As anyone who has ever loved a dog knows, they age too soon. Prepare some tissues for Blair Braverman’s moving essay for The New York Times Magazine. Braverman, after many years a successful musher, is retiring, and has rehomed her remaining sled dogs. In meeting the members of her pack, you’ll feel her deep love and respect for every dog and its singular contribution to the sled team. This is a beautiful story of teamwork and friendship forged in the harshest conditions this planet has to offer.
I can smell the smoke from the fire. The wolf could smell that, and the rest, too: the straw, ground beef, dregs of cocoa, worn harnesses, beaver-fur mittens, each dog’s particular scent. The trees are thick, but through the branches, I see a flash of yellow. Spike. Colbert wagging. Dora’s white mask when she moves. I want to call their names, so they know I’m here. I want to guard them in secret forever. Pepé steps closer, brushing against my leg, and I rest my hand on her neck. She stares at the others, ears tucked, and the intensity of her gaze tells me that I’m not the only one who doesn’t like to let go.
More picks about dogs
Where the Dogs Run
“Along the Yukon River, declining salmon populations threaten the future of the region’s sled dogs—and the communities that rely on them.”
Friends in Low Places
“At the buda wiener dog races, big personalities come in small packages.”
A Rescue Dog Saved Him From Addiction
“I’ll give her the best four months possible.”
