Currently the Ilion team is not accepting any new members. Please check back in the future for updates on recruitment!

💙

Thank you for taking the time to look at the Ilion sled dog sanctuary site! This collaborative project was started in December 2020 and was solely organized by me (Roby). The objective was to have 24 people (myself included) create an original sled dog character with specific conditions in mind and to give them a back story in order to create two 12-dog teams. I would then assign the dog a position on one of the two teams dependent upon the content and character. While everyone was aware of my project, I worked together with each person privately so that no one else knew what the other dogs were like. Over the months as I received each dog, I continued to build the world of the Ilion sanctuary. So to everybody who participated, I hope you have fun finally meeting all of your teammates! Thank you so much for your patience with me!

Every sled dog character here is a unique creation by their artist. Any real competitions/events or dogs mentioned are used only for the purpose of immersion and parody; there is no affiliation.

Thank you!

A small page dedicated to those who have made donations to the sanctuary that have made a big impact.

Thank you to Diomede and the fishermen of Whittier for the generous gift_ of over 80 crates of fresh caught fish!_

"Diomede is a good friend of mine and Halibut's owner and is a regular supporter of the sanctuary. She and a few other fishermen of Whittier went on a fishing excursion for the dogs, and that's how we ended up with 80 crates of fish. I was a bit panicked to see a bunch of trucks parked in front of the sanctuary because I had no idea a delivery of this size was going to be made. But the dogs and I were grateful once we found out what was going on. It lasted us the whole winter season, and I learned a ton of new recipes!"

Thank you to the town of Diogenes for tickets to the
96th anniversary of the 1925 serum run!

"This year there was a huge convention-like celebration in dedication to the 1925 serum run in Anchorage, and the town of Diogenes provided tickets for the whole team! Many of my dogs are huge fans of Balto and Togo, so this was a fun and exciting experience. There was supposedly a path on the floor decorated like the 674-mile route and many different attractions dedicated to all 20 teams that participated. There was an event dedicated to Fritz and many of Seppala's other dogs, and a segment about the All-Alaskan sweepstakes. I wish I could have gone, but I had some important business to take care of in Nome (ironically). Thankfully Kima took a lot of photos and videos of everything, so it's almost like I didn't miss out at all!"

"Wonderful gifts that everyone brought back for me. Plushies of Balto and Togo, along with a keychain, brochure, and a map that one of the dogs (I won't say who) thought was a snack."

Thank you to Bernard for the gratious donation of
new equipment and apparel!

"Bernard said that everything he makes for my dogs is haute couture. I honestly have no idea what that means, but I do know that the dogs love it! There was a mix of different styles for everyone, and the most impressive part is how durable everything is. The dogs go through a lot of attire and equipment in just one season, and it gets costly to replace everything. I appreciate Bernard for being attentive to details like that! He truly is a mushing connoisseur."

Supporting Ilion

The Ilion sanctuary wouldn't be where it is today without the help from sponsors and donations! If you would like to show your support for the sanctuary, then you've clicked on the right page!

Photo card

Photocards are one of the many fun ways to show your support for your favorite dog! Receive a signed copy in the mail if you choose to donate! You have the option to select one dog, as many dogs as you'd like, or all of the dogs. The photocard(s) are mailed diligently with lots of love!

Donate here

*Halibut is currently unavailable.

Merchandise

Ilion also offers homemade merchandise that's available to purchase. From stickers, keychains to plush toys, and much more, feel free to look at what's available! Any purchase over $40 will come with a photo card of your choice and free shipping. Thank you for your continuous support!

Check out

Partnership

The Ilion Sanctuary is always willing to start new partnerships
that are interested in supporting our dogs.
For further inquiry, please contact the musher.
Thank you.

About us

The Ilion sanctuary is located on a 70-acre property on the edge of Diogenes, Alaska. It doubles as a veterinarian clinic and is home to the Ilion sled dog team!

mission

The Ilion musher made it their mission to give rescued sled dogs a place to call their own. Bringing home dogs from all over the world, the sled team was started as a way to give these dogs a chance to continue their passion in pulling. But the sanctuary isn't just home to veteran sled dogs- as many of the resident dogs have never had prior experience in pulling or racing. But that never stops them from giving it a try and falling in love with the sport; feeling a sense of fulfillment in being able to participate in a team with their newfound friends. The dogs always have a choice in whether they want to participate or not, as their well-being is top priority. As the team continues to grow, so does its popularity. The two Ilion teams (long-distance and sprint/mid-distance) have attracted fans across the globe. This has allowed the team to expand on its training itinerary. But no matter how popular Ilion gets, the musher continues to ensure the comfort and safety of the dogs.

Health and well-being

The health and well-being of the Ilion dogs is critical. For dogs that participate in mushing, check-ups and vaccines are given routinely. But it doesn't just stop at the basics, as the musher always makes sure that each dog is carefully cared for, as every dog is unique. If a dog is not feeling well, they won't participate in training or races until they are in full health; there are no exceptions to this rule. The sanctuary also homes dogs that are retired and currently under rehabilitation; unable to pull either due to choice or circumstance. A rehabilitation program was put in place for dogs who seek to return to racing. The Ilion vet practice has a dedicated professional staff that is trained in upkeeping the clinic and attending to its patients; responding quick and providing quality care for all dogs.

Sponsorship

The musher once funded all operations on the sanctuary with their own money—but thanks to the growing popularity of the team, it has attracted dozens of sponsors. Now the sanctuary is completely ran off of sponsorships and generous donations from fans. If you would like to help support the sanctuary, please check out the donations page. Every cent goes back to the dogs and the patients that are cared for at the clinic.

Support here

Name: Ponchik
Breed: Samoyed
From: Poland
Position: Team/wheel
Team: Mid-distance
Artist: Michi Voss

Born in a breeding facility, Ponchik was adopted as a young pup by two elderly farmers; a husband and wife. As she grew, helping the couple on their farm became a daily routine, herding sheep and ducks and handling all of the hard labor the couple couldn't do. The work was easy for her, as she thought there was no better reward than coming home to a warm meal and a pat on the head.As years passed, she began taking care of the couple, helping them with simple tasks they were getting too frail to do. Ponchik continued to help with everything until both of her owners passed away from old age, first the husband, then the wife soon after. Depressed, Ponchik felt lonely without them and couldn't stand to be there anymore, so she left, searching for something to make the empty feeling in her heart disappear.Luckily, it wasn't too long until she'd meet the Ilion musher, who was visiting Poland at the time. The musher took a liking to Ponchik's friendly demeanor and adopted her, taking her back to Alaska with them. They showed her around the sanctuary, and she quickly felt at home. Already in great physical health, racing piqued her interest, and it seemed like a great new start for her. At first, it was daunting-- being around so many new dogs made her nervous. However, racing made her feel excited and useful again, so she continued to work her hardest at it and grew to love the team like a new family. Even though the memory of her original owners often weighed heavy in her thoughts, she's delighted and grateful to have another start.

Musher's comment

"When I met her for the first time, she was really shy and hesitant to let me pet her, but she eventually came around. I gave her treats and played with her for a while before I left. At first I thought she was a stray so I almost brought her home with me! But she had a collar, so I said my goodbyes that day so she could go back to her owners. However, she followed me back to where I was staying. That's when I learned about what happened to her original owners. I didn't want to leave her alone so I brought her back to Alaska to provide her with a new home. I was worried that she would be too shy to mingle with the other dogs, but I was happy to see her get along with everyone so well. She was introduced to racing and immediately took a liking to it. But racing isn't enough for Ponchik as she loves to work! Some days, she helps Gau on his mini-farm as it reminds her of her daily life back in Poland. Now despite her fitting in faster than I had expected, there are nights where she wanders off into the darkness to be alone with her thoughts. When I finished my work one night, some of the other dogs and I followed her to see where she was going. We saw her stargazing up on a hill not far from the kennels. We joined her and looked up at the millions of stars that decorated the night sky. She still goes out alone to stargaze, but I think she really enjoyed our company that one night so there are times when she invites us to go with her. We'll spend the whole night looking for constellations and waiting for shooting stars to go by. I'm happy to get to spend time like this with her and everyone. It's always small moments like these that make me so happy to be a musher."

🐾 She loves hot stew-like dishes
🐾 Despite her name ('doughnut' in Russian) Ponchik doesn’t like sweets very much
🐾 Even though she usually has a big smile on her face, sometimes Ponchik can be found at night with a serious expression on her face, staring up at the stars

Name: Timothy Bestwick
Breed: Welsh Corgi/Siberian Husky mix
From: Holyhead, Wales
Position: Team
Team: Sprint
Artist: Kira

Timothy was a unique corgi born in the windy land of Holyhead, Wales, under the care of a refined noble family, the Bestwicks. Corgis are much beloved loyal pets, and keeping them is a long-standing tradition of the British Crown. They are often gifted to powerful nobility as a sign of good faith. One of the most beloved royal corgis was once gifted to a duke in northern Wales. There on a stormy night, this beloved and pregnant corgi gave birth to a single little puppy different from her kind. It was Timothy - a mixed breed of a corgi and Husky. Since he was little, Timothy showed excellent resistance to the cold and had a robust and resilient personality despite his adorable looks. He would sneak outside the Manor to wander in the snowy fields during the winter, bringing back the most exquisite treasures like stones, sticks, and even tiny little conches swept up by the marine gusts of Holyhead.One day young Lord Bestwick had to travel to the cold lands of Alaska to meet old family friends. When Timothy realized his beloved owner was going on a trip, he couldn't resist sneaking into his luggage and traveling along to snowy Alaska. He did not go hungry or ill after such a long and troubling voyage, to everyone's surprise. Instead, he was rather excited and ready to experience the wintery land that spoke so closely to him.During one of the long walks he would take with the young lord, nightfall came, and the two ended up losing their way in the dark, icy forests. The situation quickly became dire as the young lord struggled to keep moving forward in the biting cold of the Alaskan night. Saving his master was Timothy's only priority, and instinctively he knew what to do. As quickly as he could, he darted through the dark of the night in search of aid, never giving up on his short legs. He eventually reached the Ilion sanctuary, surprising the musher and all the dogs with his unexpected arrival. The musher quickly understood that Timothy was in a pinch and followed him to help Young master Bestwick. Together with the musher, he saved the young lord and spent the night in the sanctuary.Young lord Bestwick fell in love with Ilion that night and was delighted to listen to the musher's remarks on Timothy's outstanding speed and endurance. He realized that his beloved Tim was happier than ever in the company of all the other dogs; Timothy had found his true calling. The young master entrusted Timothy to the musher, knowing that he would live his life to the fullest there and be able to release his never-ending energy in the fields of Illion. Before departing, he gifted his beloved Timothy with regalia from his family-- the Bestwick medallion, along with the promise to visit him every year during the wintertime.

Musher's comment

"Corgis are the farthest breed of dog you would think of as a sled dog because of how short their legs are. But with Timothy, watching him run was an exciting eye-opener as he's able to use his energy to run fast through thick trails of snow. The husky mix inside of him gives him the benefit and extra boost that he needs to run. But that doesn't mean he doesn't train rigorously every day with the rest of my dogs. To upkeep his speed and endurance, I put him on the special training regime that I created for my shorter and smaller dogs in which they all practice together every day. Other mushers are shocked to know that I have a corgi mix on my team, but I always tell them that Timothy is different! Sometimes our team is mocked because of this, but Tim doesn't hesitate to put them in their place, and I'm always proud of him when he does so. But with that said, please do not train a corgi to become a sled dog; they are not built for it, and it would be endangering their health and wellbeing if you do so! As I said, Timothy is different and has the heart of a sled dog within him (quite literally!). "

_{In loving memory of Timothy, Kira's beloved Corgi mix pup}

🐾 Loves to take a good nap after being fed lunch and lay belly up in the sunlight
🐾 Enjoys treasure hunting in his downtime, and sometimes drags other dogs along. He brings back all sorts of curiosities from flowers to stones, and he always makes sure to bring something back for the musher as proof of his love and friendship!

(ESA) (STAFF)
Name: Suya
Breed: Long-haired dachsund
Artist: Nyandoseru

Suya is an emotional support animal that belongs to assistant-veternarian and nurse, Polina. She can be seen roaming around the lobby of the clinic or laying on Polina's lap.

(Seasonal)
Name: Halibut
Breed: Siberian Husky
From: Whittier, Alaska
Position: Team/Wheel
Team: Long-distance
Artist: Roby

Halibut is a seasonal sled dog that races in Ilion’s long-distance team during half of the winter season. For the remainder of the year, she resides in Whittier at the Begich towers, accompanying her owner and the fishermen by the docks. Ilion’s musher is good friends with her owner and saw her potential as a sled dog during a casual visit. While her owner was ecstatic to hear this, he was still too attached to her and so special arrangements were made for her.

Name: Sweet Salmon
Breed: Balinese cat
From: Somewhere cozy
Position: Lead
Team: Long-distance
Artist: Roby

One day, Sweet Salmon grew bored of her comfortable and cozy life indoors and decided that she wanted to be the world's first sled cat. She took an Uber across the Pacific ocean to Alaska and asked to join Ilion. The Ilion musher was apprehensive at first because it was unheard of for cats to race, but she assured them that she was purrfectly capable. She tried out for the team and the musher was so impressed that they made her lead dog cat! Now she is taking the mushing world by storm.

Musher's comment

"I'm so lucky to be the first and only musher in the world to have a cat on their team! We couldn't have won the Iditarod without her!"

