Project RePaw: Holly - Finding the right pack
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.
My name is Sanni, and when I started working at Bearhill Husky in 2021 as a guide and with social media, Holly was still just a puppy. Over the next few years, I got to watch her grow into an adult working dog and spend a couple of seasons on the trail.
She loved running and had exactly the kind of physique you want in a working husky – athletic, strong and fast legs. But she also had a very active brain and sometimes that intelligence came with a bit of extra chaos.
She was known for eating harnesses, figuring out how doors open and escaping whenever she saw an opportunity. More than once, we found ourselves looking for Holly while she casually explored the surroundings on her own terms. At the same time, Holly has always been a very affectionate dog. Anytime you go to greet her, she jumps up against you demanding attention and hugs.
But despite being a very promising young sled dog, she struggled with one important thing during winter: keeping weight on. Holly would often lose her appetite during the busiest part of the season and for working dogs, eating properly is just as important as enjoying the work itself.
Over time, we started feeling that Holly might simply do better in a smaller team rather than a large kennel setting. One thing I respect deeply about Bearhill is the understanding that success for a working dog doesn’t look the same for every individual. Some individual dogs do better in different environments and at Bearhill there’s a genuine effort to find those right fits for the dogs that need them.
At the same time, I had been building my own team and was looking for a reliable leader dog. Holly was just three years old when the idea of rehoming her came up, and I wanted to give it a try with her.
The transition ended up being surprisingly easy. Holly settled into my pack naturally and adapted quickly to my routines. The overthinking brain is still there, but with fewer dogs around her and one person handling her consistently, she became much calmer overall and started eating well. Also Holly never stopped being a sled dog. She still runs and now leads my own team, just in an environment that suits her better.
I think Holly’s story is a good reminder that not every working dog follows the exact same path. Not every dog is looking for retirement on a sofa. Some dogs are built for the job, but they just happen to flourish in a different kind of environment.
