Mush

Day 9; 14/01/2019

Our last day in Finland and the end of the Scandinavian leg of our journey had finally come.  Unfortunately, we failed once again as eco-tourists and ended up throwing out much of the food that we had purchased our first night at the grocery store.  Today, however, was one that many of us had been looking forward to.  Today was the day that we would visit Husky&Co Farm for a “husky safari”.  Once again we were equipped with layers and marshmallow suits.  We were even given the chance to drive the sleds ourselves while our partner rode within the sled.  When first stepping out onto the farm it was extremely intimidating.  About two-hundred dogs were on the property, chained in the snow with a radius that didn’t allow them within close proximity to surrounding dogs but allowed them to venture and stay within their hut.  Immediately my training from working at a shelter came to the forefront of my mind.  Huskies are a breed in which it is their utmost instinct to run and do so for long distances in the cold.  They were simply bred to mush sleds.  However was it ethical to do so for the sake of tourism?  Once on the track, the dogs didn’t stop and didn’t want to stop.  If you slowed down they would pull until they reached a speed which pleased them.  The track was fast and cold, with barely any noise as the dogs pushed through the Finish air.  Once we stopped we were able to pet the dogs and they were more than happy to accept the affection.  We learned through a conversation with one of the employees that the farm used Alaskan Huskies who were often bred with Alaska Malamutes and Siberian Huskies to make sure that they had dogs for all speeds and types of weather.  They claimed that many of the dogs didn’t even sleep in the huts they were given because they loved the cold.  Coming from the standpoint of dog safety, I understood why they had to be chained and separated from the other dogs.  In order to breed they were not spayed or neutered and quite simply, fights can happen easily.  When the employees were interacting with the dogs, they seemed to love them and every dog had a name and was recognized by the employees.  Overall, I think that the dogs have good lives and are treated well even though it is for the sake of tourism.