We are holding a special charity event for Huskies in Need on saturday 25th may 10am -5pm at the Elizabeth hall on Exmouth seafront. Raddenstiles Vets &chillipaws sled dog team welcome you to meet some real working sled dogs( Alaskan malamutes, Husky and Canadian Eskimo dogs) there will also be a bouncy castle for the kids,vet talks, behaviourst & trainer, mini dog show for your own dogs inc prizes,Facepainting, refreshments, great raffle prizes donated from businneses and lots lots more....all up for grabs....All you have to do is come along and help us support this charity.

100% will go to huskies in need for the outstanding work and care they provide for these amazing dogs. Please visit www.huskiesinneed.com — with Sarah Jane Heyes Chillipaws and Raddenstiles Vets.

Thought I would share this. This is an article I wrote for the Haldon Forest but you may have only seen it via their online newsletter. It was supposed to be placed on a blog, but this hasn't really taken off as yet. Hope you like it

Have you heard the beautiful, if haunting, sound of a pack of Siberian Huskies howling like wolves at the sunrise or the moon whilst on your walks through Haldon Forest? Probably not, in fact you probably just missed us or didn’t even realise we were there!

I am teacher at a local school in Torbay, but in my spare time I enjoy exercising my Siberian Huskies using a three-wheeled rig in a sport known as ‘mushing’. Don’t let that word fool you though, we are not charging around the forest on sleds. We run different sized teams of dogs on a three-wheeled rig in order to give them the exercise they need, as they are not a breed that copes well with just walks around the block. The dogs wear a specialised harness and are connected to lines that pull a rig which looks like a big tricycle with brakes. We like to do a 3-6 mile run around the tracks at least twice a week.

You may have seen the signs on two designated sites, known to us as ‘Dawlish Water Works’ and ‘Kenton Common’, but wondered why you have not seen us whilst on your travels? This is because we are usually there before dawn ready to run our dogs at sunrise or after dark (one of my most favourite times of the day to run – especially with a full moon over Lyme Bay).

There are 20 permit holders for mushing, but we very rarely bump into each other as we run in our small social groups. As a musher and permit holder, in this stunning forest, we follow a strict code of conduct set out by the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain and the Forestry Commission; and we also carry insurance for the sport.

Why do we do this? This is a natural activity for a sled dog; and it is a good way of harnessing and using their energy, the dogs love it and so do we! We also use it as way to train the dogs for sled dogs rallies. We attend some of the sled dog rallies around the country which are set up for racing your dogs around trails and the fastest is the winner, but to be honest, most of us go to the rallies to try out new trails, to socialise and make new friends.

If you do meet us on the trails when we are training, please come and say hello as we really are a friendly bunch. It is not just Siberian Huskies that we exercise; we also have Alaskan Malamutes, Canadian Eskimo Dogs, Labradors and other breeds.

We do respectfully ask that if you meet us on a trail whilst running and you have your dog with you, please pop your dog on a lead and step off the trail whilst we pass by, or wait for us to hop off the rig and hold onto our dogs so you carry on your walk.

My husband and I are part of a group known as Westcountry Sled Dogs. We do a lot a work for charity through Hug-A-Huskies and Demonstrations and you can check out our website at www.wcsleddogs.com. We are currently helping to raise money for ‘Huskies in Need’. One of our six dogs, Sioux, is also a PAT (Pets As Therapy) dog. At these events we talk about our dogs and what we do, so come along and say hello.

Happy Tails and Trails.

Fay Frost

Wescountry Sled Dogs part of Haldon Huskies.

More Events are being booked, so keep a close eye on our events pages

2013 events

7th - 9th June - HiN Camp ... see attached poster.

7th July - Beaminster Big Day. 11.30am - 3pm.

28th July - Totnes Show ... TBC.

3rd August - Ross On Wye Carnival.

26th August - Hawkchurch Fete.

December - Guildhall Shopping Centre .... TBC

Well, what a busy year we have had? Some positive and some negative.

We have raised an astonishing amount of money for Huskies In Need: £1758.29 for 2012. Well done Sioux, Alice, Scarlet, Amber, Dyson, Honey and for Wookies debut this weekend. Thank you to all our friends of WCSD's who have been to help us this year xxx

You may have noticed a new name added to our list - Wookie - We have recently taken on a Welfare dog rescued from Ireland. He has been with us nearly 3 weeks and has settled in with the pack as part of the family.

So Happy New Year and let's hope we have some more events for 2013.

P.S. We had a two-page spread in the Western Morning News, here is a link:

http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Dashing-snow-man-s-best-friend/story-17655662-detail/story.html

Please pop onto the site and have a look

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fayfrostphotography/

Saturday 4th August 2012: Ross on Wye Carnival. Supporting fellow sled dog friends to raise money for husky welfare. Hug A Husky. This Weekend

Saturday/Sunday 11th/12th August 2012: South Hams Vintage Show - Hug A Husky

We will be attending the AMWA fun event at Sailsbury. 23rd -28th August. This is our holiday

Sunday 16th September. Family Fun Day, Victoria Park. TBC as date changed due to poor weather in July.

Sunday 30th September 2012: Haldon Forest Discover Day. Demonstrations and Hug A Husky. This is to support out local Forestry Commission as we train in their forests near Exeter.

We will be attending the Dean Doubles at the Forest of Dean. 20th -21st October. This is the beginning of the racing season for which we hope to attend more ABSA events

Saturday1st December 2012: Montecute House, National Trust - Hug A Husky and Demonstrations. 11am - 3pm.

Saturday8th December 2012: KnightsHayes National Trust - Hug A Husky and Demonstrations. Probably 11am -3pm.

Saturday/Sunday 15th/16th December 2012: Guildhall Shopping Centre, Exeter. Hug A Husky

We will be attending the Christmas Trek at the Forest of Dean. 22nd December.

Hope you can join us

Here are some to look forward to:

Saturday 9th June 2012: Brantano, Exeter - Hug A Husky TBC

Saturday 4th August 2012: Ross on Wye Carnival. Supporting fellow sled dog friends to raise money for husky welfare. Hug A Husky.

Saturday/Sunday 11th/12th August 2012: South Hams Vintage Show - Hug A Husky

Saturday/Sunday 15th/16th December 2012: Guildhall Shopping Centre, Exeter. Hug A Husky

We are beginning to receive requests/bookings for the Summer to support Summer Fetes and Country Fairs, and bookings for the Christmas period.

Future Projects and how to book West Country Sled Dogs for one of your events.

Here are some so look forward to:

Saturday 3rd December 2011: Brixham Carnival Procession 4.30pm

Sunday 4th December 2011: Plymouth Barbican. 10am - 3pm. Hug A Husky.

Sunday 11th December 2011: Montecute House, Somerset. 11am - 4pm. Christmas Fayre, Hug A Husky and Demonstrations.

Saturday 17th - Sunday 18th December 2011: Guildhall Shopping Centre, Exeter. 10am - 3pm. Hug A Husky.

Sunday 25th March 2012: Montecute House, Somerset. 11am - 4pm. Hug A Husky and Demonstrations.

Although Sheba wasn't a husky or sled dog, she was our oldest member of our pack who sadly past away this month at the grand old age of 12 (just short of 13). She will be sadly missed in our family.