My Four Legged Friends

A couple months back I sat in my room, safe from the cold, windy Vienna night, contemplating what to do with myself. I love teaching, but I needed something else. Something active, something adventurous and something new. (Though teaching is all of those!) I stumbled across across Snowdragons' website, and was pulled right in.



How can you resist this face?

 So, I've found myself  running around with a pack of fourteen huskies on the weekends and during my breaks from school.

Standing on the cart so the dogs don't pull it away too fast...dogs freaking out pre run.

Snowdragons is an organization which provides animal assisted therapy to children and teens who have encountered trauma or emotional difficulty in their lives, and caters to fun loving adults and curious tourists as well. I have worked with youth centers, and families there to celebrate birthdays or other special events. Additionally Lukas is interested in racing with the dogs, though the snow is long gone from this part of Austria.



So much love. Lily and Holly.


Here's a rundown of the past weekend
Friday:
Together with Sam, Sarah, Holly, and Dina, a wonderful group of girls from across the globe *Australia, England, Latvia,* I exercised the dogs that wouldn't be running that weekend and cleaned poo out of the kennels. (If you're a dog person this doesn't phase you). We played a round of Frisbee golf and exchanged travel stories.

Saturday:
In the morning we set up the orientation hike- a 6 station hike in which children or teens stop to take a Husky quiz, build a Husky out of natural material like pine cones and sticks, or take a picture of the dog jumping through a hoop- and enjoyed the sunshine. We met the group, from a youth center in Vienna, and I led Marko (person) and Abbraxus (dog) through the hike. I love working with groups like this, you really see the teens losen up and enjoy themselves once we're out in the woods. Smiles are fixed across their faces the entire day. We had a great time speaking a little English and a little German, and laughed every time we hit a big hill. "You can do it Marko go go go!!"(you yell go go go to the dogs..) After we finished we chatted with the group, and a particularly outgoing girl slyly taught our team some choice German slang and chatted to me about my time here. Back to put the dogs back in the kennels, prepare their food, and relax for the evening.

The view from station #1

Discussing her work as a dental tech of some sort. German? English? Teeth? Not falling for her slang...

Sunday:
Post breakfast we cleaned the trailer (doggie transport vehicle), took care of poo, and I ran Nico again. A family came from Vienna, as it was one boy's birthday. His excitement was written all over his face. He was given an hour long kart ride while we stayed with his Aunt and little sister, hanging with the dogs. They both had shorter rides and loved the experience. I rode back with them on the train to Vienna, and both kids chatted non stop about their favorite pup, and the little girl pretended to be a Husky.

This was a much needed weekend. I am so happy I found Snowdragons, and look forward to more volunteer time! I'm back in Vienna, sun kissed and blissed out. Dogs, the woods, amazing people, hysterical laughter, and strange looks by Wieners as I took the U-Bahn covered in mud and pawprints.

Doggy Kisses,
Muffin