Steppinig up for pups

Community Steps Up to the Heroic Challenge of Petting Puppies

This is a difficult task; it takes a strong heart and tough love. It is volunteer and it happens every Friday in Palmer Alaska, at the Museum, during Friday Fling. It is puppy holding at its best. Petting Puppies in Palmer! Honestly, does it get any better than that? Elders, tourists, children and even surly teenagers are charmed when holding puppies who snuggle into your tummy and nuzzle your chin. There is no way you can feel bad when you have a little, dependent lump of live love in your arms.

Every Friday Afternoon—a small litter of puppies are brought to the Palmer Alaska Museum of Art and History. These puppies are generally “Alaskan Huskies,” which means they could be an easy variety of colors and breeds. Sometimes they come from particular dog kennels, teams, mushing lots, or rescue organizations. These puppies are not for sale. They are for petting.

Puppies in Palmer has such a sweet ring to it, don’t you think? Alliteration aside, it is a fitting placement. Sam Dinges, Museum Director, said he has made it part of the programming. Last week he even took one of the puppies onto the Tour buses. Nearly all the riders melted from the sight of a baby Alaska Husky, the size of a large subway sandwich. Puppy Programming is a novel approach. Sam says, “Some tourists will forget the place name, but they will remember where they saw the cute puppies.”

Why do these puppies need petted, you ask? Well, they are on their way to being very well-socialized dogs. They may race to Nome. They may become a Doggie Ambassador. They may become an important Service animal. Or they may just go to a new forever home with a new forever family. Wherever they end up, they will be nourished with a history of kind human contact and love. What species doesn’t thrive from loving attention, especially when they are little ones?

We Alaskans love our dogs. And Greater Palmeranians (not to be confused with Pomeranians) are no exception. Our dogs are our friends, our confidants, our cuddlers and our heroes. Just last week a large white “guide dog” appeared in the mountains to help a young Tennessee hiker find her way and drag her out of a river. This story isn’t unusual. Our dogs alert us to moose visitors. They offer grand warnings about the Thursday men in green trucks whom legitimately rob us of our garbage. It is quite common for wee ones to have dogs as siblings and caretakers. Our dogs hike mountains and swim in lakes. They pull sleds and cush out at the doggie beauty salon.

Put on your Palmer Kilt—And go to the Scottish Highland Games this weekend at the Fairgrounds. There will be music by The Fire, Scotch tasting events,, Genealogy workshops, piping, drumming, gathering of the clans, bagpipes, sport contests, races, rugby, kites, tea and shortbread, rogues, wenches and birds of prey.

First Responders Tough Duty—Now this is the truth. Our First Responders have had so many hits this past few weeks. Their call-outs always multiply in the summer months. But the severity of the last week has been severe. Their rescue and recovery jobs really takes skill, patience, courage and attention.

Let’s give the Valley’s First Responders and Law Enforcement officers some true appreciation for their hard work. Drop off a some bottles of juice or hand baked cookies for these folks and let them know you thank them for their dedication.

“Beautiful Alaska is Rough on the Human Body”—“Nature’s natural violence serves up a full smorgasbord of medical challenges and rescues in the Matanuska Valley. Accidents from fires, floods, earthquakes and avalanches are in addition to a normal number of auto, boating, hunting accidents and heart failures. The convergence of crimes of nature, crimes of cold, crimes of climate and crimes of civilization occurs frequently in the Valley. Because groomed neighborhoods touch the untamed wilderness, there is a collision of unpredictable accidents.” pg. 13 This quote is out of my Palmer, Alaska mystery novel, and it just seemed rather fitting this week. (Alaska’s Heavy Light by Barbara Hunt, available locally at Fireside Books in Palmer, Alaska.)