Our Story
Six years ago, we adopted our beautiful 8-year-old husky, Denali, from a family with small children who could no longer care for her. Denali was a calm, gentle dog and a great companion. We fell in love with her and the husky breed! In November of 2023, Denali developed sarcoma. She lived another year, but we had to put her to sleep in November of 2024.
Any dog lover knows the pain associated with the loss of your fur baby! The house felt empty and it wasn’t long before I started looking for another husky. Our family has never purchased a pet from a breeder, as many amazing animals are in shelter cages longing for a home. I searched the shelter and rescue sites and found some beautiful older huskies. But one 8-month-old husky puppy caught my eye.
Koda was at a rescue with other dogs who slept in kennels in a warehouse setting. He had lots of outdoor playtime but wasn’t familiar with a home setting. My family was home for Christmas, so we decided to try a staycation. We fell in love with Koda! I was worried about adopting a grown husky pup because they are known for their endless energy. But Koda was so calm! He just wanted to snuggle and lay close to us. We couldn’t believe we had found a calm, husky pup like Denali.
Pets adopted from CMPD Animal Control get a free exam from a local vet, and we took Koda for a check-up. We then discovered that Koda was lethargic because he had giardia and roundworm.
Once treated, Koda became a crazy husky puppy full of energy! I swear he made a game out of waiting for me to leave the room so that he could destroy something! I knew it was my fault for not containing him when I wasn’t watching him, but it was often just too much. I was convinced I couldn’t handle him. I looked into rehoming him, but the rescue and the shelter were overflowing. They told me that since Koda was considered an owner surrender, he would be euthanized if I returned him. I knew I couldn’t abandon him to that fate.
Luckily, I found Jenna at Murphdog! She is passionate about helping adoptive parents train their rescues so they aren’t returned to the shelter. She could tell I was ready to give up and offered to assess Koda. She came the next day and taught him to sit and stay in front of an open door during the assessment! After one training, Koda is a new dog! It’s like a switch went off and he understands his role in the family and wants to be a better pup! He genuinely wants to learn and is eager to please. He is still a husky puppy full of energy, but as we learn how to channel his energy, his behavior improves. And as his behavior improves, our bond strengthens. We quietly whisper, “He’s trying….he is getting better every day!” Koda has found his forever home, and we found our pup.
If you are looking for a pet, please, please adopt! It can be a little messy, but isn’t everything worth doing? I am so glad we didn’t give up on Koda. He is turning into a wonderful companion…and you can’t match the feeling of knowing you saved a sweet little life!
Call Jenna if you need help. She is truly a doggie whisperer and you will see results very quickly!
Kristy- Pet Parent and contributor to Murphdog Magazine.
THE SHELTER DOGS NEED YOUR HELP. IF YOU HAVE A DOG YOU ADOPTED, PLEASE SEND STORIES AND PHOTOS TO JENNA@MURPHDOG.NET OR USE THE CONTACT JENNA FORM
