Project RePaw: Kudu's journey from Bearhill to Reykjavík
In this series of blog articles we will tell the stories of those dogs that have already found their new forever home through our Project RePaw. They may be part of a smaller hobby team, they may be living their best couch life or they may have moved to a whole new part of the globe. Wherever our dogs have ended up – we want to keep in touch and share their stories here.
Some encounters change everything. Ours happened in the winter of 2023, in the middle of the Finnish wilderness, while we were working at Bearhill Husky. That is where we met Kudu.
Kudu had hurt himself that season, a turned iliopsoas muscle that left him sidelined from the one thing he lived for: running. The vet recommended rest and limited movement, but nobody had told Kudu that. His energy was still very much there, burning just beneath the surface, desperate to come out. We couldn’t bear to see him frustrated and confined, so we started taking him home on our days off. We gave him a great mattress to rest on and made sure to keep his mind busy. games, stimulation, company. anything to compensate for the physical activity he was missing.
Somewhere in those quiet evenings together, something shifted. We fell in love with him, completely and without question. Mat reminds me all the time that I told him so sure of myself: “If we ever adopt a dog, it’s Kudu or no one else”. And I meant every word.
In April 2024, we made it official. Kudu became ours! Or perhaps more accurately, we became his. We had a van at the time, and we rearranged it entirely to make room for him. Of course, it didn’t take long for him to claim the bed as his own.
What followed was an adventure neither of us could have planned. Together, the three of us drove through Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Kudu discovered the sea for the first time. He encountered horses, cows, chickens, and sheep. He experienced boats, trains, and bustling cities. a whole world he had never known, explored one curious nose-sniff at a time. Along the way, we stopped to visit friends we had made at Bearhill. Kudu greeted each one as though no time had passed at all, tail wagging, eyes bright, as if he had seen them just yesterday.
Today, we call Iceland home. Kudu has travelled all the way here with us, settling into yet another new landscape with the same quiet confidence he brings to everything. We celebrated his 8th birthday together, and he shows no signs of slowing down. We’re living in town now and kudu has discovered what Reykjavik has to offer him. During we winter we went to sled again together with our Kicksled and it was truly emotional to see him running with so much passion for the first time since his injuries.
To help his legs stay strong, he has also started water therapy, and it has made a real difference. We watch him carefully, love him fiercely, and do everything we can to give him the life he deserves.
The three of us have truly made Iceland our home now, and life here suits us all. One of our favourite things is watching Kudu figure out the neighbourhood. He has been doing his best to make friends with the cats next door. He tries so hard and it’s the most endearing thing to witness. Honestly, we feel like we learn something new from him every single day. He has shown us how to slow down, how to enjoy the little things, and how to love wholeheartedly.
Kudu came into our lives as a dog who needed care. What we didn’t expect was how much he would give back in loyalty, in joy, in the kind of quiet, steady love that only a dog can offer. He is not just a pet. He is our travel companion, a reason to explore, and a reminder that the best things in life often arrive when you are simply showing up for someone else.
Johanna, Mat & Kudubidou
