Right before I moved to Svalbard last summer, my partner — a dog musher here — called to tell me that one of his favorite dogs at the yard was scheduled to be put down. Fjord had made it clear early on that he didn’t want to be a sled dog. Despite many attempts to take him out on walks, Fjord didn’t make any progress due to his severe anxiety. I knew I had to meet him in person. I begged my partner to convince the yard to hold off on the decision. Three days later, my partner called again and said, “I think we have a dog now.”

Since summer 2024, I’ve been living in Longyearbyen after moving from Los Angeles, and now work at Café Huskies — where I work side-by-side with Fjord, and where half of our dogs are retired sled dogs. 

Huskies are cherished members of our community here in Svalbard. It can be difficult to know when sled dogs are available for adoption. Without connections to dog kennel staff, people in town rarely hear about dogs needing homes. I started this adoption project to help connect potential adopters with dog owners and local kennels, make the adoption process easier, and give more dogs the chance at a loving home.

— Darina and Fjord —