On Monday, I attended a Community Foundation of the North State event where I had the pleasure of meeting the organizers and other nonprofit representatives. After I concluded some brief remarks about Rescue Ranch, Casey Glaubman, Executive Director of Friends of the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center, told me he had adopted his dog Larry from Rescue Ranch in 2021. He then added that his dog’s best friend, Wally, was also one of ours and a Kitu’s Fund dog to boot! As we chatted, I realized both dogs had made perfect matches and were now living their best lives. I had found this week’s article.
Perfect Matches: When Larry Met Casey, And Erin Met Wally
At 10 am the next day I was on the phone with Casey, who also kindly shared many of the photos in this post.
He first noticed Larry on the Rescue Ranch website. Originally identified as a boxer/husky, DNA has since revealed a pittie/bully mix, which makes him an ideal subject for National Pittie Awareness Month. Larry also has significant amounts of German shepherd and Siberian husky.
Handlers warned Casey that Larry was an enthusiastic, powerful two-year-old pup. Sure enough, in Casey’s words, “he barreled into the office,” full of energy, slipping and sliding on the linoleum. But when he saw Casey, he just plopped his head in his lap. It was all but a done deal. Larry still had to meet Erin’s dog, Wally. They would be seeing a lot of each other and Casey wanted them to get along.
Wally, a young yellow Labrador/akita mix, was a former Rescue Ranch resident. He had arrived in November 2018 after being torn up by several dogs. Thanks to Kitu’s Fund we were able to provide the care he needed. The vet stitched him back together and later treated an abscess that developed from a bite received during the incident. Erin, who works for the Forestry Service, adopted him in March 2019. Initially, he was afraid of everything, but, with her help, he overcame his trauma and became the happy, confident companion he is today.
The meet-and-greet went well, and Larry stepped into a future he couldn’t have imagined in a million years. You see, Casey spends his free time skiing, running, hiking, cycling, and surfing.
So Larry gets plenty of exercise and one-on-one attention as well as daily off-leash time. Erin and Wally often join them on their adventures. Both dogs are best pals. Together they’ve been to the coast, the woods, summitted peaks, and walked in the desert. They really couldn’t have found more perfect matches in each other or their adopters.
Larry’s active life hits a road bump
Larry loved his active life in the snow and on the trails, but the following spring he developed supraspinatus tendinopathy in both shoulders and struggled even to walk. Conventional treatments weren’t working, so Casey tried acupuncture. With Larry’s high energy levels it was difficult to get him to rest, and progress was slow. After months, Casey had almost given up on a cure. Then, one day, Larry just stopped limping. Soon he was back in shape and ready to take on the world again.
That’s when Casey introduced him to Skijoring, a ski sport that involves putting on a harness and being pulled by a dog. Larry loves it. He’s so fast. Casey once clocked him at 33 mph! Even better, the limp hasn’t returned. This November, Casey and Larry will take a road trip for another visit with the folks in Port Townsend. They plan to surf their way back to California.
Larry has a rich social life. He spends a lot of time with Wally, but their circle of friends also includes Larry’s curly neighbor Oslo and another Rescue Ranch dog named Rogue who was adopted by Casey’s friend, Hannah, last August. He’s a chocolate husky/shepherd mix who came up through our puppy program and loves the snow too.
Friends of the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center
Friends of the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center is the group responsible for the center’s fundraising, outreach, promotional, and educational activities, such as youth and adult avalanche safety courses. “We strive to make all of our avalanche education free to the public,” says Casey. The Mount Shasta Avalanche Center maintains five weather stations and provides daily avalanche hazard forecasts on their website throughout the season, which runs from December 1 through mid April.
