Hello we are Jessie and  Kris and we live in Haines, Ak with our dog family. Bohdi is our Husky/Belgian Malinois mix who loves nothing more than to explore the  mountains with family and friends. Before the accident he  biked, hiked, or skied  daily! 

On  January 30th Bodhi's life changed forever. We embarked on our weekend ski adventure and everything was going great. We were  a couple of miles from the road, heading back, so we  decided to put Bodhi back on the leash ( he is not to be trusted around a road ). However, after 15 minutes of calling him and looking he did not turn up.  Occasionally he will take a flight of fancy so it did not seem too unusual. We searched around the area for hours that night with no luck. The next morning we went back out and halfway up the mountain we heard the sound of a dog whine. We followed the sound down the mountain and what we found was horrifying- Bodhi's foot was caught in a  trap! The location of the trap was near the trailhead and only a few feet off of a major roadway. In addition the trap was baited with deer bones and meat. Due to its location and size it was likely a wolf trap. 

Bodhi was definitely in pain, but showed his typically good nature when we approached him. Upon freeing him from the trap we noted that his paw was double the size of the heathy one and felt wooden and stiff. It was obvious Bodhi would have a long road ahead if he were to keep his paw.

Due to the remote nature of the community, full time veterinary care is not available. We had to send him, via Alaska Seaplanes, to the nearest big city, Juneau.  Initially the vets thought that his entire leg should be removed. His paw had become quite gruesome- necrotic tissue, exposed bone, full loss of skin, and severe perfusion injury.  However,  he improved somewhat after a few days. The vets than told us that he would have a chance to save his paw with diligent care and patience. 

For the average dog, amputation would be the right choice. For Bodhi it would severely limit what he loves to do most. Run around on rugged mountain terrain and chase backcountry skiers and snowmobilers up and down mountains.  The vets agreed that with Bodhi's lifestyle, attempting to save the paw, even if he lost a toe or two, would be worth it. Unfortunately this comes with a steep bill.

While we are not sure as to the full cost of veterinary care, it has already run into the thousands of dollars and very well could reach $10,000 with surgeries. Bodhi has always had a village and we are hoping some friends and empathetic strangers can send some support. While we don't necessarily  expect gofundme to pay for it all, some help would go a long way to ensuring our financial stability in a chaotic time.  This will allow us to keep Bodhi active and in the mountains where he belongs! Every Bit Helps! 

Kris, Jessie, Freya, and Bohdi

One Photo below may be disturbing. 


Note #1 What we will do with the money. First and foremost is to pay Bodhi's Veterinary bills. Second is to help cover transportation costs if Bodhi needs to head to Juneau again. Third is to pay for any prosthesis and or long term care. Finally, if there is any money left, we donate all proceeds to the local animal shelter HAARK. We will be posting his bills as they are issued. 

Note #2 Trapping of furbearing animals is an extremely controversial topic. As long as people follow the law, they do have every right to do it, according to said law. Especially here in Alaska trapping has a long and  deeply rooted history and is part of the culture. We do think that in certain locations, such as near trailheads or other similar public spaces trapping should be restricted, however. At the same time we do acknowledge that dog owners are fundamentally responsible for keeping control of their dogs. At the end of the day accidents happen. 

Bodhi in his natural habitat




Bodhi At the End of A Magnificent Ski Run


The Atrocious State of Bodhi's Paw 



Bodhi with his sister. Hope he is wagging like that soon!