off to musher Gunnar Kaassen and his team, lead by Balto, on February 1, 1925 for the final 53 miles of the journey.
During this time, a severe blizzard began. Temperatures dropped to -50 degrees and winds gusted at over 50 mph. Kaassen had trouble navigating the trail and thought he would have to give up. This is where Balto's experience along the trail delivering supplies to the miners came in. Kaassen later stated that Balto followed his instincts and led the team, with the life-saving medicine, safely to Nome.
The serum was frozen when it arrived on Kaasen’s sled in the early morning of February 2, 1925. Six days ahead of schedule.
The unfolding crisis was picked up by the press. Newspapers worldwide printed daily updates on the efforts of the 20 sled dog teams, and their mushers, to deliver the serum.
Upon their arrival, Balto, musher Gunnar Kassen and his dog team were treated like heroes. They went on a nationwide tour and were greeted by many large crowds, including one crowd of 20,000 at Madison Square Garden. Hollywood even made a short film about their exploits entitled, “Balto and the Race to Nome.”
New York City took the unusual step of honoring Balto with a statue in Central Park on December 17, 1925. The plaque reads, “Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed anti-toxin 600 miles over treacherous waters, through arctic blizzards, from Nenana to the relief to stricken Nome in the winder of 1925. - Endurance, Fidelity, Intelligence.” The statue still stands today and is located near Tisch Children's Zoo.
BUT EVEN BALTO NEEDS RESCUE!
All of the accolades soon came to an end for Balto and the dog team. Kassen wanted to return to Alaska. The company who sponsored their tour sold Balto and the other sled dogs. They did a small vaudeville act for a while and eventually ended up living in terrible conditions at a novelty museum in Los Angeles, California.
A Cleveland businessman named George Kimble came across the dogs and was appalled at how they were living. Working with a Cleveland newspaper, he managed to raise enough funds to buy Balto and the other sled dogs. They were quickly brought to the Cleveland Natural History Museum where they lived out their days in peace.
Balto because a star attraction at the Cleveland Zoo until his death in 1933. Balto's body was mounted and put on display, where it remains today. His musher, Gunnar Kaassen, died of cancer in 1960.
The impact of that epic journey is felt even now. The world famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race honors the importance of sled dogs in Alaska's history. It takes place along the trail that the sled dog teams traveled with the life-saving serum.
An animated film entitled, “Balto” was made in 1995. It takes dramatic license with the facts, but kids and many adults will enjoy it. There have also been two sequels. There are several books about Balto as well.
The books and movies are available through our smile.amazon link. If you purchase anything we get a small percentage of your purchase, but at NO extra cost to you.
Click here to link to Smile.amazon and choose ARA Canine Rescue.
F. Colin Kingston
Petco Foundation Invests In Our Lifesaving Work
Petco Foundation Invests In Our Lifesaving Work With A Grant of $4000
[Hesperia] December 2015 – ARA Canine Rescue Inc is pleased to announce a $4,000 grant has been awarded from the Petco Foundation to support our rescue, rehabilitation and adoption work.
On average a quarter of our rescue cases have severe medical needs, and this grant will be applied to our extensive vet bills. in just the last couple of months of 2015 we saved 2 huskies with broken legs, a female with a tumor, and two huskies with severe gunshot wounds. All received comprehensive medical care, surgeries and convalescent time before they each went on to be adopted into loving forever families.
The Petco Foundation investment will help us to begin 2016 with a greatly reduced vet bill hanging over us. This means we are able to continue to take the injured, sick and down-trodden dogs that have no chance of being adopted without our efforts to rehabilitate and heal them.
“Receiving this support and recognition of our work from such a respected entity as the Petco Foundation is truly uplifting,” said Alley Ramirez, President or ARA Canine Rescue Inc.
About the Petco Foundation
At the Petco Foundation, we believe that every animal deserves to live its best life. Since 1999, we’ve invested more than $135 million in lifesaving animal welfare work to make that happen. Working with thousands of animal welfare partners, we inspire and empower communities to make a difference by investing in adoption and medical care programs, spay and neuter services, pet cancer research, service and therapy animals, and numerous other lifesaving initiatives. Through our Think Adoption First©
program, we partner with Petco stores and animal welfare organizations across the country to increase pet adoptions. So far, we’ve helped more than 4.2 million pets find their new loving families, and we’re just getting started. Visit petcofoundation.org to learn more about how you can get involved
The Dogwood Tree: a memorial by David Gonder
The Dogwood tree started blooming this morning. It was in full bloom last year at this time. I remember it. Could it possibly be a whole year?
This day, a year ago was the day my King went over to the other side. Just one week shy of his 15th birthday. Somehow I knew that he was not going to be with me long, but I thought, "If he could only make 15".
I took him for a walk that morning, he was fine. He ate his breakfast and then found his favorite place to lay down, which was right by the door, so he could be right there when I walked in. I hugged him before I left for work that morning, like I always did, and I put my face right between his ears. Huskies have no natural scent, but there was always something comforting about the feel and smell of his fur.
I always had a ritual of saying, "I love you guys" before I left for work. And I did that on this morning a year ago, like I always did. Then I went to work, thinking about all the things I had to do. When I came home for lunch, King was gone. He had not moved from the spot where I left him. I hugged him again, and told him that time was different over where he was, and that I would be with him before he missed me. I took his body over to Kirby. Who was just six months old and told him that we would have to say goodbye to King, but that he would never really leave us, because now he would live in our hearts. Kirby shook him and tried to wake him up, then went over and kissed him on the snout. I will remember it forever as the most touching thing I had ever seen.
King was a great dog. He always greeted me with a howl. I always felt really bad that I was not there to ease the burden of his passage. But King knew. He was such a good dog that he died facing East, the way sled dogs are supposed to. Facing the dawn of a new day to be born on the other side, and facing the Dogwood tree that bloomed today.
I am sure, King's way of letting me know he is with the other Husky...and to tell Kirby he said "Hello".
Daniel Gonder
Our kennels are open
October 25th 2012. We officially dedicated the kennels with the beautiful brass plaques today. Each kennel donated received a plaque, engraved with the inscription requested by each donor. Not only do we need to thank the 11 people that bought our first kennels for us we also need to acknowledge smartsign.com for donating and engraving the plaques for us.
And to our ‘plaque pack’ our heart felt thanks. Many rescued huskies will begin a new journey as they await their forever homes in the safety of the kennels that you have provided.
Heigl foundation approved
So happy, we are now approved as a member of the Heigl Foundation, this means that we can apply for small grants, usually $50-$200, for rescuing senior, sick or hard to place dogs. It is not a huge amount of money but it sure helps. It is such wonderful news for us as the foundation only approves a small number of rescue organizations.
http://www.jasonheiglfoundation.org