Welcome to the Family, Mishka Bowen

It was a cold Valentine’s Day morning when Heather and I drove a few miles from our hotel to a small shopping center in front of a Crumbl Cookie shop.

There she was—dancing and absolutely thrilled to see us. Her name was originally Snow, but we changed it immediately. Our previous Huskies had Russian names: Nikita, Sasha, and now, Mishka. When she batted those big brown eyes at us, we both melted. Someone had abandoned her at a ski resort.

A man named Dave had tried to catch her earlier, but she was too smart and kept evading him. He realized he had to set a trap. Three days later, the ultimate weakness of every Husky got the best of her: food.

Today, Mishka is a very adaptable hunter who still can’t help but chase birds. After we rescued her, we took her back to the hotel to meet grandma and our two Shih-tzus. Bella was scared, but Zoey stood up tall and quickly showed the Husky who was the boss. Lots of hijinks and playing ensued.

After a simple nine-hour drive home, all the pups were incredibly happy to be back on the grass. We believe Mishka was about one years old when she joined our family. She hasn't grown much since, and I suppose those giant puppy paws never did mean she would grow into a giant dog.

Heather was the one who picked out Mishka, but you can’t make up a dog’s mind for them. She ultimately became my dog. It was 100% her choice, and she dragged me along kicking and screaming. I never wanted to be the focus of all that fur and those tongue baths, but it’s amazing how you adapt. She stole me from my wife fair and square... lol.