🐟 Sometimes she gets distracted by the harness and attacks it
🐟 Despite her name she prefers salty foods and her favorite fish is tuna

Name: ボニー
Breed: ブラック・ロシアン・テリア
From: ロシア
Position: リード
Team: 中距離
Artist: Tareo

ボニーは元々警察犬を目指していました。
警察犬として活躍していた姉を見て育ったからです。ボニーは訓練を受け審査を受けましたが何度も落ちていました。彼女も落ち込んでしまい訓練を放棄するようになってしまいました。見かねた飼い主は知り合いに相談したら何か別のことに目を向けて見るのはどうだろうか？とアドバイスを受け、彼女は走ることは好きだし周りをよく見る観察力はありました。
気晴らしに飼い主が雪山にボニーを連れて来ました。偶然とあるマッシャーも犬ぞり犬達を連れて来ていたのです。
ボニーは興味を示し犬達に自ら近づいて行きました。マッシャーもそれに気づき、飼い主にボニーの今までの警察犬についての話も聞きました。飼い主はもう彼女に警察犬を目指させるのはやめると打ち明けたのです。マッシャーは「うちでボニーを預からせてくれないか？彼女はきっと良い犬ぞり犬になるだろう」と飼い主に声をかけたのです。
ボニーもすっかり犬ぞり犬達と走り回っていたので飼い主は承諾しました。元々警察犬を目指していたこともあり彼女はとても成長が早く前よりもすごくイキイキとしています。

Musher's comment

"マッシャーは、それぞれリード犬を選ぶ際の違いがあります。個人的には、リード犬を選ぶ際にいろんな要素を考慮するのですが、その中に特に重視する「あるもの」があります。その「あるもの」が何かということは言いません。犬や友だち、同僚たちからもせがまれても教えませんよ！ですが、ボニーにはその「あるもの」があると彼女と出会った日から確信して、リード犬として選んだのです。急な決断ではありましたが、彼女を私たちの初めてのレースでリードさせました。彼女が緊張しているのが分かり、プレッシャーから再び警察犬に戻ろうとしているようでした。ですが私は彼女に失敗はしないということ、彼女の事を信頼し、素晴らしい仕事をすると信じていることを伝えました。今になって、自分が自分勝手だったことに気づきました。犬たちとはこういったことは滅多にしません。ですが私を信頼してくれたので、その信頼からその日のレースに勝つことができました！
後になって、私が彼女を過剰にプッシュしたかもしれないと反省したのですが、彼女は感謝してくれました。でも、感謝しているのは私の方です！こんなに許してくれる理解してくれる犬がいるなんて...。自分勝手な行動には謝りますが、ボニーが私たちの仲間になってくれて嬉しく思います。新しいリードを見つけたとか、レースに勝ったとか、そういうことではないのです。ただ彼女に出会えたことが嬉しいのです。警察学校が彼女を選ばなかったことは、信じられないほど間違っていると思います。彼らは素晴らしく勤勉な犬を逃してしまったのです！とにかく、このコメントで少し変に聞こえたかもしれませんが、ボニー、君は素晴らしい犬です！いつも私を信じてくれてありがとう！”"

🐾彼女のお気に物が黒色と可愛い物事です。
🐾練習と競走しない時にボニーの性格はおとなしくて、気安いです。
🐾彼女のお気に音楽クジャンルがメタルです。

Name: Trace
Breed: Siberian husky
From: Abbotsford, Canada
Position: Team
Team: Sprint
Artist: Bran

Before coming to Ilion, Trace was the dear pet of a young girl named Mariana, who was the daughter of a commercial pilot. Mariana was a lonely girl, begrudgingly accustomed to her lonesome, as the nature of her father's job forced her and her family to move often.
During her teen years, Mariana was moved to a small city outside of Vancouver, where she ended up feeling even more isolated than before. Seeing how unhappy Mariana was, her father promised her this would be the last time they ever had to move—and to prove it, he adopted a dog from the local shelter for her. Her mother disapproved at first, but eventually relented; Mariana had begged many times before for a dog, but was always refused one due to their transitory circumstances. With the state her daughter was in now, it seemed like the time to finally oblige her.Mariana was thrilled to bits by the adorable husky puppy that was given to her. They hit it off, and quickly became inseparable. Mariana even went on to name her after the frontman of her favorite band. Mariana was never that good at making friends—but now, at last, she had a friend in Trace. When she wasn’t in school, the two of them would spend most of their time together; in better weather, the two would enjoy exploring the areas around their neighborhood, and when it was cold outside, they liked to turn to indoor activities. In particular, Trace was often dressed up and made the subject of impromptu photoshoots for MySpace. She wasn’t sure exactly what the point of it all was, but she was happy to wear tutus and have bows clipped into her fur to make Mariana smile.The good times unfortunately didn’t last, and the promise Mariana’s father made was inevitably broken. Her father wanted to move again, claiming that there was better money elsewhere, but Mariana’s mother was fed up. The conversation lead to a disastrous argument, which lead to a week long battle, and ultimately the decision to divorce. Trace wasn’t sure what was happening, but seeing her best friend so sad broke her heart. She did everything in her power to make her smile again, but her attempts at cheering her up were fruitless. Mariana's mother decided to take Mariana back home to Florida, refusing to bring Trace along. The last time the two saw one another, Mariana gave Trace her favorite bow, a big, tight hug, and a promise that one day they would see each other again.Trace was left with Mariana’s father, who quickly resolved to surrender her to a shelter as he wouldn't be able to take care of her. In the shelter, Trace was still dazed from losing her entire life in what felt like a blink of an eye—but she was thankful that she at least had company at the shelter. At first she was shy with other dogs, but it seemed to help to take her mind off of her losses by being outgoing. After not long, she opened up, and the same dog she once was with Mariana shined through, goofy and eager to please. It was here where the musher found her and was charmed by her colorful personality; she still needed training, but she was exceedingly obedient and willing to do her best, sometimes even overdoing it a little.Though Trace sometimes feels out of her element amongst so many talented and hardworking dogs, she hopes to become more like them and make the musher proud. The sanctuary may never be the same as her previous family home, but she has come to find it homey in a different way—and even when she’s shy, the other dogs make her feel like she’s part of a family again. Trace’s ultimate dream is to see Mariana again, or for Mariana to at least see her on TV—where she will find that Trace has still held onto her bow after all those years.

Musher's comment

"Despite her shy demeanor, Trace garnered the attention of the other dogs immediately upon her arrival. I mean, dogs can only see in yellow and blue, but that didn't stop them from being interested in all of the accessories and sparkles that she always wears. I was nervous that she'd be uncomfortable and overwhelmed by all of them asking her a thousand questions at once, but she didn't seem to mind at all which was a relief. In fact, I think her initial interaction with all of them helped her feel at ease during practice, because she worked so well with everyone during her first official race! It was a short race, but still! I was really proud of her. Since then she's participated in many races—And I haven't told her this, but I always seek out more notable sprint races for her to participate in. When she told me about how she wanted her original owner to see her, I made it my own goal to make that happen for her. There's yet to be a sprint race that has super popular coverage, but I won't give up! We've got the power of social media too! Oh—speaking of social media...When I first met Trace, I felt like I was being transported back to middle school. All of those early social media sites and fashion trends... Even though I grew up in a small village where malls and outlets weren't a thing, there were people in my class who managed to dress emo and scene! I mean, I guess they drove down to Anchorage to buy their clothes, but that's besides the point! It's cool that popular trends can make their way all the way up to small villages in the north! That's why I have hope that Trace's owner will see her again!"

🐾 Her favorite hobbies are dressing up/being dressed up, especially in insanely bright colors and patterns, and posing for photos
🐾 She loves making people happy, especially making them laugh, and does everything she can to meet that end; a real people's puppy!
🐾 She's named after Trace Cyrus, the lead singer of Metro Station

Name: Bonnie
Breed: Black Russian Terrier
From: Russia
Position: Lead
Team: Mid-distance
Artist: Tareo

Growing up, Bonnie idolized her big sister who was a police dog, and consequently decided to follow in her footsteps as soon as she grew old enough. She trained and trained, and was screened for acceptance into the force on several occasions, but failed to make the cut time and time again. Bonnie eventually grew fed up and threw in the towel. After what seemed like ages of hard work and seemingly endless ambition, Bonnie lost sight of her true potential and became aimless.Seeing Bonnie so deflated was greatly upsetting to her owner. They knew Bonnie needed to find something new to put her focus on, she needed to be reminded that she was so much more than what her prior setbacks seemed to suggest—no, she was adventurous, athletic, and incredibly observant above all. Following the advice of their peers, Bonnie’s owner brought her up to the snowy mountains for a hike together. While there, the two came across a small throng of dogs, as well as their owner—The Ilion sled dog team and their musher respectively. Bonnie was interested in the dogs and approached them by herself.She introduced herself and got along well with them, and in no time they ended up playing together. While they played, Bonnie’s owner got to talking with the group’s musher. Bonnie’s owner explained to the musher what Bonnie had gone through with police training, and how sad she’d been as a result of it ever since. The two owners then regarded Bonnie in the moment; she was finally happy again, keeping up with the other sled dogs like it was no problem as they played and ran around together.“Will you let us keep Bonnie?” The musher proposed, “she’s so energetic, and she gets along with the others so well. I think she’d make a great addition to our team.” It was hard for Bonnie’s owner to let her go, but in the end it made all the difference. They wanted her to be happy. She now thrives in her life as a sled dog, more lively than ever before.

Musher's comment

"Every musher is different when it comes to their lead dogs. Personally for me there are a lot of factors for choosing my leads, but there's also a certain something that I look for—That certain something is a secret though, and I've never told anyone what it is. No amount of begging from my dogs, friends, or colleagues will make me spill! But I can say with confidence that Bonnie had that certain something, and I noticed it the day that we met. It was a hasty decision on my part, but I made her lead for her very first race with us. I could tell that she was nervous and that the pressure made her feel like she was trying out to be a police dog again. But I assured her that she wasn't going to fail, that I trusted her and that I knew she was going to do great. In hindsight, I realize how selfish I was acting; something I don't often do with my dogs. Thankfully she trusted me, and with that trust we won the race that day! When I snapped out of my craze, the realization that I might've pushed her too hard set in, but she was grateful that I did. But if anyone was grateful, it was me! To have such a forgiving and understanding dog... And sorry to act selfish again, but I'm happy that Bonnie joined us. It's not even about finding a new lead or winning a race. I'm just happy that I met her, and the police academy is crazy for never choosing her. They're missing out on an incredible and hardworking dog! A-Anyways, I'm sorry for sounding a little crazy in this comment. Bonnie, you're an amazing dog! Thank you for always trusting in me!"

🐾 She loves the color black and cute things
🐾 She's described as being very laid back and calm when not training or racing
🐾 Her favorite genre of music is metal

Name: Hilda
Breed: Mackenzie river husky
From: Virginia, USA
Position: Team
Team: Sprint
Artist: Kitsy

Hilda came from a fairly average upbringing for a dog, being born in a small shelter with her littermates. Unfortunately, her litter came down with parvovirus and was moved to a foster home to recover. Despite the foster's best efforts, only one puppy survived. The foster had formed a bond with the little dog and decided to adopt her, giving her the name Hilda. Her new home became Winterhop Ski Resort, which her adopter owned and managed. There, she became accustomed to the snow at a young age and met many different kinds of people. She became a mascot for the resort, and spent her days charming guests and racing across the hills. Hilda was especially beloved by children, who were also her favorite guests to interact with. Extremely tolerant, she had no issues with loud or handsy toddlers clambering over her. This is where Hilda first dipped her paws into sled-racing; with the very humble beginning of pulling children around!Hilda's owner noticed her natural stamina and excitement when racing or pulling in the snow, but didn't nurture this passion much during their time together. Her world quickly changed when her owner retired and began the process of rehoming her. Hilda felt betrayed, but would later realize that her adopter was getting old and was planning to move somewhere where she would never have the opportunity to explore her greater potential as a sled dog. As Hilda had given the ski resort a bit of following on social media, the owner sent out a plea for any potential adopters who would take over her care and training—that's when the Ilion musher stepped in! After seeing Hilda on their feed a few times in the past, and reading all about her, the arrangements were made, and she was off to Alaska!Hilda is still adjusting to sled dog life. She is used to a carefree lifestyle of all-you-can-eat dog biscuits, naps by the fire, and constantly being doted on. She is noticeably more squishy than the other dogs, and not the best at making friends—but makes up for it with her determination and upbeat attitude!

Musher's comment

"I once visited the Winterhop Ski Resort many years ago for a short snowboarding trip during my college years—This was before Hilda was there. So when I saw on their social media that they had adopted a new dog and had made her the mascot, I quickly followed them! All of the posts made me want to visit the resort again, but with school, then graduating, then opening my clinic and kennel, I found my free time really limited. So I was disappointed when I found out that the owner had made a post about closing the resort down—but when I saw that he was looking to rehome Hilda, I jumped right to the opportunity! Hilda's experience as a ski resort mascot helps a lot when visitors and patients come to the sanctuary. She makes everyone feel welcomed and occasionally helps those struggling with stress—which is very handy when patients come in with sick pets. I've thought about asking her if she'd like to become a certified therapy animal, that way she could visit different facilities around town, but I've been so busy it keeps slipping my mind. But when I think about it again, I think she's happy doing what she's doing at the sanctuary. And given the fact that she prefers taking naps, it's probably better for her to just stick to one place instead of traveling around multiple times a day. So I'll ask her again when I feel like it's the right time. Until then, thank you for all your help, Hilda!"

🐾 She could nap the day away if given the opportunity
🐾 She loves interacting with tourists and guests that visit the sanctuary—Showing them an abundance of southern hospitality and charisma!
🐾 When interacting with other dogs, she tries to be "hip" and socialize. Some of the other dogs feel it's a bit (in their words) "cringe".
🐾 Dreams of one day being a mother, but romance flusters her too much!

Name: Aurora
Breed: Canadian Inuit dog
From: Canada (Yukon Territory)
Position: Lead
Team: Sprint
Artist: Nutritiousmilk

Aurora, named "Thistle" at birth, was born in a small town in the Yukon territory of Arctic Canada to a prolific competitive sledding team family.
Inquisitive in her youth, she loved the sights of the Arctic more than anything else, and was keen to join her siblings in cross-country races as a means to participate in competition and see even more of the world. When it came time to put her abilities to test, however, it was decided that she was not fit for the team, much to her dismay—she was the runt.Rather, it was deigned that she was to be the companion to the sickly first-born child of the family, who was originally thought to be the one who was to carry on the title of the key musher for the family, and the one who would continue their legacy of competitive sledding. Due to their health, this wasn't possible. Aurora was distraught—to her, it felt like a stinging irony for the runt to be stuck with someone who she could hardly view even view as an equal. It was as if the two of them were brought together only because they were both failures. Her self-confidence was dashed, and she would often lash out not only at someone she viewed as lesser, but also out of her own self-perceived inadequacy.Yet, her sickly companion would always, without fail, outstretch their hand. They would often take Aurora sledding on hikes, and she would not understand why or what for. It wasn't until she caught a glimpse of the beauty of the northern lights in the wilderness that she remembered what she really cared about from the start. This was when her companion gave her the name "Aurora." What started as deep seated resentment later turned into a greater sense of respect over the course of these hikes. They learned more from their companion—traversing the arctic, survival, and all sorts of practical things. They learned their companion shared in the appreciation for the natural world that she had, and journaled these thoughts surrounding the subject constantly, and although taken aback at first, Aurora grew a greater appreciation for the craft, and gained a sense of worldliness.These idyllic days and nights would not last forever, though. Aurora's companion would deteriorate further, to the point where these hikes were no longer a possibility. Wanting for Aurora to be with other dogs, to see more of the world, and to give her another chance at a life of competition-- one that they couldn't have due to their sickliness—entrusted her to a friend, the Ilion musher. They left Aurora with a personal journal to remark about all the sights, to one day bring back for them to read. It became her most treasured keepsake. She never shares this journal with anyone else because of the personal message left for her on the first page of the journal—a message that gave her the absolute resolution to pursue something greater for herself at the sanctuary.

Musher's comment

"Aurora's owner and I had met ages ago as kids cause our grandfathers were long time friends and mushing rivals. I remember their grandfather's dogs and how impressive they were, and how my grandfather would jokingly gloat about how he always won against him. Before they became sick, Aurora's owner had declared me their rival and said we'd both race each other when we were older; just like our grandfathers. At the time, I wasn't interested in mushing and only wanted to take care of animals, so I had laughed off their declaration many times. Even though the memories are something I cherish, I can't help but frown due to the circumstances that my old friend has had to face over the years. Now we couldn't be the rivals they wanted us to be, especially now that I'm a musher. That being said, this made it even harder for me to accept Aurora from them, and I knew she didn't want to part ways with them either. In private, her owner had told me about her past and what a wonderful dog she was. I believed she was wonderful without a doubt, but seeing Aurora run for myself made the story of her being born a runt almost too hard to believe. She's an incredible racer; tenacious, observant, and not to mention fast! She truly was born for this sport! I'm so proud of her and how far she's come since her arrival here. I try to keep my friend updated about her as much as possible. They're just as proud of her as I am, and grateful that I've given her the chance to finally race; but I'm the one who's grateful! Thank you for allowing me to give her the chance to—You two together would've made formidable rivals!"

