Huskies on full display at Morton Arboretum

Teams of Siberian huskies were on display Saturday all over Morton Arboretum.

Normally, that's an open invitation for a little kid to go overboard in petting the blue-eyed dogs.

But 1-year-old Johannah Reed of Lisle had more pressing concerns.

"She saw the bright colors on the Superman sled, and all she wanted to do was to sit on it," said Bob Reed, Johannah's father, after snapping a few photos of his daughter, bundled up on a pink snowsuit.

Nearby, volunteers spent the afternoon fielding questions about the dogs and demonstrating sledding techniques as part of the arboretum's annual "Husky Heroes" event.

About 8,000 people attended last year's event, and organizers were hoping for a similar turnout this weekend.

"It's a popular event because it's so unusual to see dog sledding in the Chicago area," said Diana Fischer-Woods, a special events coordinator with the Morton Arboretum.

Volunteers with Adopt-A-Husky, a pet rescue organization, spent the day taking registrations from families interested in adopting some of the animals.

Volunteer Noel Daglay said the group finds many of the homes for its rescued animals through the arboretum's event.

"This gives us a lot of exposure to different people and lets us get the word out," she said.

The Husky Heroes event continues 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Arboretum, located at 4100 Route 53 in Lisle.