Poor Tripawds Spokesdawg Wyatt. He had to sit out this year’s Colorado musher dog camp out after arthritis surgery.
“Wyatt, you need to see the dogtor in Colorado,” Mom said to me after I went skydiving. So I went along with her idea, because I am a good dawg and know the drill. Like I really have a choice right?
What she didn’t tell me was the dogtors were going to stick a big fat needle in my leg to help with my arthritis problem.
And as if that wasn’t bad enough, that I would need to do more couch surfing for like three weeks!
Worst of all, I had to sit out this year’s Colorado musher dawg camp out! Yeah that’s right, my Odoroloc pals and me got to hang out in the mountains again. But when they got to run run run for training time, I had to crack the whip from the side lines.
There was no racing for me this year. Not cool, mom. I want to mush too!
What was cool was when TC did her annual blessing of the team to kick off the season. I got a bit of Odoroloc magic from Team Angels sprinkled on me, along with some of Spirit Jerry too. Now I’ve got more guardian angels than ever!
I hope the team has a blast in Alaska this winter. I’ll be back running with them next fall, just wait.
Tripawd Wyatt gets to know the Canadian Cancer Hero Terry Fox, and how much he did to raise awareness of cancers like osteosarcoma so that a cure can be found and no more Tripawds lose their leg to the disease.
I am a Tripawd but I did not lose my leg to cancer the way lots of yous did. I know, too many, right friends? Amputation is ruff enough but cancer? Well, it bites. I know, because my predecessor Jerry G. Dawg had it. Osteosarcoma, to be exact. He’s been gone almost 10 years now, but my parents still get tears in their eyes just thinking about that damn disease. So when we were flying south from Alaska and leaving Canada, they made sure to stop at a very important place along the way, kinda like to honor Jerry. We stopped at The Mount Terry Fox Provincial Park.
Meet My Canadian Cancer Hero Terry Fox
You know how lots of people see a Tripawd and they go “Hey that dog only has one leg!” Of course we have three, but all they see is that one missing leg. We’re lucky that way. We have spare legs. People who lose a leg to a cancer like osteosarcoma are not as lucky. They must make do with one leg, and face life head on in a way most of us can’t even imagine. The Canadian hero Terry Fox was one of them.
You kids may not remember who he was, but you need to know and I’m just the dawg to tell you. Heck, my mom and dad were just little punks when the world met this one-legged hero. But they do remember hearing the story of this Canuk’s courage and bravery. In 1980, Terry was only 18 years old when doctors told him he had osteosarcoma. They took his leg. But they didn’t take his life.
The kid didn’t let cancer get him down! Just like us Tripawd dawgs! He knew he had to do something so more people like him didn’t suffer from the disease. But what could one person, with just one leg do? Well, he showed the world exactly what!
On April 12, 1980, Terry started an epic run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. On. ONE. Leg! Dude, not even a Tripawd could do that!
Nobody knew who this hero-in-the-making was (hey this was before Facebook, remember!). But by the time he ran 143 days and 3,339 miles across the country on his “Marathon of Hope,” the world knew they were looking at greatness. Later, Hollywood even made this movie about him.
Sadly, Terry didn’t get to finish the run. Cancer. Lung mets. I don’t have to tell you the rest of that sad story.
But it wasn’t the end of Terry’s legacy when he died at age 22. Nope. The Terry Fox Foundation got started. Look what he did! One man! He raised money to get the ball rolling and today that non-profit is one of the best, most successful cancer research foundations. Whether for pets or people, the foundation is doing all they can to help scientists all over the world find a cure to stop cancers like osteosarcoma.
As Sheriff Wyatt Ray, I’m ordering ya to learn more about the Terry Fox Foundation and support their efforts, got it? Because I want a cure. WE want a cure! And WE don’t want one more Tripawds member to suffer because of that disease, right? Not. One. More!
And now back to my regularly unscheduled misadventures . . .
Tripawds Spokedawg Wyatt found the perfect place to spend summer in Alaskanada, way in the cool north. Join him on his summer adventure!
Oh Canada how I love thee! Hey Alaska, you’re not bad yourself either! Thank you for a long, cool summer, it’s just the kind of weather a dawg like me prefers.
From the Yukon to the coast and everywhere inbetween, I couldn’t have asked for a better summer. There is water everywhere up here!
