Morton Arboretum event shows huskies' strengths

Snow or no snow, Siberian huskies will show off their dog-sledding prowess this weekend at Morton Arboretum's Husky Heroes event.

“If there's no snow, the demonstrations still go on. We use wheeled rigs, wheeled carts,” said Noel Dagley, treasurer of Adopt A Husky Inc., a nonprofit, volunteer rescue organization that specializes in finding homes for Siberian huskies.

The organization has been partnering with the arboretum since 2002 to present Husky Heroes, said Gina Steele, the arboretum's special events coordinator. The event is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 and 29, at the arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle.

“It's really cool to see it locally,” Steele said. “In between the demonstrations, you can pet the dogs and talk with the owners.”

More than 13,000 people came out last year, Dagley said.

She and her husband, Mike, the organization's president, have four huskies of their own. Their dogsled team and a pack of other club members' dogs will show spectators how sled drivers, known as mushers, direct a team of two to eight dogs.

Huskies are perfectly suited to hauling sleds loaded with drivers and supplies across snowy and icy terrain, Dagley said.

“They were bred to pull a moderate weight over a long distance,” Dagley said.

They also like to run without pulling a sled.

“They were born to run, so they love to run,” she said. “They can jump fences and run for long distances. They can run 25 miles without a problem.”

They usually average nine to 12 mph, she said.

“They can go up to 24 miles per hour if there's an incentive to go faster, like if there's a deer or a rabbit,” she said.

If there is snow on the ground, arboretum visitors also will see a skijoring demonstration, wherein dogs pull cross-country skiers. In the absence of snow, the dogs will pull bicycle riders, she said.

Several of the dogs doing demonstrations at the Husky Heroes event live in foster homes and will be available for adoption. Dagley said adoption details will be available in the arboretum's Visitor Center.

Last year, she said, five or six huskies found homes through the event.

The Dagleys' most recently adopted dog, Gunner, is a purebred Siberian husky the couple found through PAWS of Tinley Park.

“They found him as a stray. He had been shot twice,” Dagley said. “His right ear is missing and (someone) shot him in the thigh. It didn't hit any major organs. A lot of the dogs we get come from bad situations.”

Now fully rehabilitated through months of veterinary care, Gunner fits right in with his new pack, the family's three other huskies, Dagley said.

“Huskies are kind of a unique breed. They're not for everybody. They're quite independent and stubborn. But they're also intelligent,” she said. “They're very family-oriented, they're very pack-oriented. For the most part, they're very good with people, kids and other dogs that are medium- to large-size dogs.”

Dagley said dog-sledding enthusiasts and their pets often gather on weekends to go sledding.

The dogs take well to each other, she said.

“They all run with each other and they know each other,” she said. “Every dog has a certain spot on the team.”

Dagley said husky owners visiting the arboretum will be happy to answer questions and pose for pictures.

“The people who do it, they enjoy talking to the people,” Dagley said. “It's nice for people to see huskies do what they were bred to do. They just love it.”

Husky Heroes

<b>Where:</b> Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle

<b>When:</b> 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 and 29

<b>Cost:</b> Free with Arboretum admission of $14 per adult, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $9 for ages 2 to 17, free for younger children and members

<b>Info:</b> (630) 968-0074, <a href="http://www.mortonarb.org">mortonarb.org</a> or <a href="http://www.adoptahusky.com">adoptahusky.com</a>