🐾 Hiking, camping, journaling, and gazing at the night sky are some of her hobbies
🐾 Her journal is precious to her and she doesn't allow anyone to see inside

Name: Hyoji
Breed: Mackenzie River Husky
From: South Korea
Position: Team
Team: Mid-distance
Artist: Ini

Hyoji was a gift to a newly wedded couple in celebration of their future together. The newlyweds were totally unprepared for how much extra work a puppy would quickly end up to be, but they decided to keep him anyways. For a while, the little family of three got on much better than they’d initially expected. But as incompatibility between Hyoji’s owners began to emerge through the trials and tribulations of daily life, the bubble was inevitably burst before any of them could really settle into it.As he grew, so too did the chaos. The fights between the couple became increasingly frequent and worse each time, eventually leading up to an explosive breakup and several legal battles going forward. The two people Hyoji cared about the most were now at odds with each other—and try as he might to alleviate their pain, his presence appeared to be more of a burden than a thing of comfort. When the whole calamity finally rolled to its end, Hyoji was dropped off at a dog shelter, never to reunite with his owners again. Everything that had happened had molded Hyoji into a very shy individual, his self-esteem in the dumps. It took a certain amount of energy to get anyone to notice him that he just didn’t have. His long, lonely stay at the shelter seemed to drag on forever.One lucky day, by some miracle, Hyoji was picked up by the Ilion musher during their visit to South Korea. After his transfer to Ilion Sanctuary, he quickly found himself fascinated by watching the other dogs race on the sled team. It didn’t take long for him to gather up the courage and ask to join. Now he’s a permanent part of the team; a hard working asset that shines bright despite his reserved attitude, healing by the day.

Musher's comment

"I was surprised by how active and energetic Hyoji is, given that he's incredibly shy. Like many of my other huskies, he has a natural talent for racing. But unfortunately, he's way too hard on himself when he makes a mistake. Sometimes the mistake wouldn't even be his fault and he'll still blame himself for it. He tends to dwell on these minor things for too long to the point where it affects his behavior. Whether it's not being fast enough, not turning in time, listening to instructions wrong; he perceives it all as something wrong with him. I try to reassure him all the time that it's not true. Personally, to me, my dogs never make intentional mistakes, because it's my duty as their musher and owner to guide them on the right path. So if it's anyone's fault, it's mine. But making mistakes is part of growing, for both humans and dogs, and in the end neither of us should beat ourselves up over it. And if I have to remind him of that a million times more, then so be it cause I hope one day he'll see what I see in him– an incredibly hardworking and talented sled dog!"

🐾 He likes to be outside and will follow the other dogs around, sometimes annoying the other dog in the process.
🐾He likes to dig holes in the snow for long periods of time, sometimes to the point where he is unable to get out and has to be assisted by the others.
🐾He carries around a teddy bear that he likes to chew on, and hides it if he isn't able to take it with him.

Name: Olive
Breed: Chowsky (Chow Chow Husky Mix)
From: South Korea
Position: Team
Team: Sprint
Artist: n/a

Olive is a former blue ribbon show dog, renowned for her luxurious coat and well-kept, immaculate appearance. During her time with her previous owner, a handful of posts featuring Olive alone were enough to have their [Instagram] account booming, with each installment going viral soon after posting. While it was a good thing at first, after being preoccupied with beauty for some time, Olive ultimately grew bored with it, and with the simplicity of her career. She began to yearn for a new ambition, a new skill to hone in on. She wanted to be more than just a spectacle.It didn’t take long for her owner to catch onto the shift in energy; Olive just didn’t seem to have her heart in it anymore. After a little bit of soul-searching, Olive confided in her owner that she wanted to try her hand at agility; a weak point of hers, but an interest nonetheless. As good as they had it, her owner wanted her to be happy. They ditched the pursuit of glamour together and worked to find a way to make Olive’s wish possible.Through asking some friends for advice on where and how to train, Olive's owner learned about Ilion sanctuary and how their sled team is usually open for new trainees. Oblivious to the intensity of sled-dog racing, they contacted Ilion's musher and signed her up to join the team.Needless to say, Olive wasn't exactly prepared for the rigorous training at first, but she adapted very quickly and never once gave up, even when it got tough. While difficult, it felt natural. With her shining ambition and tenacity, it wasn’t hard for Ilion’s musher to see Olive's great potential as a sled dog. After her first few weeks of training, the musher made an agreement with the owner to put her on the team full-time. Olive, always loving a challenge, happily complied—with the condition that she’d get to visit the dog spa at least twice a month.

Musher's comment

"Thanks to Olive and many of my other ex-show and model dogs, I've come to appreciate the dog beauty world. I've slowly been gaining knowledge on it, and I even took a few classes! But because of my busy schedule, I never completed the certification, so I only have surface-level knowledge. Show dog competitions are no joke; many of my dogs who participated in them can tell you about their rigorous training regimes from those days. But even though they're highly competitive and challenging, they're not the same as sled dog racing. There's a high-risk factor in racing, so I get anxious when I have an ex-show dog transitioning into the sport; because there tends to be an issue with over-confidence. That being said, Olive has significantly improved since her arrival. One might say it’s thanks to her husky side, but Olive has proven time and time again that she has the determination and power to overcome any obstacle thrown her way. Even when there was danger, she was never too scared and pushed forward like it was nothing! Because of how hard she and the others have been working, I feel inspired and plan on finishing my dog grooming certification. Wish me luck, Olive!"

🐾 Favorite foods are fresh, raw tuna and eggs. (They are good for a dog's shiny coat!)
🐾 She's usually grooming herself, or braiding/accessorizing another dog's coat during her downtime.

Name: Ccino
Breed: Newfoundland
From: Tohoku, Japan
Position: Team/swing
Team: Long
Artist: Rio

Ccino was born to a large litter of rescue dogs destined to offer protection and assistance, but with the rapidly declining population of her home, she and her siblings had little use. She tried to look on the bright side—It was good that humans weren't in danger! But her home felt lonely, and it was heartbreaking to know that her beautiful home, once sprawling with life and culture, was disappearing. Push came to shove, and the association she was born to sought out adoptees who could utilize their skills. That is when Ccino met the Ilion musher, who had been visiting friends in Japan. She wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of going to another cold region, but the desire to help those around her burned like a little candle in her heart that could easily melt away ice. It was then that she decided to go forward with moving to Alaska and left with the musher.Ccino never thought the winters could get any worse, but she was proven wrong the moment she arrived in Alaska. Thankfully, the frigid cold was overshadowed by the liveliness of the sanctuary. She found it comforting—This was the type of life she wished her old home had. It was bittersweet to know that there was no way things could change for the better there. With a heavy heart, she shook her head and told herself she would no longer look at the past. From then on, she would enjoy her new life at Ilion.

Musher's comment

"I don't think any other dog at the sanctuary despises the cold as much as Ccino. Some dogs here aren't naturally adapted to the winters-- In fact, some dogs are from hot regions, and yet they love winters more than her. But unsurprisingly, if emergencies happen outside in the freezing cold, she's always the first one out there! One time, Yukola escaped into town looking for me during a blizzard, and Ccino brought her safely home. That was one of the few times I saw her initial training as a rescue dog in action. After much thought, I approached her and asked her if she wanted to work at the clinic. That way, during her down time, she could have something to do and stay warm. She happily obliged and got to work almost immediately. She's a great help around the clinic, and her knowledge of first-aid is impressive. Next time I take a trip somewhere warm, I'll be taking her as a thank-you for all her hard work!"

🐾 The Kanji on her leg spells out "日本救助犬" [Japan's search and rescue dogs]. These dogs are trained to help during times of natural and man-made disasters.
🐾 She works part-time at the vet clinic with the musher
🐾 Loves watching TV shows with reports on faraway lands
🐾She hates the cold, but she can easily endure it; it's more of a preference
🐾 She usually isn't seen far away from the fireplace
🐾 Her dream is to live somewhere warm and tropical
🐾 She can seem distant at times but she's very affectionate when given attention
🐾 She loves playing/chewing on hard toys and is often seen with one

Name: Kamira
Breed: Chow/Samoyed mix
From:New Jersey, USA
Position: Team
Team: Mid-distance
Artist: LOVEGUTZ

Before speeding down a snowy path, Kamira was an esteemed dog model—Her thick, soft coat and willingness to listen to instructions made her famous within the modeling industry. Many photographers considered her to be the picture-perfect model for their shoots. Over the years, she lost interest in her career and became bored with everyday life. All of her accomplishments and prizes came too easy for her within the industry, and it all became meaningless to her; she needed something more. She wanted to see if she could do something challenging, something that would make her heart race from the neverending excitement.In a twist of perfect fate, Kamira met the Ilion musher—They saw her interview about wanting to do things other than modeling. They reached out to her in hopes of giving her a new challenging opportunity in life. When Kamira learned about sled dog racing, she became ecstatic and joined without hesitation. She would never admit this to her old owner, but she secretly loved getting dirty and playing. Many years ago, she would go into the woods during family outings and play in the snow, making her owner angry. Now at Ilion, she was able to express that puppy-like joy as much as she wanted!Kamira got the challenge she had been looking for as racing proved to be more challenging than she had anticipated. But with her strength, ability to follow orders, lots of training, and support from her teammates, she eventually became a "model" sled dog (pun intended)!

Musher's comment

"Due to Kamira's previous occupation as a model, she was already experienced in being confident and motivated. But although she enjoys a good challenge, she underestimated how difficult sled dog racing could be. She admittedly came in headstrong and made many mistakes in the beginning (which is completely fine, whether you're a beginner or veteran!). Thankfully, instead of letting that get her down, her resolve to improve only grew stronger. She was confident in her skills and ability to improve and never once let her mistakes during practice define herself as a sled dog; at least, that's what she wanted others to see. She tried not to show it, but I could sense that Kamira was struggling to ask for help. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she was still new to the idea of being a team player. I think this is because she wanted to keep up the perfect image she was used to when modeling, and was too embarrassed to admit when she needed help. And so, no matter how many times she told me, "I got this," I continued to give her my support in any way I could. And I'm glad I did so because Kamira eventually picked up and learned from this. Now, she's improving every day, and she’s not afraid to admit when she needs help! I'm proud of her!"

🐾 She's one of the tallest dogs at the sanctuary (6'2")!
🐾 Does nail art even though she can't wear them due to racing
🐾 Loves to sew and make plushies
🐾 She can see perfectly fine through her bangs
🐾The heart on her sash is a carving Newfie made for her. He was her first friend at the sanctuary.
🐾Dyed her bangs to match her tongue

(Retired)
Name: Cheremsha
Breed: Yakutian laika
From: Sahka Republic, Russia
Position: Former lead
Team: N/A
Artist: Roby

Cheremsha is currently being rehabilitated at the Ilion sanctuary.

🐾 Cheremsha and Yukola were both at one point owned by the musher, Akhill, before arriving at the Ilion sanctuary.
🐾 Though she's not an active team member, merchandise of her is currently available on the site and all related purchases go towards her rehabilitation

Name: Newfie
Breed: St. Bernard
From: Newfoundland, Canada
Position: Lead
Team: Sprint
Artist: m

Newfie was a rescue dog that spent most of his life in the deep snowy mountains of Newfoundland, Canada. He was always there to guide people to safety, whether it be lost skiers, snowboarders, hikers, or even unlucky locals.One day, during the Chickpea Challenge mushing competition (mid-distance; 200 miles), a heavy snowstorm had hit the course, and one of the teams was thrown off the trail and stranded. Newfie was tasked with finding them and bringing them back onto the trail. He successfully found them and put them back on their course—and somehow, without realizing it, he ended up accompanying them to the finish line. Despite the significant detour, the team had won first place, and it was all thanks to Newfie's help. Getting to experience the victory with them inspired him, and from that day forward, Newfie knew he wanted to become a sled dog.Leaving his job on good terms, he sought out the Ilion sanctuary and asked to join the team. Recognizing him, the musher of Ilion was overjoyed and quickly welcomed him in, and after some time, got him established as part of their team.

Musher's comment

"Even before Newfie had asked if he could join the team, I saw the potential for a lead dog in him. Without him, we would’ve never made first place, let alone finish the race! But it wasn’t about winning at all; it was about the confidence he gave the other dogs when guiding us and the way he accompanied the lead dog like a natural. The funny thing is, Newfie comes across as a different dog at the sanctuary. He appears lazy sometimes, which can cause commotions between him and the other dogs, especially during training. Somehow he's always getting his paws on alcohol, and every time I take it away, he's got a new bottle. No idea where he keeps getting it from, but one day I'll figure it out. But regardless of that, he's always dependable no matter what. I don’t regret entrusting him as my lead because I know that I can always count on him!"

🐾 Newfie is first aid certified, and his equipment is carried on the sled during races. He assists in medical emergencies alongside Lạnh.
🐾 He likes wood-working and loves to carve toys for the other dogs
🐾 During his downtime he loves drinking brandy, even if it's not allowed on sanctuary grounds. He may or may not secretly brew the brandy himself.

Name: Biko
Breed: Alaskan Malamute
From: Norbotten, Sweden
Position: Swing
Team: Mid-distance
Artist: Woyoo

Biko is an energetic, friendly, and loyal pup born and raised in Norrbotten, Sweden, by a devoted woodworker. He owned a small workshop just outside of town, and Biko would spend her days as a companion to him, helping him by carrying lumber from lumber yards to his workshop. When she wasn’t working, she spent most of her time observing and admiring the fine craftsmanship that her owner brought to life. Through that, she grew a deep-rooted appreciation for woodwork. Her life was peaceful, and she enjoyed living with the old man. But it was undeniable that she was too energetic for him. While on walks, she would pull too hard and cause him to stumble. While making her way through his workshop, she’d accidentally knock things over. Sometimes she would even chew on his artwork, aware that it would get her in trouble, yet unable to resist her canine urges. The woodworker would get upset with her, but he found it tough to stay mad at her for long. More often than not, he’d forgive her almost instantly. He could always carve another sculpture after all.But because of his old age and the sheer amount of energy Biko had, it ultimately became too difficult for him to handle her. His heart broke at the thought of parting with her, but he felt it was best to find her an owner that could properly match her level of energy—someone to give her the proper space and time to run and play. Before he could take Biko to a shelter, the Ilion musher had visited the shop in hopes of bringing a souvenir back home. When the woodworker learned of their profession, he offered Biko to them, asking if they could take care of her and let her be part of their team.Although the musher was always happy to take a new dog under their wing, they could tell that parting with Biko was too hard for the old man; but they came to understand the circumstances. And so the musher accepted Biko into the Ilion sanctuary and sled team, promising the man that his dog was in good hands. Biko was devastated at first. She didn’t want to leave her home, nearly believing that she did something terrible and was being sent away because of it. But after a bit of reassurance and careful explanation, she understood. And so, out of the love she had for her old owner, she accepted her new home in Alaska. Before leaving, she promised the woodworker that she would send him lumber from all over the world so that they can stay connected.

Musher's comment

"I’ll be honest and say that at first, I felt guilty for bringing Biko to the Ilion sanctuary, even though I was asked to. She was down for a while when she arrived, and I did everything I could to make her feel at home. Thankfully the other dogs were quick to befriend her, and it wasn’t long before she was her cheerful self that I first saw when I visited Sweden. Sometimes i’s hard to contain her energy, but I’m glad she’s feeling comfortable now. She’s excellent when it comes to training, sometimes clumsy but always moving forward no matter what. Unfortunately, she tends to get distracted on the trail and will collect sticks for me to send back to Sweden. Sometimes the sticks are whole branches from trees, which are impossible to ship. I didn’t want to upset her, so I came up with the idea of taking the branches and carving them into small pieces of art just like her owner. She was already very talented at it, and some carvings she makes we display around the clinic (It has also made shipping a lot more reasonable)."

