If you have dogs, you know that car rides can be an adventure. Whether you’re on a road trip, running errands or just taking your pups to the vet, time in the car with dogs is always interesting. I have two dogs and they couldn’t be more different in the car. We take our dogs camping, on hikes and to family gatherings. Our little guy curls up in a ball and sleeps. Our black lab mix, however, barks, spins in circle and, if we let him, sticks his nose out of the car. He then makes strange horse noises. I remember, as a kid, seeing dogs heads sticking out of cars and thinking that they looked so happy. It’s a dogs life out there.
Photo of the day: Whippet in Texas
I smile just about as big as the Whippet in this photo each time I see this photo. Stephanie Williams is the co-owner of Bennu–a coffee shop here in Austin wherein I spend many of my days typing away at the good ol’ laptop, continually seduced by the iced teas and mate lattes. When my own travel site hosted a summer photo contest recently, Williams’ photo of Elliot won our readers’ approval by a landslide. And it’s not difficult to see why… look at this pup.
Now that I’m a (proud, so proud) dog owner myself (and she’s part Whippet herself!), I have a deeper respect for shots like these. Getting an energetic dog to sit still is a challenge in itself at times, so capturing a photo like this impressive. Moreover, a happy dog basking in the Texas sunshine is what’s depicted here, and sunshine is certainly synonymous with Texas this time of year.
Have photos of your own dog experiencing the landscape or season of a certain place? Share them with us at the Gadling Flickr Pool.
Winter in Alaska: Paws for Adventure dog mushing tour through Fairbanks (video)
In the spirit of journeying during periods less traveled, I’ve embarked to Alaska this winter. Follow the adventures here, and prepare to have your preconceived notions destroyed along the way.
Video footage from my one hour Paws for Adventure dog sled tour in Fairbanks, AK
The more time I spent in Alaska during the winter, the more I asked myself why this wasn’t considered a tourist season. A week or so ago, Fairbanks was gifted with an atypical dumping of fresh powder, making the conditions more than perfect for a day of dog mushing. Following the races down at Fur Rondy, I headed up north to Fairbanks for a slightly different kind of dog race: one that began and ended at a homestead. Paws For Adventure is an Alaskan outfit that uses their stable of dogs strictly for casual runs — nothing competitive whatsoever. These pups were downright adorable, and I was able to sit down (with owner Leslie Goodwin) in a sled behind ten beautiful dogs. They hauled us along like champs, and they were thrilled to be doing it. I couldn’t help but make a few rounds praising them all afterwards, and even now, it’s one of the highlights of my trip to The Last Frontier. If you’re looking for a truly Alaskan adventure to partake in whilst in Fairbanks, look no further. Have a peek at the video above to get a gist of what to expect.
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[Images provided by Dana Jo Photography]
My trip was sponsored by Alaska Travel Industry Association, but I was free to report as I saw fit. The opinions expressed in this article are 100% my own.
Adventure travel company accused of killing 100 sled dogs
Yesterday a disturbing story made its way out of British Columbia, Canada, where an adventure travel company has been accused of killing more than 100 sled dogs last April after suffering a poor travel season. The incident first came to light when a former employee with the company made a claim for workman’s compensation based on his suffering Post Traumatic Stress after he was ordered to kill 70 dogs. That number was later raised to 100 by the company in question.
According to this story, adventure travel company Outdoor Adventures Whistler is under investigation for animal cruelty following the alleged event, which took place around April 21-23 of last year. The report says that the dogs were shot to death then tossed into a mass grave, the site of which is now being investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Reports seem to indicate that the travel company suffered a poor season last winter with very few travelers electing to take their tours. As a result, they fell on hard times economically, which forced them to make the decision to kill their sled dog teams rather than finding alternate solutions.
Animal lovers should use caution when reading the full story on this incident. Some of the descriptions of what happened is a bit disturbing to say the least. This report underscores a bit of a dark side to some kinds of travel, where animals can be seen as a commodity used for profit, then discarded when they are no longer useful. Obviously not all adventure travel companies, or even dog sled tours, operate like this, but it helps to underscore the need for researching who we choose to travel with.
This is a sad story and if the allegations are found to be true, I hope those involved are held responsible for their actions.
[Photo credit: Zeledi via WikiMedia]
Photo of the Day: Three friends in El Salvador
No matter where you go in the world, some things are universal. It’s those things that help keep us grounded and comfortable no matter how far from home we may be. For me, I always cherish the smiles on kids’ faces. Kids are almost the same everywhere in the world. Boys are rambunctious and girls like to whisper and giggle. That’s why, even on the streets of El Salvador, you can find comfort in the smiles of two kids just walking by.
What I love even more about this photo from Gadling’s own Stephen Greenwood is that it adds yet another constant to the mix: a puppy. Puppies are cute no matter where you go.
For more of Stephen’s excellent photography, check out his Flickr page here.
Taken any photos kids with dogs? Or maybe just some fantastic pictures of the people, places and things you’ve encountered on your travels? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.