You know we love nothing more than catching up with our retired sled dogs. Today, we’ve got a husky adoption update for you featuring our old friend Bandit and his new life and family just down the road in Banff.
Husky Adoption Update: Bandit
Bandit was adopted by Murray and Natali just recently, in February of 2024. While Bandit has been stealing hearts for years, this time around was extra special because Murray and Natali weren’t actually planning to take this guy home.
The two adopted Shepard, their first husky hero, from Snowy Owl in 2022. They were planning on taking one of the other retired sled dogs on a hike along with Shepard. You might be able to assume that that’s not how things ended up playing out. Of course, the story results in this husky adoption update that you have here.
“Mackenzie set us up (scammed us!) with Shepard’s younger brother, Bandit,” Murray and Natali told us. “The two fell instantly in love with each other and it was obvious we couldn’t leave without also taking Bandit home with us too. The love story continues to this day!”
Because Murray and Natali have already gone through the adoption process with Snowy Owl, and we knew they were incredible and highly qualified owners, the process was much faster than usual. Soon enough, Shepard had a brother and Murray and Natali had another retired husky hero in their family.
Bandit’s Life As A Retired Sled Dog
“Our family consists of us two humans, two cats, two huskies, and a great deal of chaos and hair!” the adopters told us. They knew they wanted to bring one (and eventually two) of the huskies home after they joined us for a couple of sled dog tours. “The dogs found their way into our hearts. They are always well-behaved and up for an outdoor adventure or a cuddle.”
Now, at home, those qualities remain the same. Murray and Natali told us the two dogs are so happy to be together and love getting outside for walks and runs and their enthusiasm and love is infectious. Together, they’re big fans of napping, running and walking, and “pets – lots and lots of pets.”
Naturally, there are a few things our adopted huskies need to get used to after they hang up their harnesses and start their next chapters as house dogs. Bandit’s learning curve included learning that “he is not the size of a chihuahua, the stairs were a bit scary for a day, accelerating on hardwood floors has consequences, and you can’t expect cats to be friendly all the time.”
Meanwhile, “Shepard seems to intuitively train Bandit on everything from schedules, walking on a leash, directions, house rules and Bandit seems to need to follow Shepard everywhere.” How great is it that Bandit has a mentor in Shepard who has done it all before and can easily show him the ropes?
A Happy Ending & A New Beginning
Above all else, Bandit is happy, Shepard is happy, and their new family is over the moon to have them. “It’s been beyond our expectations – the
dogs are so well-trained and loving. All we had to do was welcome them to our home,” Murray and Natali shared.
We love that we’re able to stay in touch with the huskies that graduate from the pack. This husky adoption update has warmed our hearts, and while we may have “scammed” Murray, Natalie, and Shepard into falling in love with Bandit, we’re not sorry!