🐾 She loves collecting sticks and twigs, burying them, chewing them, and sometimes carving them to create art
🐾 Self taught herself the "how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood" tongue twister without fail

Name: Gau
Breed: Alaskan malamute
From: Saskatchewan, Canada
Position: Team/wheel (former lead)
Team: Long-distance
Artist: Designed by Pkotetsu, art by Roby

As a young pup, Gau was brought up on a farm, where he spent his days doing various farm chores, herding cattle, and whatnot. The farm’s owner passed away some years down the line, and Gau was adopted by one of the owner’s close friends who worked at a nearby coal mine. Gau was then trained as a mining dog, helping miners with various tasks that required a good amount of pulling strength. During this time, Gau befriended a fellow dog named Bona, who also worked in the mines.Bona was a former explosive detecting dog who was retired and rehomed after suffering minor injuries while working. While he was supposed to live a comfortable life, he became a nuisance to his owners and ended up putting him up for adoption. After some time, he was adopted by a coal miner who brought him to the mines for work. Gau and Bona bonded and quickly became very close. They would often have friendly pulling competitions with each other as make-believe sled dogs. Strong as he was, Gau almost always won, but he couldn’t help but let Bona win every once and a while. His time with Bona made long and grueling days feel short and fun. Their friendship quickly became a precious thing.On one fateful day, an underground explosion caused the walls to collapse on many of the mine’s workers and dogs, one of them being Bona. Gau rushed to his friend’s aid, but when he had finally found him, it was too late. All of the victims of the incident had succumbed to the collapsed rubble. The mines were shut down permanently, and the dogs that remained there were relocated to new homes all across Canada. Gau was inconsolable and incredibly temperamental after the incident and was immediately put into a pound as a result of his behavior.He became reclusive, making it nearly impossible for potential adopters to see his personality or his true potential. After some time, all of the other dogs in the pound were adopted off, Gau being the only one left. His time was running out, as the shelter was going to be closed down too. Just when Gau thought it was the end for him, he was adopted by a musher from Alaska. He was brought to his new home, where he was given a nice place to sleep and warm food. Gau continued to be closed off, but the musher was patient with him and allowed him to open up at his own pace. Gau eventually learned about the sled team and grew an interest in it. The more he learned, the more he was reunited with the joy of when he and Bona would pretend to be sled dogs together in the mines. Wanting to find that feeling again, he joined the team officially.

Musher's comment

"Gau was one of the original lead dogs on my long-distance team, but I moved his position to team/wheel after a few races. This was a completely mutual decision, though! There’s nothing wrong with his ability to lead; in fact, he’s one of the best lead dogs! But without getting into too much detail, Gau still has a lot on his mind, and I think he doesn’t want to jeopardize the team potentially. I gave him a small plot of land in the corner of the sanctuary to relive his farm days and so that he can have some peace to himself. When he's not training, he's always planting new crops and bringing us vegetables for our various meals. However, there was a period when he stopped participating in training to just farm all day for weeks. I was worried about him during that time as he closed himself off again, but he returned to training not long after, raring to go! Even if he never wanted to race again, I would completely understand. But I think deep down; Gau missed being around the other dogs. Some of the other dogs can be pretty rough and wild, but he always seems to get them under control."

🐾 The musher gave him a small plot of land to farm vegetables and fruit, but sometimes the other dogs vandalize his crops (he doesn't seem to mind though).
🐾 He loves growing oats and making oatmeal for the other dogs!

Name: Kima
Breed: Siberian Husky
From: Alaska, USA
Position: Lead/team
Team: Mid-distance
Artist: SabrinaBackground:

Kima was born to a Siberian husky litter that belonged to a famous Alaskan photographer. She was the lucky one of the bunch, sometimes getting to accompany the photographer on his many trips around Alaska. When she grew older, the photographer taught her how to use a camera, giving her an old hand-me-down as a gift. It would be an excellent hobby for Kima, he thought. Something to keep her entertained while he was away on work trips overseas.During this time, she became obsessed with photography, becoming fixated and taking photos of anything and everything remotely interesting. When the photographer would return from his trips, he would review her photos, noticing that most of her photos were smudged or blurred. Despite the dozens of wasted films, he encouraged her and even allowed her to become his apprentice. Kima did her best to hone her photography skills, as she wanted to impress the photographer and take the very best pictures of the beautiful world around her. During one trip, the photographer was hired to take photos for an upcoming sled dog competition being held in Iceland. It was a relatively small sprint competition, and the length of it was only 20km. Here the photographer met the Ilion musher, who had brought only four dogs with them.Kima mingled with the dogs and took candid photos of them, showing them off and laughing together at the silliness. During the race, Kima continued to take pictures of the dogs. When reviewing the photos, she felt proud of how amazing they came out and felt invigorated and inspired. Seeing the dogs race and have fun with each other made her wish she could experience the world with them. When they arrived home, Kima told the photographer that she wanted to join the Ilion team, and as always, the photographer encouraged her. He knew they’d keep in touch, after all. The photographer called the Ilion musher, and together they made arrangements for her arrival. And just like that, Kima fit right in. A perfect match. Every once and a while, she sends photos to the photographer as mementos of her many races around the world.

Musher's comment

"Kima is one of my lead dogs on my long-distance team. She took over for Gau a while ago, and she's been giving it her all ever since. While she's technically "inexperienced," I wasn't hesitant in making her my new lead dog. Just from training, she has shown all the natural qualities of a leader! She's also got a down-to-earth personality and knows when to get serious, which seems to have a positive effect on the other dogs. Usually, the other dogs can kick up a fuss about me choosing lead dogs, but they follow her without a problem! And she gets along great with my other long-distance lead, Tuija. I wrote to her original owner and told him all about her promotion and how great she's performing, and as a gift, he gave her a brand new camera. That camera takes the clearest photos I've ever seen, and it's her pride and joy. I know I just praised the other dogs for behaving well with her, but sometimes the other dogs tamper with her cameras, and then that's when all hell breaks loose!"

🐾 She takes most of the photos for the sanctuary website (Thank you, Kima!)
🐾 She's incredibly friendly and loves making small talk with the other dogs, but overall she prefers being by herself

Name: Alto
Breed: Samoyed/Rough Collie Mix
From: Palmer, Alaska
Position: Team
Team: Mid-distance
Artist: Mikky

Alto was born to a litter of four; her father was a rough collie, and her mother, Tosca, was a samoyed. All of Alto's siblings were adopted except for her, allowing her to grow up close with her mother.Tosca was a former sled dog, and –while not particularly famous– her team did gain decent renown. Alto would spend her days running with her mother, who taught her everything she knew about racing. She loved every second of her daily routine; running and playing with her mom during the day and curling up in bed with her owner at night. For Alto, this was the true meaning of happiness.One quiet morning, their owner left to go for a hike as she usually did on the weekends. All seemed to be fine until their owner failed to show up that evening. At first, Alto thought maybe she was just running late. But then days passed, and she still had not returned home. Tosca felt it was her duty to look for her, so she and Alto left to search through the vast Alaskan wilderness. The search was challenging and grueling; Tosca often sacrificed her food and energy to keep her daughter alive as it was wearing Alto down just as much. After a week of searching, they eventually ended up on the side of a highway, where a concerned onlooker pulled over and picked them up. Learning of what had happened, the onlooker told the two that their owner was most likely dead; after all, the Alaskan wilderness was treacherous and unforgiving. This revelation broke the two, but they had to accept the harsh truth. The onlooker dropped them off at a shelter, where they were kept in a small, cramped enclosure.The treacherous journey proved to be too much for Tosca, and she knew she didn't have much longer. Staying close to her in her final days, Alto swore to her mother that they would get out of the shelter and be free again. The following morning, her mother passed on. Overcome with grief, Alto found the strength to break out of her enclosure and run away as far as she could.As she ran, she felt as if her mother was beside her, which gave her the strength to go on for miles. And through a stroke of luck, her legs gave out at the exact moment she had reached the Ilion sanctuary. The Musher quickly found her and took her in to nurse her back to health. When Alto woke up, she was energized and opened up to the Musher about everything that had happened; her owner disappearing and her mother passing. Despite the tragedies she had faced, she explained to them that it felt as if her mother guided her to the sanctuary; it felt like a sign. Alto decided to stay at the sanctuary, regaining her strength and eventually recovering emotionally from the loss. She learned about the Musher's sled team and felt like it truly was a blessing from her mother. Through this, Alto joined the team and found a new place to call her home.

Musher's comment

"Alto is a very talented racer, but due to her eye condition, I have to give her regular check ups, especially leading up to a race. Thankfully, she's learned to keep her eyes closed during races—but even so, I can't help but feel anxious sometimes, considering how unpredictable the weather can be. I'm sure I come across as irresponsible to the other mushers for keeping her on the team, but removing her would crush her. She's been through so much and racing is incredibly important to her. I try to find solace in the fact that there have been other visually impaired dogs in racing history that were able to race just fine—in fact, Alto adapted to her condition much faster than the rest, and I'm really proud of her! Anyways, I'll stop being so dramatic because as long as she's under my care and is happy and smiling, then she can race to her heart's content!"

🐾 She's a bit absent-minded if she’s not directly engaged in an activity and tends to stare off into space
🐾 She loves music and playing instruments thanks to her previous owner
🐾 The musher gave her a heated blanket because she has difficulty sleeping without the warmth of another dog (She still likes to sleep next to others)
🐾 Her favorite food is salmon and pig ears
🐾 Developed CEA (Collie Eye Anomaly) at a young age. While she isn't fully blind, her vision is poor in her left eye, so she learned to rely on smelling/hearing. Thus she tends to run with her eyes closed.

Name: Misha
Breed: Tan Siberian Husky
From: Russia
Position: Team
Team: Sprint
Artist: Lisa

Misha was born to a Siberian Husky dog breeding family in Russia. Rebellious and a troublemaker from a young age, she ran away in her early years to pursue a life in the wilderness, which caused her ability to speak to lag behind. However, she enjoyed the freedom of running around at her will, hunting whatever food she needed, and overall enjoying the sights of the vast Russian forests and mountains. But despite her freedom, Misha often got lonely—she lacked the social interaction she wanted and wished for a friend. Eventually, Ilion's musher found her running outside of a small town by chance. They noticed Misha's energy and speed and thought she'd make a perfect new addition to their team. However, Misha didn't quite understand the concept of mushing, and it was difficult for the musher to explain it to her because of how energetic she was. Once Misha calmed down, she finally understood and excitingly accepted. Misha no longer spent her days alone in the Russian wilderness now that she had an abundant amount of friends. Now at Ilion, she has gotten much better at speaking and has come to enjoy racing and spending time with musher.

Musher's comment

"It's a given that puppies want to play instead of train, and Misha was no exception. I don't train or play with puppies very often, so looking after her was fun, and it reminded me of my early days as a musher. But I underestimated just how energetic she was. The older and more experienced dogs quickly became so frustrated with her that I soon had no choice but to pull her out of practice. All Misha wanted to do was play and make friends, and I felt guilty for jumping the gun and being too eager to have her on my team, so I took a break from training to spend time with her. During our time together, we decided to explore the sanctuary and its outskirts. We found a bunch of hidden treasures; toys and bones alike—and even a wolverine den in the forest. I even let her help me around the office a couple of times, but that was short-lived, as Jacky wasn't thrilled about having her around. Fortunately, Misha grew on her. As time passed, she eventually mellowed out enough to start training for races again. Honestly, I enjoyed the break and didn't want it to end so soon, but seeing Misha motivated got me off my feet and back onto the sled!"

🐾 Misha is easily amused and enjoys doing a little bit of everyone's hobbies, as long as they don't mind her company.
🐾 She enjoys running around, bird watching, relaxing in the hot springs, and is often daydreaming
🐾 She loves small forest critters, especially rabbits
🐾 She puts a lot of value on her first picture with the musher, so she keeps it in her jacket pocket at all times.
🐾 While she is a picky eater, she mostly enjoys hot seafood and hearty meals
🐾 She gets injured easily because of overexertion, but has a high pain tolerance, so she usually puts a band-aid on it and shrugs it off.

Name: Olivier
Breed: Alaskan Malamute
From: Denali, Alaska
Position: Wheel
Team: Long-distance
Artist: Tazumar

Olivier is an Alaskan Malamute bred in a small town near Denali, Alaska. She was adopted by a French-Canadian CEO, who brought her back to Montreal as a gift to his wife. He was rarely home, so he took Olivier in hopes that she would keep his wife company. However, the excitement of having a new dog quickly wore off, and she became bored of Olivier and often neglected her because of it. Without a true pack leader to train her, Olivier became disobedient and feisty, destroying furniture and ignoring commands. The larger she grew, the harder she was to control, and the wife became frightful. She soon decided that Olivier wasn’t worth the hassle and surrendered her to a local shelter.This made Olivier distrustful of humans and possessing a strangely aloof nature for a Malamute; it made it hard for her keepers to find someone who would adopt her. Otherwise, she got along very well with the other shelter dogs, finding them much more friendly and intelligent than any human. One day, the Ilion Musher passed through Montreal and caught sight of a shelter volunteer walking Olivier. She was being incredibly disobedient, dragging the volunteer—a full-grown man—across the path. Rather than helping the volunteer, the musher was impressed with Olivier’s strength and excitedly praised her for it. They asked the volunteer about her and learned that she was up for adoption at the local shelter.The musher took the chance and adopted her right away, recruiting her onto their mushing team. At first, Olivier was defiant towards the musher, but they didn't give up on her, making sure to give her the guidance and attention she had never received as a puppy. With time, she began to love being part of the team and came to find trust in the musher, soon finally accepting them as her pack leader.

Musher's comment

"Training Olivier was super tough. She was very stubborn, and her strength is uncontested. But even after the multiple injuries I've sustained, I never gave up on her. She had a great distrust of humans when I brought her to the sanctuary, and so I worked hard to show her that I was trustworthy. "Even if other humans in the world let you down, I won't!" That's what I kept telling her—I know, super corny. It annoyed her too, but I was serious! I tried so many different things that I can't remember what made her smile at me for the first time. Alaska can be gloomy for days on end, but I swear the sun shined on her when she finally started to trust me. I'd take the beatings all over to see that first smile again! I almost considered her for lead dog with how well she listens to me now! But... When we tried it out during training, she was so strong she ended up dragging everyone across the dirt trail. Thankfully, she's happy with being a wheel dog. It's where she gets to show off her true strength!"

🐾 One of the tallest dogs at the sanctuary (6'4")
🐾 She's very tomboyish and loves rough housing and wrestling with the other dogs. Sometimes she'll sit on the smaller dogs that are causing problems because she knows they can't do anything about it.
🐾 She dislikes real fighting between any of the dogs, and will be quick to break it up
🐾 Even though she trusts the musher, she is still very wary of other humans who are on sanctuary grounds (even volunteers/workers). She'll end up intimidating them to leave, to which the musher has to step in and tell her to stop.
🐾 Tug-O-War is her favorite activity; she always wins!
🐾 She loves chewing on stuff, especially moose bones and furniture.

