Hi, I’ve been putting off sending this email, but I know I really need to. We adopted Rose, and we renamed her Arwin. Back in 2004, my husband I were just married and had just bought out first house. He had grown up with dogs, and I had always wanted one. I knew we definitely wanted to rescue, and I’d always wanted a Siberian husky. My little sister had adopted a sweet puppy from AFH the year prior, and when we checked out the site, lo and behold there was a beautiful, blue-eyed, black n white, 9 month, Siberian husky. When we met her, we immediately fell in love with her attitude and energy.
When Arwin joined our family, she helped us unpack in the new house by using the boxes to show us just how high she could jump. Over the next few years, she ensured there was never a dull day. She loved to run circles in the grass behind our house and watch the neighborhood from our bay window. (When we walked her, the neighbors would refer to her as the dog from the window!) She taught us all about how huskies are escape artists when she toured Centreville for hours but returned home to us when she was ready. She knew how to open our pantry, as evidenced by the 30 Milkbones we found her hoarding in her crate. Most of all, she loved to remind us that while we lived there, she was owned the place.
She helped me lose 30 lbs on daily 4.5 mile walks. I think the neighborhood thought we were crazy because I’d talk to her about my day and she’d tell me about hers. She took her big sister role seriously when we brought home our daughter in 2008 and then adopted a three year old husky (Jasper) in 2012. She always reminded them, and us, that she was the leader through her “ahh wooo woo woos” as she followed us throughout the house to explain her dissatisfaction with something as small as changing out the pillows on the couch.
From the day we brought her home, she was an integral part of building our family. Even in her last year, as she was getting older and slower, she remained headstrong and still had bursts of puppy-like energy. On August 22nd, we lost the most stubborn, grumpy, dramatic, independent, quirky, makes-you-jealous-because-your-eyeliner-will-never-look-so-good, lovable husky. She was 15 and a half, and she was perfect.