Every chance I got I went for a swim. Cool water? Who cares, if the sun’s out, I’m game! The only problem with all that nice water is . . . MOSQUITOES!
See the black dots in the photo? Yes my friend, those are the legendary Alaska mosquitoes swarming around me! As big as a house fly and completely indestructible. Scary beasts aren’t they? I was not happy when mom took this picture.
Of course being a three-legged dog, mom takes it easy with me. My hikes are pretty short and I only swim for a few minutes at a time (like maybe 5 laps), then rest for a few minutes.
When you’ve spent your whole life on three, that’s how it goes. Can’t be too careful right? Well that’s what she says anyhow.
As for me, well I know I can make as good a pack dawg as any. If I were around in the gold rush days I’d be right there with this pup, helping out the sad old miners.
I wish I could stay up here all year. This is my kinda place. But mom and dad are already telling me it’s time to go.
They said something about going back to Colorado in a few weeks. I’m glad because I like it there. But I also heard them say “When he sees the VET.” I’ll pretend I didn’t catch on to their ploy.
Keep on truckin’ Tripawds Nation, I hope you are having a good season.
Postcards from Tripawds Spokespup Wyatt Ray. See how a Tripawd German Shepherd stays cool and has fun in the North Country of Alaska!
Up up and away we went and finally, we made it to Alaska!
Technically, the bottom photo is where we made it to Alaska. That was after our dog house on wheels stopped moving on the highway. My people can tell you more.
Anyone who lives up here is sooo lucky! I love this place. The sky is sunny but the air is cool, I don’t lay around panting all day. I just lay around. And enjoy the scenery of course.
It stays light all day long here, and all night too. Sometimes I get bored waiting around for my people to quit working.
So I snooze, and I watch for wildlife. Yeah that’s right, the grizzly family came over to say hey! I let them know everything was cool here so they left.
When my people aren’t working I get to have real fun! I swim in rivers that are prettier than anywhere I’ve ever been.
One of these days I will tell you about my skydiving stunt. I jumped down to a river one day. My parents were pretty upset at me, I forgot to tell them I wanted to see if I could fly. I’m OK now, but it looks like no more off-leash walking for a while.
I hope you are all having a real good time whatever you are doing or wherever your summer is taking you.
Until next time, have fun and stay cool Tripawds friends!
Two Tripawds meet in the Kootenays and British Columbia Canada will never be the same!
What happens when two Tripawds who’ve never met get together for a weekend of fun? All kinds of racket!
Oh Canada, You Will Never Be the Same
Things are picking up around here. The doghouse on wheels is moving faster every day. So fast that now we are in another country people! Yeah you read that right. Me, Wyatt Ray Dawg am truly an international Tripawds ambassador.
One day we came back to some mountains that looked so much like Colorado, the place I love most. I even heard mom say “But it’s prettier than Colorado here!” When it started raining and cooling off as soon as we got there, I knew she was right. And where is “there” you ask?
Well it’s in a village in British Columbia, where Super Stu the Giant Tripawd keeps watch on his lakefront kingdom!
“Oh Wyatt, you will love him” mom said to me. I didn’t believe her at first. When he got to my dawghouse on wheels, I had to make sure he was all that. So I watched him hop around and he pretty much give my space. Then I could see that mom wasn’t lying. Super Stu IS pretty cool!
Super Stu is the ultimate in calm and confidence, things I totally respect in a dawg. When I meet a dawg whose got all three, I know we’re gonna be friends. Plus, any dawg bigger than me is instantly OK by me!
Sure, it got a little loud. Especially when Stu’s people invited us on a ride in the mountains. I got really excited at the open-air adventure!
That ride wore me out, it was so much fun! I took a nap in the truck while mom and dad hung out with Stu’s pack and the kitties. “You don’t need to meet the cats Wyatt, stay here” mom said. She didn’t think I could be have myself. Me!
I heard a concert going on from my bed in the back seat. Stu’s got a band, did you know that? They’re called Allensong and you need to get their music. I promise you will love it.
Petra, Stu and Paul make beautiful music together. Oh and the kitties too. They were so nice to me, I can’t wait to see them again. There aren’t too many dawgs I can hang with, I had a good time. Thank you for being so nice to me Stu and the pack! See you when we come back from Alaska!