Name: Tuija
Breed: Alaskan Husky
From: Rovaniemi, Finland
Position: Lead
Team: Long-distance
Artist: Kaj

Tuija is a sled dog legend and veteran hailing from Rovaniemi, Finland: one of the mushing capitals of the world. The sound of the wind in her ears, the thrill of running, and the vast, beautiful scenery of the mountains are some reasons that make racing her passion, but above all else is that she loves to win. She was incredibly popular in Scandinavia and still holds a celebrity status to this day.While Tuija did love the spotlight, her teammates and musher let it get to their heads, and they began to rely too much on her. They started to slack off and goof around during races and no longer put any effort into it. They began to fall behind in competition, causing Tuija to pick up the slack when she shouldn’t have had to. She eventually grew fed up, and after winning an 800km race in Canada, she decided to quit. As she left the team, not once turning back to say goodbye, her former teammates were left in shock. Despite her cold exit, she still felt hugely disappointed that things had to come to that. Soon before getting ready for her departure back to Finland, she caught sight of another team that had just arrived at the finish line.Even though the team had finished last, they showed a certain passion and excitement that reminded her of how things used to be. It got to her in some way, deep inside. She approached the team’s musher and asked if she could join them, and all of the dogs were in disbelief: “The famous racing legend Tuija wants to join the Ilion racing team!” They were somewhat of a new sled team then, not even fully formed yet. Despite being a celebrity, the legendary Tuija wanted to join their team. The musher of Ilion welcomed her with open arms, and from there, she began to race with them. Her old team felt betrayed, and through her departure, the Ilion sled team had gained a rival, determined to win against Tuija. But she pays no attention to them, as she firmly believes that no one can win against her.

Musher's comment

"I'm still in shock that Tuija wanted to join my team. She's one of the best lead dogs in the world, and she's got a HUGE fanbase. I remember following her races during my early mushing days, hoping to find a lead dog like her one day. I was shaken up for a while when she first joined for many reasons—But she trusted me greatly from the get-go, and so I had to put on my game face! Unfortunately, even before Tuija's arrival, we haven't won first place for any long-distance competitions. We've come close, but even with Tuija's help, we still fall short a few places. I know the other dogs want to win too, so it's not just Tuija that's feeling the disappointment. As a way to compensate for the losses, I offered to place her as my lead dog on my sprint/mid-distance team (since that team wins more first places), but she was adamant on long-distant races. Honestly, I was anxiously waiting for her to leave us, but she thankfully hasn't! She told me that she wants to make Ilion her permanent home. Even if we don't win, our passion for racing is something that she missed greatly. Also, I think she gets satisfaction knowing that we beat any "rival" team (especially her old team) even if we fall short of first. I have to say, I don't consider any other team a rival to Ilion, but I agree that it is pretty satisfying to beat those who view us as such. I don't want anyone to look down on my dogs! They're amazing, and I swear we'll get first place in a long-distance race one day! I promise!"

🐾 She always wears her mask even during casual hours, and has
never been seen without it on
🐾 The huge Tuija fanbase in Scandinavia is known as
"Naamioidut Tulirevot" and fans refer to themselves as "Tulirepo"
🐾 She's very big on beauty, and loves to upkeep her appearance. She always has new products imported from all over the world.

Name: Tanya
Breed: Samoyed
From: Alaska, USA
Position: Lead
Team: Mid-distance
Artist: Marimo

As a young pup, Tanya was adopted from a disreputable breeder by a young newly-wed couple. A few red flags surrounded the breeder, but the couple completely disregarded any of the warnings, too desperate to own a Samoyed puppy. They believed that he was a perfect match for their budding family, and for a good time, he was. But when the day came that the couple had a baby of their own, they realized that they now had their plate full with things like working and raising a child, and that left no room for dealing with a rambunctious puppy. Tanya also had minor health issues resulting from his breeder’s neglect. His new owners ultimately decided that they didn’t have the extra cash or time needed to address these issues adequately. The pair took Tanya to a local sanctuary, dropping him off at the doorstep without a proper goodbye.Fortunately for Tanya, he was dropped off at the Ilion sanctuary. But being severed from the people he loved had already taken its toll and traumatized him. His usual upbeat and energetic personality quickly hid away, and he became practically mute due to what had happened. The musher of Ilion spent extra time with him to properly address his health issues and bond with him in hopes that he would open up. Tanya steadily grew closer with them and soon enough became determined to be the best dog he could be for the musher.By the time he reached full maturity, he had become one of the tallest and strongest dogs in the sanctuary. Because of his huge size, he can be a bit too rough with the musher and the other dogs without realizing it. But the musher knows that it’s just Tanya’s way of showing his love and appreciation for others and accepts his pummeling tendencies. The other dogs… Not so much.

Musher's comment

"Tanya is one of the few dogs that I got to raise from a puppy here at the sanctuary. When he was dropped off at the sanctuary, he was very sickly. At times I was worried that he wouldn't make it, but I kept tending to him every chance I got and didn't give up. Thankfully, Tanya's health improved significantly, and he grew strong- actually, much stronger than I had anticipated (He tripled in size!). He reminds me a lot of Ajax the Great or Heracles with how strong he is now, and I'm proud that whatever I did helped him grow up to be the way he is! Due to his strength, I was originally going to make him a wheel dog, but his performance and listening skills are impeccable. It's really unlike any other, and so I ended up making him one of my lead dogs for my sprint/mid-distance team. I think part of why he's so great at following commands is because of our bond. But for some reason, he's kind of distant with the other dogs unless it's time for racing. However, whenever I'm gone, he tends to hold another dog hostage (as they've described it) because he hates being alone—often following them around or even straight-up carrying them wherever he decides to go. If I scold him for doing so, it's like the end of the world for him. My scolding is hardly so; I just kindly remind him to be nicer to the other dogs when I'm away. If I could stay by Tanya's side all the time, I would! But It's kind of impossible to take a 300+ pound Samoyed everywhere I go... Or is it?"

🐾 Tanya is the 2nd tallest dog on the team, being 6'5"
🐾 During his free time he enjoys mountaineering and knitting. He also seems to have a special knack for balancing objects
🐾 He's obsessed with being fair and just, and will correct other dogs who do wrong. However, some dogs know that he's oblivious, and will pay him back for his meddling by making him fall victim to practical jokes.

Name: Emil
Breed: Samoyed
From: Canmore, Alberta
Position: Wheel
Team: Sprint
Artist: Roarke

Emil is the child of two retired sled dogs, bred to become part of a famous sled team. Emil was very well trained as a puppy but lacked experience in pulling, so he always looked to other sled dogs for guidance. Unfortunately, his owner wasn’t able to continue with the team due to health issues. Emil and the other puppies were then put up for adoption before they could debut in their first race. A hospital in Diogenes adopted Emil, and used him as a therapy/companion dog; where he provided company to patients and gave them lots of soft, fluffy comfort. He loved his new job and all the naps and snuggles that came with it, but had a bittersweet feeling inside that made him long to become the sled dog he was born to be.Sometime later, Emil was retired as a companion dog and relocated to a nearby sanctuary in order to be rehomed. Emil learned that the sanctuary was home to the Ilion sled team, having heard of them in passing while living with his original owner. Supposedly, his original owner and the Ilion musher were friendly rivals. Emil was a bit shy at first, but he felt eager to pull again and decided to jump into participating in the training sessions. The other dogs and the Ilion musher were impressed by his pulling power, and he was quickly invited to join the team. Emil happily accepted, and his temporary status at the Ilion sanctuary became permanent. At last, he was finally able to live out his dreams. He often misses the days of taking naps in the sun, but he's come to realize that taking a nap after a day of training and racing feels way more fulfilling.

Musher's comment

"Emil is very soft and fluffy, so much that it seems like he's more cloud than dog. When you lay on his tail, you end up falling asleep right away. A couple of times after I've had a stressful day, he's offered his tail as a pillow to me—and I swear it has healing powers cause I woke up feeling energized and refreshed! As if the concept of stress never existed in the first place~ It makes me understand why he was a therapy dog for a while before coming to the sanctuary. His healing powers come in handy during training and competitions, especially during checkpoints. It helps the other dogs because when things get rough out on the trail, it can be incredibly demoralizing for them to keep going. But even though Emil is incredibly soft, don't let it fool you cause he's really powerful! He comes from a long line of sled dogs, and even though he was out of practice for a while, he adapted fast. However, he's prone to distractions, chasing after any critter he sees during the trail, which is a bad mix with his strength. There's been a few times where he dragged the whole team on a quest to find a squirrel- but thankfully, this has only happened during training!"

🐾 Emil loves hoarding plushies and has a whole collection in his dorm corner
🐾 He's got a habit of taking the musher's belongings and hiding them in random places

Name: Lyubov
Breed: Mackenzie river husky
From: Magadan, Russia
Position: Team
Team: Sprint/mid-distance
Artist: Rumcake

Lyubov grew up as a stray in Magadan, Russia. She was born blind, but her incredible sense of smell and hearing helped her navigate with ease. She got along with the neighborhood strays but wasn’t particularly close with anyone. However, due to sleep anxiety, she would curl up next to any dog that was willing to share their space with her, promising to share her food with them in return. One day, while scavenging for food, she accidentally boarded a cargo train bound for Provideniya. After a long and confusing journey, she finally got off the train at its last stop but came out of it with a nasty eye infection due to the conditions of the cargo container. She wandered around the unfamiliar port searching for food, her infection growing worse and worse by the hour.The Ilion musher stopped in Provideniya to travel to a nearby city, when they happened upon Lyubov in an alleyway. Noticing the condition of her eyes, they took her to a vet clinic and was able to get her help. Unfortunately, her condition was so bad that putting a stop to the infection meant that they would have to remove her eyes surgically. The surgery went well, and after a few days of rest, Lyubov felt as good as new. This came as a relief to the musher; feeling attached to her, they decided to bring her back home to Alaska with them.Lyubov felt indebted to the musher for saving her and wanted to return the favor by joining the sled dog team. The musher was a bit hesitant at first due to her blindness, but they could tell she was willing to give it her all. The musher happily gave her a chance and allowed her to participate. Her decision to join the team was, at first, out of hopes to repay the musher for their kindness. But she ended up loving it and is grateful to call the sanctuary her home.

Musher's comment

"I'm so glad I found Lyubov when I did. Her condition was so severe that I was scared that she wasn't going to make it. But thankfully, her surgery went well, and she recovered like a trooper! When she first arrived at the sanctuary, I doted on her a lot. Even with her great sense of smell and hearing, it's not uncommon to see her run into things. And whenever that happened, I would always run to her aid, but she would always brush it off and reassure me that she was fine. I was very hesitant in letting her join the team, but she was insistent. I did some research to see if there had been other blind sled dogs, and to my relief, there has. I didn't want to let my worries stop her from racing, so I did further research and created an itinerary to focus on during training. There were a few minor hiccups here and there, and many of the other dogs were still very unfamiliar with her condition. They had to learn how to work with her and help her as we had to be her eyes. After a rigorous training season, she finally got to run in her first race, and she did amazingly! After that, I stopped worrying as much as I did and had full confidence in her (But to be honest, I still dote on her a lot)."

🐾 Since she can't see the faces of others, she has a bit of a hard time reading the atmosphere and rubs off as rude when being a little too honest. She has good intentions though!
🐾 She has a hard time sleeping alone, so the musher gave her an anti-anxiety toys for dogs that warm up and have a calming pulse to emulate another dog's presence

Name: Roann
Breed: Irish Settler
From: USA
Position: Swing
Team: Sprint
Artist: AngelBackground:

Roann is an ex-show dog, winning best in show three years in a row at various dog show competitions worldwide. Her winning streak made her quite popular in the dog show world, but because of this, the stakes grew even higher, and her trainer became increasingly strict over time. Since the competition rules would change every year, her trainer would often end up taking matters over the top. One day she grew sick of it all and snapped, and on the morning of an upcoming competition, she mauled her trainer as revenge.She was immediately banned from participating in any more dog show competitions and was sent away to a pound. Roann didn’t seem to mind the consequences; after all, she was now free from all the rules and unrealistic expectations. But the pound was dreadful, and since she had mauled her trainer, she was essentially unadoptable. What she thought would be an easy escape from her troubles ended up putting her on death row. Just when Roann had started to grudgingly accept that it was the end of the road for her, she learned she was adopted by a musher that had come from Alaska to see her. Supposedly some of the dogs at the musher's sanctuary were fans of Roann, and when they had heard about the incident, they decided to bring her in.It felt like nothing short of a miracle. Roann finally got to relax peacefully at the sanctuary; no more competitions or dumb rules to follow! But she’d be lying if she said she didn’t miss the thrill of winning. After some months of living at the sanctuary, she took an interest in the sled team and decided to give it a try. While there were still rules to follow, they weren’t ridiculous like dog show rules, and it's definitely a lot more fun.

Musher's comment

"Even though my whole life revolves around dogs, dog show competitions feel like a whole different world. If it weren't for the other dogs begging me to watch it with them, I would've never known about Roann! We followed her shows pretty closely because she has this way of presenting herself that's very captivating. In the beginning she was skeptical of joining the team, but she really loves winning competitions, so she gave it a try. While training, it was obvious she struggled with following instructions. She also got annoyed at the other dogs pretty frequently. It was obvious she was still bitter about her old owner and the entire incident, and so I tried my best to be patient with Roann. I gave her a lot of space, and the other dogs also increasingly encouraged her. This eventually rubbed off on her, and she started to follow everyone like a natural born sled dog. Just like her dog shows, her pulling abilities are outstanding! If it weren't for the fact that she randomly decides to stop listening from time to time to my commands, I would've made her a lead dog—she's that good! And despite being banned from competing in shows, her previous fans have been following her races and have been cheering her on. She acts like she doesn't care that much, but I know it means a lot to her!"

🐾 She has a southern drawl
🐾 She gets blinded/whipped by her hair sometimes, but somehow manages

Name: Yukola
Breed: Siberian Husky
From: Chukotka, Russia
Position: Swing
Team: Long-distance
Artist: Roby

Yukola was born in Yanrakynnot, a small locality in Chukotka, Russia. She was from a litter of sled puppies, meant to be adopted out to mushers stopping by during the Nadezhda race. She was chosen by a musher named Akhill, who had plans of building a long-distance team. Akhill began Yukola's training immediately, but she proved to be a difficult--almost impossible--dog to work with. She would destroy Akhill's gear, constantly bother the other dogs, break formation, and never pay attention during training. Even after being scolded by the older, experienced dogs, her behavior never seemed to improve. With little time left before the next Nadezdha race, Akhill decided she would have to give Yukola up for adoption.Not wanting to leave her at a shelter, she took her back to Yanrakynnot in search of a new owner. But the timing was terrible as everyone was busy preparing for the race, uninterested in adopting a puppy. Not only that, but Yukola's original breeder wasn't anywhere to be found— most likely away from town for business. After her fruitless attempts in Yanrakynnot, Akhill gave up hope and decided to take her to a local shelter. But as they were on their way to the shelter, Yukola escaped her grasp and started to bite on the shoes of a stranger. Akhill immediately apologized to the passerby for Yukola's behavior, but they told her not to worry, as they were used to dogs chewing on them.As the two got acquainted, Akhill learned that the stranger was actually the Ilion musher, who at the time was still new to mushing. They were in Yanrakynnot to volunteer as a veterinarian for the race. While they conversed, Akhill noticed how the Ilion musher was able to calm Yukola down from her usual hyperactive self. Believing that she had finally found the perfect owner for Yukola, she asked them if they were interested in adopting her. Without any hesitation, they accepted Yukola, promising to take care of her. Akhill believed in Yukola’s potential to become a great sled dog, and she was confident that the Ilion musher would help her shine.

Musher's comment

"I was thrilled to bring home Yukola from Chukotka as she was one of the first dogs to be a part of my newly formed team. Akhill mentioned Yukola’s wild personality, but I don’t think she realized how attached she was to her. When Yukola realized Akhill gave her away, she tried to escape a few times to go back to Russia. Thankfully at the time, my sanctuary was small, so it was easy to Yukola-proof everything. But her homesickness affected her mood drastically, and her “wild” self was the opposite for a while. I spent ample time with her to help her realize that the sanctuary was her new home, and that I would always be there for her. She eventually came around, and her infamous hyper-self finally showed itself. She was challenging to train as she can be unpredictable during training sessions. She's also grown very attached to me and has since developed severe separation anxiety. While some of my other dogs with separation anxiety are good at dealing with me leaving, Yukola will go on rampages, destroying anything she lays her eyes on, or she’ll attempt to escape to find me. There’s been a few times where I had to go into town for a meeting, and Yukola would be waiting by my car for me. Despite all of this, Yukola is one of my most treasured dogs! She’s always hardworking and dependable during actual races, and her passion for it is a reminder of why I became a musher."

🐾 Yukola and Cheremsha were both at one point owned by the musher, Akhill, before arriving at the Ilion sanctuary.
🐾 Yukola is named after a traditional dried fish cuisine (юкола)
🐾 She carries around a water bottle, but prefers to eat snow off of the ground
🐾 Yukola's dream is to win the Nadezhda race

Name: Orca
Breed: Siberian Husky + German Shepherd mix
From: Healy, Alaska
Position: Swing
Team: Sprint
Artist: Ray

Orca was raised by a musher from Healy, Alaska, who just so happened to be a rival to Ilion’s own. He was born slightly underweight in stature, and because of this he always felt the need to prove that he was more than meets the eye to those around him. Growing up, he would almost always go about every training activity with an overzealous attitude. This would constantly put him at odds with the other dogs, as they found it obnoxious. Being part of a sled team means getting along with your teammates, but Orca would constantly form rivalries with every dog that breathed the same air as him.After a violent fight broke out between Orca and another dog, the musher decided that they couldn’t tolerate his aggression anymore, and put him up for adoption. Orca was devastated; his racing career was already over before it even began, having never gotten the chance to make his debut in a race yet. Luckily for Orca, his old musher had a big mouth, having told fellow mushers about how they had to put a scrawny and mean dog up for adoption because he kept causing trouble with the others. The musher of Ilion was one of those who had overheard this and became concerned, immediately going to the shelter to meet and later adopt Orca.Orca was confused at first, believing that the musher was misguided or pulling a prank, which made it hard for him to trust them. But the Ilion musher had what Orca’s previous musher didn’t, and that was patience. Beneath his bitterness, Orca was afraid of being abandoned again. But for quite some time, he couldn’t help his old behaviors and would still butt heads with the other dogs, or snap at anyone who looked at him the wrong way. However, no matter how many times he acted out, the Ilion musher never gave up on him. They continued to encourage him and never once punished him for any of his bad behaviors.Orca realized in time that the second chance he was given by the Ilion musher was genuine, and he began to feel indebted and grateful. Not wanting to further disappoint the musher, he made it his goal to get his act together. From then on, Orca began to work harder than ever before in order to make the musher proud, and to finally be recognized as a great sled dog by everyone. He still sometimes gets into trouble with the other dogs, but above all, he has come to love being part of a team and has learned to control his temper better. In fact, he even got permission from the musher to attend a school for obedience training, to which he passed with flying colors!

Musher's comment

"When I first brought Orca to Ilion, he was convinced that it was all a setup and that I was going to abandon him just like his previous musher. He started to vandalize the sanctuary, destroy my belongings, and even began fighting the other dogs during training to provoke me to abandon him. All of this, and I never once bit. I understood why he was acting this way, and so I continued to be patient with him—reassuring him that the Ilion sanctuary is his home! Orca was a bit disgruntled for a while, but he started to trust me, and his performance when racing began to improve a lot. Orca admitted to me that he wanted to become a lead dog, but unfortunately, his performance wasn't suited for the position. He was upset about it but didn't let my evaluation stop him. He asked if he could go to obedience school, to which I granted permission. After a few months, he passed the class and earned a degree in perfect obedience. I was so proud of him that I had it framed and hung it up in the front office. Unfortunately, due to a few factors, Orca is still not a lead dog. But regardless, he's come so far since his arrival, and I know if he keeps it up, he'll be a great lead dog one day. Sometimes I'll tell visitors who happen to be passing by the front office that the degree on the wall belongs to one of my future lead dogs!"

🐾 The only dog in the sanctuary who has graduated from obedience school
🐾 He uses skates and has mastered using them on various terrains, but sometimes he'll switch out to regular running snow-shoes

Name: Maya
Breed: Huskita (Siberian husky/Akita mix)
From: Hokkaido, Japan
Position: Team
Team: Long-distance
Artist: Designed by Hoodienanami, portrait by Smallsart

While the musher was on a brief vacation in Sapporo, Hokkaido, their friend invited them to snowboard. During the snowboarding trip, the musher’s friend had invited somebody else to come along. After getting acquainted, the musher soon learned that the newly befriended stranger was a sled dog breeder. Mushing is not popular in Japan, but interest increased in recent years for Japanese mushers who sought to race abroad; with that came a steadily growing demand for well-trained sled dogs.Soon after their snowboarding trip, the breeder invited Ilion’s musher to their home so that they could take a look at their dogs. The musher was pleased to see all of the different kinds of pups having fun and happily running around. A huskita named Maya took an interest in the musher and followed them around the yard. The breeder joked about the musher adopting Maya and placing her on the Ilion team, but despite enjoying Maya's company, they weren't interested in adopting a dog.But by the time the visit came to an end, the musher was incredibly attached to her. The breeder took notice and decided to gift Maya to them, to which they happily accepted. Maya was super excited to be picked by the musher and ultimately loved her new home in Alaska. The musher didn’t push the obligation to join the sled team on Maya since she was still so young, allowing her to choose what she’d like to do as she grew. But Maya wanted to be more than just a pet and was adamant about becoming a sled dog; she was born to be one after all!

Musher's comment

"I normally don't like adopting dogs directly from breeders, but Maya is one of the few exceptions as she was a gift. I also don't raise dogs from puppyhood very often, so it was a fun experience for the most part. Though, when we arrived in Alaska, she was like a tornado for a while, destroying and biting everything she got her paws on. But that behavior quickly dissipated as she grew, and her natural sled dog instincts began to kick in. Because of our bond, she's always loyal and highly dependable! This would usually make a dog a lead candidate, and there are still some days where I think about placing her as one. But she seems to prefer listening to the other lead dogs a lot more than leading everyone herself, which is completely fine! Maya has told me she wants to visit Japan again, and while mushing is growing in popularity there, no big competitions are being hosted at this time (mostly just sled dog tours). Otherwise, I'd love to take her there! But with our tight schedule, there's no way I can find time to visit Japan with all of my dogs. But the second I hear about a competition being hosted there, I'll book us a spot!"

🐾 She's popular with female fans
🐾 She's pretty competitive, so she'll always try to start small competitions with the other dogs such as tug-o-war or quick dashes

Name: Hina
Breed: Mixed breed
From: Hilo, Hawaii
Position: Team
Team: Long-distance/Mid-distance
Artist: Kiang

Hina is a cheerful and hardworking dog who comes from Hilo, Hawaii. She is supposedly a mutt and grew up on her own as a parentless stray. However, this was hardly an issue for her as she was always quick to make friends with the various animals of Hawaii’s forests and mountains while growing up. Through the days of her adolescence, these animals felt like family to her. They were the ones who encouraged her to pursue her dream of becoming a sled dog, which was ultimately what she needed to take the plunge. The thought of racing as part of a team always enamored her, and so she went ahead to spend many years training on the slopes of Mauna Kea, the only place in Hawaii where it snows.When Hina finally felt that her potential as a sled dog was nothing short of surefire, she hit a dead end when she realized there were no mushing teams in Hawaii. She made attempts to start a team and even plastered fliers all over the city, but nobody responded as there were not many dogs in Hawaii that had a tolerance for the cold like she did. She spent days mulling over what to do, but she found herself completely stumped. As she strolled somberly around the busy streets of downtown Hilo, she saw on a TV screen a broadcast of Alaska’s biggest mushing competition. Her eyes twinkled as she saw a segment on the Ilion team and their journey. She decided from there that she would go to Alaska to join the Ilion team. She would do whatever it takes, even if it meant sneaking onto a cargo ship and not seeing land for several weeks.Exhausted and hungry by the time she finally made it, Hina stood at the gate of the Ilion sanctuary, a nervous mess. Yet, she still bravely professed her desire to become part of the team. Concerned for Hina’s wellbeing, Ilion’s sympathetic musher immediately took her in. She explained her story to the musher and how she traveled from Hawaii to join their team. The musher felt flattered and amazed, immediately welcoming her onto the team.

Musher's comment

"I was surprised when Hina showed up at the gates of the sanctuary. Not only did she travel on a cargo ship for weeks, but she's from a place that I would've never suspected to have snow! When she expressed her interest in racing, I thought maybe she was a bit confused from the trip, having not had proper rest or food for weeks. But no, when she was well-rested and fed, she continued to beg me to join the team. Even though I was a bit concerned about her tolerance for the cold, I decided to let her join. If a dog wants to join the team and is full of spirit, then there's no way I can deny them of that. But to my surprise, her cold tolerance is one of the best! It seems her training in the mountains of Hawaii paid off. Her passion and energy for racing made her a candidate for lead dog on the long-distance team. The moment I announced in front of everyone that she might be our new long-distance lead, she almost burst into flames—her face was so red! Despite her energetic and friendly attitude, she hates being on the spot. Thankfully she's happy with being a team dog cause It's what she wanted to be all along!"

🐾 She's a huge foodie and loves trying the different cuisines from the many countries the team gets to visit
🐾 She loves high energy music such as rock n' roll, bubble gum pop, and denpa

Name: Canela
Breed: Samoyed
From: Spain
Position: Team
Team: Mid-distance
Artist: Leo

Canela was raised by a very strict owner who trained her to compete in dog shows. She lived a very privileged lifestyle and was spoiled rotten. But despite the frills and indulgence, she felt very lonely. She felt like her owner had no real love for her and only saw her as a pretty object used for winning competitions. After some years, Canela’s owner lost all of their money due to several terrible financial choices. They packed up their belongings and disappeared, leaving her behind. Luckily for Canela, news got out about her owner's scandals, and rescue workers quickly came to retrieve Canela to bring her to a dog sanctuary in Barcelona.Canela was a bit self-absorbed during her stay at the Barcelona sanctuary, always wanting to be the center of attention. There weren’t many things to do there, either. So to keep herself entertained, she had to get creative. She began pulling and pushing heavy objects to show off how strong she was. The workers at the sanctuary joked about how she’d make a great sled dog, not knowing that this would be such an accurate prediction of her future. The Ilion musher was visiting a friend in Barcelona, where they decided to visit the local sanctuary—as they always make a point to do while on trips in other cities. Canela wasn’t familiar with mushing, but she had heard that someone was visiting the sanctuary to adopt a dog, so she began to show off her strength the way she usually did in hopes of being chosen. The musher caught sight of her and was charmed and impressed by her power. Unable to resist, they immediately adopted her.Canela was so excited to finally be under the care of an owner again. But she didn't realize she would be living in such a snowy environment, somewhere completely foreign to her. But as a Samoyed, she was built for this. Once there, she quickly began to prefer it over Spain’s hot and dry weather. Canela had never been part of a team before. Growing out of her self-absorbed nature spurred from being a show dog took some time. But eventually, she learned that her contributions to the team were just as important as anyone else’s, and she quickly grew to love her team and her new home at the Ilion sanctuary.

Musher's comment

"With how strong and talented Canela is at pulling, you would think she's a natural-born sled dog. But her beautiful fur is proof of her show dog days! And even after rigorous training sessions and multiple races, she still maintains her soft fur like it's nothing. When Canela first arrived, she was very distant from the other dogs and didn't like sharing anything with them. She would often refuse to work alongside the others. But as time went on, she began to open up, and she became one of the most active dogs on the team. It wasn't easy placing her on the team at first because she proved to be good at every position. And whenever she's needed, she steps in immediately! This is a significant difference from how she was initially; she used to completely ignore us when things went wrong! It makes me happy to know that she cares about us like a family and is willing to take on the lead position when needed. Yes, you read right! Lead position! She's even a capable leader, but the reason she's not a permanent lead is that she doesn't like to bear too much of the responsibility. She'll only step in as a substitute if one of our other leads is not feeling well. Otherwise, she's usually a team dog, but she occasionally gets placed as wheel and swing too! She's truly a jack of all trades!"

🐾 She likes collecting accessories and making her own. She made all of the accessories on her outfit herself.
🐾 She's very into dog fashion and celebrities and is always in the know
🐾 Dreams of becoming a doggie influencer

Name: Bo
Breed: Siberian husky
From: Wyoming, USA
Position: Team
Team: Mid-distance
Artist: m0squito0

Bo is the son of a popular team dog from a mushing team in Wyoming. He idolized his mother as a pup and spent his younger days training hard in hopes to one day be as good as she was. She would always praise him for his effort, passively encouraging him to keep up the hard work. However, when he finally grew old enough to join the team, their dynamic took a turn for the worst.Bo’s mother began to see her son as a threat to her fame and position, wary of any praise that he received from the musher. Jealous and bitter, she allowed her pride to take over, not wanting him to replace her spot on the team. When it came time for the team’s new positions to be chosen, Bo’s mother lied and told him that the musher changed their mind and said his performance didn’t make the cut. Bo was devastated and felt that he had trained hard all those years for nothing. Not feeling an ounce of remorse, his mother led Bo down an unfamiliar trail where she said that his new owners would later arrive to pick him up. After saying their bittersweet goodbyes, Bo stood somberly and patiently waited for his new owners to come.It wasn’t until nightfall that he realized that he had been abandoned—that his mother had lied to him. He came to wonder if being rejected from the team was a lie too. He took off to find out the truth but got lost and ended up miles away from his home. He ended up at a ranch in the middle of nowhere, and the family who owned it took him in. Bo accepted his fate and decided to stay, becoming a ranch dog for his new family. Regardless of everything that happened, Bo still wanted to be a sled dog and continued to train during his downtime. Months later, Bo’s original owner found him at the ranch. They apologized for what had happened and reinvited him to the team. But his hatred for his mother burned strong, and he coldly rejected their offer. Seeing his old musher reignited his determination to become better than his mother, and so he soon left the ranch without saying goodbye in pursuit of a team that would take him in.After many months of traversing the cold mountains and landscapes of North America, he finally came across the Ilion sanctuary, where he was taken in. At first, Bo was motivated by his hatred for his mother but still felt insecure about his skills, which greatly hindered his performance. But being accepted by everyone at the sanctuary made him realize that he should race for himself instead of revenge.

Musher's comment

"Bo traveled a long way from Wyoming to Alaska, and because of this, I was eager to place him on my long-distance team. I knew his resilience and endurance would make him a great addition to the team! However, when we trained, I could tell something was bothering him. He's rather shy, so he said everything was fine, but during his first race with us, he was very distracted—at the third checkpoint, he had to be switched out due to fatigue. After that race, he opened up to me about his mother, and everything began to make more sense. He was full of self-doubt and second-guessed himself all the time, and the pressure of being on the long-distance team got to him. I should've realized that traveling from point A to point B on your own time isn't the same as racing in a long-distance race. As a musher, I have to be patient and attentive with my dogs, and so I switched him over to my sprint/mid-distance team and told him I would do my best for him. He was understandably still reluctant to open up, but he eventually came around and began to feel more comfortable. After a few weeks, he raced in his first sprint race with us, and we took home first place. He was really proud of himself, and ever since then, he's been continuously getting better in both strength and mind!"

🐾 His favorite treats are peanuts
🐾 Has a midwestern accent
🐾 He has a habit of chewing on the clothes of whoever he's close to. If there is no such figure, he will chew on himself.

Name: Kirsi
Breed: Finnish Lapphund
From: Finland
Position: Team
Team: Sprint
Artist: Reetz

Kirsi was born to a litter of sled dogs and was the smallest of her siblings, making her the runt of the bunch. This left her in a precarious position when it came to being a candidate for adoption. How could a dog so small have any pulling ability? However, Kirsi wasn’t discouraged by her stature one bit and ended up training hard for much of her younger years. She was determined to build up her stamina and speed as much as possible in preparation for her future.Through the years, many potential mushers came by to see the litter searching for a new addition to their team. Each time, Kirsi would become over-eager to prove her worth to them and to stand out—and more often than not, she would only make a fool of herself. She took up an ‘act now, think later’ attitude, ever desperate for recognition. When she’d pull something, she would pull strong but then slip and fall over. If she tried to run fast, she’d do great but end up tripping. Usually, this kind of clumsiness was seen as typical for a young, inexperienced dog and was never that big of a deal. But because of her size, potential adopters would turn away regardless and leave with someone else each time.She was willing to do better, but nobody gave her the chance to. All of Kirsi’s siblings were adopted until it was just her, left to be nothing but a common pet dog. She never lost her way and continued to train, still hoping to improve, still hoping for that one small chance to roll along someday. Eventually, that day finally came. A musher from Alaska came by the household in hopes of adopting one of their dogs, but when they arrived, they were told that there were no more available; they’d all long been given away. Before they could leave, the musher caught sight of Kirsi pulling in the backyard and quickly took an interest in her. Her owners, somewhat embarrassed of the truth, told them that she was certainly capable of being a sled dog but that nobody wanted to adopt her because of her size, so they decided to keep her as a pet.Kirsi prepared herself for another rejection, but her ears stood tall on her head when she heard the musher exclaim that they wanted to adopt her. The owners were grateful that someone saw her potential for once and allowed for the musher to take her home. At last, all of her hard work had paid off. She made her way back to Alaska with them, where she finally got to find her place on the Ilion mushing team.

Musher's comment

"Kirsi is one of the smaller sled dogs in the sanctuary, but performs as amazingly as everyone else and is one of the sweetest dogs around! It's tough to believe that all of those potential mushers overlooked her due to her size. They act as if she's a Pomeranian or terrier when she's far from it. Any dog born to be a sled dog should be given a chance to race if they want to, and Kirsi has proven herself to be one of the best. Her energy and determination are uncontested, and she's always the first one up and ready for practice, even on days when there's no practice. I honestly believe that without her, my sprint/mid-distance team wouldn't win as many races as it does. She has this natural ability to energize everyone around her, which comes in handy during the last stretch of a race. That type of ability almost made me consider her as lead dog for the team, but unfortunately, she's quite hasty when it comes to listening to commands. If we keep practicing commands, then one day, she might lead the team to victory on her own! So I won't completely write off the possibility for her, as she's always defying the odds!"

🐾 She enjoys learning how to tie knots and ice fishing
🐾 Lately she's been into watching amateur stand-up comedy

Name: サミー
Breed: サモエド
From: シベリア
Position: ホイールドッグ
Team: 長距離
Artist: Soreyu

彼女はあまり勤勉ではなかったが、とにかく走るのが好きだった、人の役にたつためそり犬の訓練をがんばりました。今のムッシャーとの出会いは彼女の強い力と走る才能を見極めた他のムッシャーから、これからの伸び代の為に譲り受けたのでした。

Musher's comment

「サミーの前任のマッシャーが突然引退したときは驚きました。彼はマッシング界では有名で、過去10年間に多くの著名なそり犬を訓練していました。私がサミーを強くする手助けができると信じてくれたことを光栄に思いますが、サミー自身がほとんどの努力をしました。彼女はとても勤勉で信頼性が高く、頼まれた何でも直ぐに理解してくれます。しかし、ちょっと恥ずかしがり屋なところがあって、もしかしてトレーニング中に失敗するとすぐにすっと隠れに行ってしまいます。いつも戻ってくるのですが、何時間もいないこともあり、心配になります。外が暗くなる前に、他の犬たちにサミーを探しに行かせることもあります。彼女が失敗しても私が怒ったり、がっかりしたりすることはないので、どこにも隠れる必要はないと言っておきました。最近は少しずつ改善しましたが、悪い癖はなかなか治りづらいですね。ホイールドッグとしての才能はもちろんのこと、サミーは雪だるまを作るのも得意なのです！雪が降ると、サンクチュアリの周りにたくさんの雪だるまが出現します。他の犬たちはそれを倒すのが大好きですが、それでも彼女はもっと作り続けます。」

🐾 彼女は大食いで、食べた分全てがエネルギーになります。彼女はシカの生肉が大好きで、ディナーメニューに載っていない日は少し残念そうな顔をします。

Name: Sammy
Breed: Samoyed
From: Siberia
Position: Wheel
Team: Long-distance
Artist: Soreyu

Sammy is a gentle-natured sled dog who comes from a remote area in Siberia. She wasn't very diligent, but she loved to run and worked hard during her studies to become a sled dog. Before she was able to debut in her first race, her musher decided to retire and she was given to the Ilion musher. Her original musher spoke highly of her talent and strength, and believed that Ilion's musher would help her future growth and potential. Now she resides in Alaska at the sanctuary where she finally gets to train and race in competitions!

Musher's comment

"I was surprised when Sammy's original musher suddenly retired. They were well-known in the mushing community and trained many prominent sled dogs in the past decade. I'm honored that he believed I could help Sammy grow stronger, but I think Sammy did most of the work herself! She's very hardworking and reliable; you never have to ask her twice to do anything! She can be a bit shy at times though, hiding whenever she makes a mistake during training. She always comes back, but she's gone for hours at a time, and it can be worrisome. Sometimes I have to send the other dogs out to find her before it gets too dark outside. I told her that she never makes me upset or disappointed, so she doesn't have to hide. She's been getting better about it recently, but bad habits are hard to break. Asides from being a talented wheel dog, she's also very skilled at building snowmen! Whenever it snows, a bunch of snowmen will appear around the sanctuary. The other dogs love to knock them down, but that never stops her from building more!"

🐾 She's a big eater. Raw deer meat is her favorite food, and she gets disappointed whenever it's not being served for dinner.

Name: Pasha
Breed: wolf-dog
From: Kirovsk, Russia
Position: Team
Team: Long-distance
Artist: Meatfriedsteak

Pasha was born in Kirovsk, Russia, to a litter of puppies belonging to a sled dog tour company owner. She was initially thought to be the runt of the litter but quickly grew to be the biggest. Pasha has incredible pulling strength, which her owner found helpful for their tour operations. Typically for sled dog tours, an entire team of dogs is needed to pull the guests. But since Pasha is so powerful, her owner had her pull tour sleds all on her own. It wasn’t fair, but not knowing any better and wanting to be a good dog for her owner, she went along with it.Pasha was advertised to tourists as a lone wolf, and for the sake of reinforcing this as truth, she was often kept separate from the other dogs. The reality was that Pasha was desperate for a friend and wanted to play with the other dogs. She felt tremendously lonely and would often hide away in her pen, silently crying herself to sleep. Out of the blue, her owner closed down his business, and she was put up for adoption at a local kennel. It didn’t bother her much at first because she felt excited that she could finally make friends! But because of her size, the kennel owners continued to keep her isolated in fear that she would hurt the other dogs by accident. Pasha was (and still is) naïve and didn’t quite understand the issue people had with her size. She began to believe that everyone was punishing her for some reason unknown to her.The Ilion musher passed through Murmansk one day when they decided to visit the local kennel to check on their dogs. The conditions seemed fine there, great even. But upon further inspection, they noticed a dog that was isolated, sitting sadly by herself. Concerned, they asked the workers about it, to which they replied in jest that Pasha was a bear. The musher didn’t like the condescending tone of the workers and quickly decided to adopt her, bringing her home to Alaska with them. Pasha saw the other dogs in the sanctuary and wanted to play with them but felt hesitant, as she was used to being forbidden from doing so. But with the help of the musher’s gentle persuasion, she was finally able to make friends. Before she knew it, she had found her place on Ilion’s mushing team. Now she never has to do it on her own anymore; she has a whole flock of friends by her side!

Musher's comment

"The imposed idea of Pasha being a bear couldn't be farther from the truth. Yes, Pasha is the biggest dog in the sanctuary, but she is still a puppy at heart. And like many big dogs, she doesn't realize her size or strength, but she's the sweetest dog you'll ever meet. Many other mushers are surprised that I didn't make Pasha a wheel dog, but there's a reason why she isn't. When we first started training together, I put her directly in front of the sled, and I noticed her cheerful and sweet demeanor quickly went away, and she became very melancholic. I didn't understand what was going on for a while, and Pasha would become too anxious to tell me what was wrong. Then I realized that pulling the weight of the sled reminded her of her days in isolation. I never want her to feel like she's being left out, so I quickly changed her position and placed her as a team dog. Immediately after doing so, her mood changed to her usual bright and shining self. Being surrounded by the other dogs is a reminder that she's part of a team now. And even though she dislikes the wheel position, Pasha always comes through when something happens with the sled during races. I'm glad that we can always count on her to be there for us! She truly is Ilion's biggest sister!"

🐾 The musher is unsure of what breed Pasha is and suspects she is a wolf-dog.
🐾 Pasha is the tallest dog residing at the sanctuary (6'6"). She believes
she is everyone's big sister
🐾 She acts like a mature big sister in front of smaller dogs to make herself look more dependable to the musher, but is actually very clueless and naïve. Her naivety and innocence makes her prone to being the victim of pranks and jokes without being aware that she's being made fun of

Name: Brandy
Breed: St. Bernard
From: Southern Italy
Position: Team
Team: Mid-distance
Artist: Tokimekiwaku

Brandy used to be a rescue dog for an isolated monastery in Italy. The beautiful and scenic countryside attracted many tourists in the area, and people would often get lost while hiking. Brandy’s job was to bring them back to the monastery, where they were then free to take refuge until they could leave. Despite being great at his job, he absolutely hated it. Almost every day, he had to deal with lost people and get sweaty and dirty from it all, ruining his gorgeous fur in the process. What’s worse is that the monks wouldn’t groom him; he was left to maintain his good looks and good hygiene on his own. And so, after years of labor, he grew fed up with it all and told the monks of the monastery that he was leaving them to find a new owner. They were saddened by Brandy’s decision but respected it regardless and gave him their full support.Not long after, Brandy was traveling across Italy in search of the perfect new owner; one that would spoil and pamper him every day! He grew hungry as he made his way into Florence and abruptly stole and ate someone’s food at an outdoor café. Any other person would’ve gotten upset at this, but lucky for Brandy, it happened to be the ever-tolerant musher of Ilion. They were charmed and offered Brandy the rest of their food, soon noticing that he had no tag/collar. They learned that Brandy was searching for a new home, so they offered to adopt him. Brandy was thrilled, and soon enough, finally got to live out his pampered life at the Ilion sanctuary.He eventually began to miss the monastery, feeling a bit bored from the overindulgence—at least finding lost tourists kept him busy. To keep himself from dying of boredom, he began to branch out and interact with the other sanctuary dogs and eventually found out about Ilion’s sled team. At first, the idea of running long trails and getting sweaty made him shiver. He didn’t want to do physical labor, but he was so bored that he decided to give it a try. He quickly came to love it! And the best part of it is that now, after a long day of training, the musher will brush his fur and give him lots of praise. He’s practically living the dream now.

Musher's comment

"I'll admit and say that I knew next to nothing about dog grooming outside of the basics until I met Brandy. He refused the generic dog shampoo and conditioner that I had, and I ended up falling down a rabbit hole after that. I took a class on dog grooming and bought a bunch of luxury products that a lot of the other dogs ended up loving too. For a while, I thought I was transitioning from being a musher to a dog show competitor; I was that serious about making Brandy’s pampered dreams come true. I think he saw how hard I was working for him, and in return, his performance on the team improved significantly. Due to his stature, I was going to put him on my sprint/mid-distance team, but he has shown to have some of the strongest endurance and listening skills. He rarely misses a turn on the trail, and he’s able to go for long distances without breaking a sweat. However, there are times he’ll pretend to be too tired to go on. I know he does this on purpose to get me to praise him, but that’s fine—I don’t mind praising him for the rest of eternity because he always does a great job, and I would still praise him even if he wasn’t pretending!"

🐾 When he lived at the monastery, he used to train the younger dogs and helped them learn the trails around the land
🐾 With permission from the musher, he often sends back small portions of the prize money to the monks

Name: Marya
Breed: wolf-dog
From: Russia
Position: Wheel
Team: Sprint/mid-distance
Artist: Dawn

Marya was born outside of a remote village in Siberia, feral and alone for as long as she could remember. Learning to hunt and scavenge at a very early age, she kept herself sustained on small game and scraps left behind by bigger predators. When things were scarce and she grew desperate for food, she would often venture into nearby towns to search for an easy meal but usually got shooed off by the locals. Marya maintained this lifestyle for most of her life, too busy trying to fend for herself to realize just how lonely she was.The Ilion musher had been traversing by bus on a trip from Chukotka to Kamchatka when the bus’ front wheel went flat, and the trip had to come to a temporary standby for repairs. At the time, Marya was somewhere nearby searching for food when she heard the commotion. Desperate for a meal, she approached the scene carefully. When the bus driver spotted her, they panicked and were prepared to use a rash amount of force to keep her from attacking the passengers and them. But the musher promptly stopped them and reassured them to stay calm. Taking their time, the musher approached Marya with caution, but the closer they got, the more wary and hostile she became. Scary as it was, the musher knew that she was more scared of them than they were her and cautiously pressed on. When they got close enough, they realized that Marya’s paw had somehow sustained an injury. Having an emergency kit on them, they managed to lure her in with food, and with some gentle persuasion, were able to tend to her wounded paw. She was timid at first but was able to tell that the musher meant no harm to her.By the time the musher finished patching her up, the bus’ wheel had finally been repaired. The musher had no option but to leave her behind and hastily get back on. However, when turning back to wave goodbye to Marya, they saw that she was chasing after them. The musher convinced the bus driver to stop the vehicle once more, and to the driver’s dismay, they coaxed her to come on board. Everyone on the bus felt wary of the enormous feral animal being let on the bus with them, but Marya was surprisingly well behaved. You would think she was domestic, but in truth, despite only being with the musher for a brief amount of time, Marya felt a sense of harmony with them. She knew from then on that she needed to protect them. After the musher took care of things in Kamchatka, the two of them traveled back east and across the Bering Sea to Alaska, where they took her to the Ilion sanctuary to become a permanent resident.

Musher's comment

"Despite the minor delay on my trip, I'm glad the bus' tire went flat that day. As silly as it sounds, I always feel like it's fate that brings me and my dogs together. I know the other passengers on the bus thought I was insane for bringing her on board. But even though she can be pretty intimidating, she's a huge sweetheart and has a very protective nature, which can be both good and bad at times. There was a time when I would talk with visitors, and she would get in front of me and try to scare them off. This caused a lot of problems for a while, but we have since corrected this behavior. A good example is whenever another dog is upset, she's always the first to calm them down with an embrace. Her embrace can feel like the life is being squeezed out of you, but she means well! Due to her excessive strength, I decided to make her a wheel dog on my sprint/mid-distance team. At first, I was going to make her a lead dog because of how well she follows my directions, but she can be defiant at times, which I can't have in a lead. Thankfully she's happy being a wheel dog as she gets to oversee the team and be close to me!"

🐾 The musher is unsure of what breed Marya is and suspects she is a wolf-dog.
🐾 Her favorite food is bone marrow
🐾 She often gets in trouble for trying to teach the other dogs how to hunt
🐾 She has a weakness for smaller dogs and loves to carry them around

Hometown: Kotzebue, Alaska
Occupation: Musher & Veterinarian

Born and raised in Kotzebue, Alaska, to a family of veterinarians, dogs were a regular part of the musher's life. During the winter months, their parents would work as checkpoint veterinarians for various mushing races, often allowing them to tag along. Their admiration for their parent's hard work and their own desire to help dogs influenced them to take on the family trade. After graduating, they began volunteering at different competitions across Alaska. In the beginnings of their career, the health and safety of each dog to be in top racing form remained their sole focus. The year their focus changed occurred when they had the opportunity to volunteer at Iditarod—the biggest sled dog competition in the world. There, they saw firsthand what drove each dog to push their hardest and exceed limitations, witnessing the passion for the sport within each dog. This passion was the fuel that ignited their flame to become a musher. After the race, they opened up a vet clinic in Diogenes, Alaska, intending to help local dogs and house their own. They branched out and traveled across the globe to work for international races, adopting dogs from every corner of the world and eventually starting the Ilion sled dog team.

🐾Jacky- the musher's assistant🐾

Interview with the
ilion musher

What got you into mushing?
It’s hard to put into words, but If you’ve ever seen a sled dog when it’s time to race, then you’ll definitely understand! Their passion is infectious and makes you want to experience the race with them from start to finish.What’s your goal when it comes to mushing?
Making sure my dogs are enjoying themselves!How long have you been working with sled dogs?
I think around 10 years? Maybe my whole life since my family is heavily involved with mushing.Do you have any mentors?
My grandfather. He and my great-grandfather, and so on, were all mushers. But mushing has become a really expensive sport and so the tradition stopped with my parents. I’m really happy to be able to pick it up again!How big is your kennel?
Currently there are 29 active sled dogs at the sanctuary.How do you go about housing your dogs?
When the sanctuary was smaller, I used to have individual houses for the dogs. But when we got the chance to renovate, a lot of the dogs wanted to have roommates. Now there are 3 dogs in a dorm, 8 dorms in total. I grouped them randomly at first, but didn’t consider the fact that some dogs don’t get along outside of training/racing. No dog at the sanctuary hates the other, but sometimes one dog will be a bit invasive or aggressive to another. Thankfully with a lot of intervention and time, things have become relatively peaceful now.Why did you choose the location for your kennel?
Initially, I was thinking of making it in my hometown of Kotzebue, but I found the area of Diogenes to be more suitable for my dogs. I went to school in Fairbanks, and I’d often stop by Diogenes en route to Anchorage during the weekends for school-related reasons—I fell in love with the environment, community, and the overall simplicity of it! I've been asked a few times why I didn't start my sanctuary in Homer, which in hindsight would’ve been clever, but again, I was keeping my dogs in mind when finding the perfect home.Inspiration behind the sanctuary's name?
Ilion is the old name for Troy, the city in the Iliad. It's my all-time favorite book!What kind of diet do your dogs have?
My dogs are fed mostly protein, but occasionally they’ll have a day where they eat greens or carbs. I try to keep the menu interesting as food is a huge motivator for them. Deer meat is popular amongst them.What breed(s) of dog do you work with?
I work with any kind of dog that’s capable of pulling and enduring the cold!What do you look for in a sled dog?
Quite a few of my dogs aren’t natural-born sled dogs, and I’ve gotten into the habit of just adopting and rescuing random breeds whenever I travel. Many of them get into racing because they find it fun and purposeful. So to answer the question, I don’t really look for anything in particular. As long as the dog wants to race, then that’s all that matters to me!How do you go about training and forming teams?
In the beginning, my team was small so I only participated in sprint races. As my team grew bigger I learned about each dog's strengths and weaknesses and began making separate teams that were best suited for them. I now train each team for the specific type of race that they're meant for, but sometimes I like to push my sprint and mid-distance team to go further! In fact, some dogs race in multiple teams; It's always important to have dogs that are willing to take the place of another when needed.How do you balance being a veterinarian and musher?
Let's see... Usually, I train early in the morning when the air is still cold and frosty; around 4 to 5 am. Then in the afternoon, I go into the office until around 8 pm or whenever I finish all of my work. I go to sleep at about 9 or 10 pm. But a lot of times it's unpredictable and mixed up. I know it seems tiring but I'm fully committed to it— and I wouldn't be able to balance my crazy schedule if it weren't for my wonderful staff at the clinic!Also, I can't forget to mention my personal assistant, Jacky! She's always by my side helping me care for patients and the team!Any hobbies outside of your profession(s)?
I love snowboarding!Anything else you would like to say?
I'm so proud of my dogs, and every day I'm grateful that I became a musher!Wait, one more thing, what is your name? You only seem to go by Ilion's musher on both racing rosters and your website.
Yea ^^⭐

Name: Yvette
Breed: Great Pyrenees (Chien de Montagne Pyrenees)
From: Chamonix, France
Position: Team
Team: Long-distance
Artist: Cheshii

Yvette was the beloved family pet of an elderly French couple that ran a skiing business in Chamonix, France. Even though the monsieur and mademoiselle were always busy tending to their work, they made it a solid effort to keep Yvette by their side. In his youth, the monsieur would compete in mushing races in Alaska and decided to keep his love for it alive with Yvette, traveling three times a year there to race. Despite not being a resident of Alaska at the time, Yvette remained popular amongst the crowds and other teams—and while she might've seemed aloof and quiet, she always remembered everyone she met and would respectfully greet them back.Before another trip to Alaska, her owners got into a tragic accident on their way back home from a night out. The monsieur was left in critical condition and passed away shortly after. Thankfully the mademoiselle lived but she was never the same after losing her husband; unfit to care for Yvette or their business, she was placed into a home. Yvette was devastated and heartbroken, unwilling to leave the empty home even after animal rescue workers came by to pick her up. Fortunately for Yvette, the owner's son came by to check on her and take over the family business. During his stay, he found his father's will, which stated for Yvette to be left in the care of the Ilion sanctuary in Alaska. Yvette was familiar with the team, as she had competed against them a few times, and she remembered the musher distinctly as her owners had taken a liking to them. She was reluctant at first but wanted to honor the monsieur's wishes.With the son's help, Yvette was able to travel safely to the sanctuary and was welcomed with open arms. However, Yvette's ability as a sled dog was put to the test—Even though she did seasonal racing and could endure the harsh winter weather, she wasn't used to the Ilion teams' rigorous training. She made many mistakes in the beginning and questioned her abilities constantly. But no matter how many mistakes she made, she never gave up. With the help of her new musher, friends, and ever-lasting patient nature, she improved in hopes of making her former owners proud.

Musher's comment

"I was really close to Yvette's owners, and they reminded me so much of my grandparents. It always felt like home back in Kotzebue whenever we spent time together. So the news of what happened was especially devastating, and I was at a loss for words when I found out that I was entrusted with caring for Yvette. I did my best to make her feel welcomed when she arrived, but she had difficulty adjusting. I believed she was still deep in thought about everything, so I felt guilty about placing her on the team so quickly as she would constantly get distracted by her surroundings. One day I took her aside and told her that if she wanted time to herself until she was ready, I would completely understand. At first, she was reluctant to say anything in response, as she’s pretty shy. But then she surprised me by wholeheartedly telling me that she didn’t want to be alone and that being around all of us made her remember all of the good memories she had in Alaska with her owners. So she wanted to work as hard as she could to honor their memory to the fullest. I always try my best to stay calm and collected around my dogs, but I was moved to tears when she told me that. From that moment, my determination in helping her train ignited! It wasn’t easy getting to where we are today, as seasonal sled dogs can fall out of practice very fast, but Yvette consistently gave it her all and eventually landed a spot on my long-distance team. I’m very proud of her for being so resilient and strong, and I know her owners would be too!"

🐾 She brought over some keepsakes from France inside a small wooden box, and often spends time alone to reminisce about the old days. Inside the wooden box is a photo of her with her former owner, an old shawl that she used to sleep on, and a small plush bear.
🐾She was used as the mascot of her owner’s ski resort; their merchandise was especially popular with children.
🐾She loves having her face petted, and is very affectionate when her ears are rubbed. However, she gets embarrassed over how cuddly she gets, and ends up feeling guilty about wanting to be pet.

Name: Mabel
Breed: Bernese mountain dog
From: Denmark
Position: Team
Team: Long-distance
Artist: Seeslugs

Farm-born and raised; Work hard and play hard is Mabel's way of life!
Initially working at a family farm in northern Denmark, she naturally took to herding and pulling stock with her boundless energy. However, a couple of years into work, the family fell into financial hardship and were forced to close down the farm. And with that, they made the tough decision to send Mabel into a shelter and foster program. No longer with a way to release energy, Mabel found herself being bounced around several foster homes. She was a friendly dog, but her boisterous behavior and constant need for movement were too much to handle for families looking for a simple pet. The shelter noticed this and decided that she would be a good fit as a potential sled dog at one of their partnering sanctuaries in Greenland. The sanctuary specialized in taking energetic dogs and giving them a new purpose as sled dogs so that professional mushers across the world could adopt them.Mabel was apprehensive about the move at first. The thought of being tied to a harness was daunting as she heavily preferred roaming around freely. But despite the unease of her new placement, a part of her was excited to finally be given a purposeful task, something she missed a lot. With that, she was moved over to the large island and began her training. Much to her surprise (and dismay), it wasn't very green!Months passed by, and the Greenland sanctuary held a small adoption event for their dogs. The Ilion musher was invited to attend and was introduced to several dogs, one being Mabel, who stood out above the rest. The musher noted that Mabel's fiddling of the harness and restlessness was of concern but that she had great potential regardless. Taking a liking to her sweet demeanor, they decided to take a chance on her and bring her back to Alaska. But Mabel's short time training at the Greenland sanctuary proved to be lackluster. She had several mishaps when training with the Ilion team, which made her incredibly upset as she didn't enjoy underperforming. But the musher didn't give up on her and still believed in her potential. With careful and skillful guidance and help from other fellow sled dogs, Mabel gradually came to find her place within the Ilion team, being beloved by everyone and enjoying her new life as a fully-fledged sled dog.

Musher's comment

"I’ve only been to Greenland twice before, so being invited back for a sled dog adoption event was exciting! I wish I could’ve brought all of the dogs home, but Mabel was the one that caught my eye! I knew immediately that she would be a perfect addition to the team, but I was only allowed to adopt one dog. So I resisted choosing her for a second to give the other dogs a chance, but I ended up picking her in the end. And honestly, I wouldn’t pick any differently! Mabel made herself at home almost right away, and she's always a bundle of joy to be around. But that bundle of joy can be hard to contain, and it was hard to get her to pay attention during training. But once she understood the appeal of mushing, her attitude quickly changed—now she's always giving 110%! That reminds me, one time when I was questioning if being a sled dog was the right fit for her, I suggested that she could be a pet dog; she wouldn't have to wear the harness, and she could play freely around the sanctuary. She yelled no so loud that my ears were ringing for a good five hours. According to Mabel, being a pet is boring, and doing fifty cartwheels in a row is more fun than napping in the sun. Every time I remember that I can't help but laugh to myself. I've never met a dog who hates relaxing! Mabel is truly something!"

🐾Drools heavily. Sometimes it freezes on her face if it's cold enough.
🐾Super loud, and possibly the loudest dog. It's like you adjusted her volume to max, even if she's not yelling.
🐾Will sometimes be naughty or not follow directions, but it's never malicious- she's just scatterbrained.

Name: Little Kikky
Breed: Poodle
From: Europe
Position: Team
Team: Sprint
Artist: Ichigo

Little Kikky was the smallest born to a prestigious female lead dog named Burgundy Thunder the Third and is owned by the world-famous fashion designer Bernard. As a child, Bernard would often join his parents on Alaska-centric business trips that would go on for weeks at a time, where he would be under the care of a family friend named Michi, who had a great passion for mushing. One winter, Michi invited Bernard to watch her participate in a mushing competition. Bernard was reluctant at first—after all, he wasn’t a fan of Alaska’s frigid weather at this time of year, and he was starting to miss his home in the Caribbean. However, he eventually gave in and tagged along. While he was there, he got a chance to see Michi’s Burgundy Thunder the First lead the team to victory. From that point onward, Bernard became a huge fan of mushing.When Bernard had grown older, he found his place in the field of high fashion design, where mushing came to be a primary muse of his. He designed a few lines of dog gear and apparel catered towards sled dogs and their mushers. He continued to keep in touch with Michi and later adopted Little Kikky, who came after a couple of generations of Burgundy Thunders. Bernard cherished Little Kikky and took her with him all over the world. She was given a life of luxury and went on to be the face of many high fashion and pet magazines worldwide. But one day, news came that Burgundy Thunder (the Third) had passed away, and Bernard decided to retire temporarily. Compelled to have Little Kikky carry on her family’s legacy, she would live life as a prized sled dog and not just a pampered pooch.He moved to Alaska, where he was interested in starting his own mushing team, but even with Michi’s help, he couldn’t seem to find a way to get established. Michi suggested entrusting Little Kikky to her good friend at the Ilion sanctuary. Bernard wasn’t too sold on the idea initially, but Michi had never let him down before. Once introduced, Bernard and The Ilion musher quickly became friends, and Bernard’s confidence in allowing Little Kikky to be part of the Ilion team grew solid. At first, Little Kikky was scared of messing up due to her inexperience, but she didn’t let this deter her. She had a goal, after all, and that was to continue on the Burgundy Thunder legacy!

Musher's comment

"When Bernard brought Little Kikky over for the first time, he gave me so many supplies and a long list of do's and don't's. I was okay with it, but I was very panicked on the inside. He's understandably protective of her, and I didn't want to make any mistakes cause the life of a sled dog can be hard at times. But once he left, Little Kikky told me to throw the list away and treat her the same as everyone else- not wanting any special treatment. I sighed with relief and told her I would do that. She's a delight to have around, and all of the dogs love her! They're always curious about her travels, as she has visited dozens of famous cities. She said that she would convince Bernard to take us on a European staycation or something like that. Which sounds fun, but I can't imagine how expensive it's going to be with 24+ dogs. I guess we'll get to that bridge when it's time to cross it (or however the saying goes). Oh, and another thing, Bernard insisted that I make her a lead dog in order for her to continue on the Burgundy Thunder legacy. But after many training sessions, I came to determine that her position would be team dog. Again, I got scared of how Bernard would react, but Little Kikky reassured me that she wanted me to place her on the team honestly."

🐾 Little kikky is a permanent resident of the sanctuary, being co-owned by the musher; Bernard being her primary owner
🐾 Despite her name, she actually grew up to be quite big and tall; she just was the smallest in her litter
🐾 She is named after the song "Little Kikky" by Copter4016882
🐾 She has a lot of cute dog tags from all over the world due to her travels

(STAFF)
Name: Jacky
Breed: Labradoodle
From: Houston, Texas
Position: Assistant/Support dog
Artist: Roby

Jacky works at the vet clinic located on the sanctuary and is the musher's personal assistant. She was originally owned by a couple in Houston and was to be trained as a future show dog. Unfortunately, Jacky had difficulty listening to commands and came off as defiant, which caused her original owners to grow frustrated with her. They thought she had behavioral problems, but after a few examinations it was determined that Jacky was deaf. Her owners grew impatient and decided to give her away. Jacky was adopted out a few times before coming into the possession of the Ilion musher. Luckily, the musher had all of the patience in the world for Jacky, and together they learned to use sign and other tricks to help her navigate her every day life.