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Help Indio Get His Sight Back!     Lots of Needy Sibes!

How You Can Help     Our Spotlight Dog     Odin & Freya's Husky Pros & Cons

Thinking about buying a dog instead of adopting? Thinking about breeding your dog? Watch this slideshow first. While this is from Atlanta, the same thing happens in every city in America, including Phoenix. We have too many dogs, and half of the unwanted ones wind up being killed in shelters. Adopt a dog today and always spay/neuter your pet!

ASHRA is a 501(c)(3), Non-Profit, Volunteer-run Organization that rescues Siberian Huskies and places them into Qualified Homes, as well as educates the public on the special needs of the Siberian. If you are not familiar with the Siberian Husky, and even if you are, we strongly urge you to visit our Links page. There we provide excellent resources for learning about the characteristics of the Siberian Husky.

We have opened an on-line store, where you can purchase a wide variety of products that benefit our rescue. Products, such as t-shirts and coffee mugs, feature great Siberian Husky artwork from Arizona artist Debra Jones. We now have ASHRA logo products, including bumper stickers - check it out!

Help Indio Get His Sight Back!

Indio is a young Siberian that was rescued from a Tucson Shelter last November. He came to us scared, sick and covered with bite wounds in varying stages of healing. He had an intestinal infection and was terrified of everything. When he saw another dog, he would hit the ground. Indio’s foster parents have worked with him, given him lots of love and helped him gain back his confidence, so he’s a much happier dog now. But in the course of veterinary trips for treatment of wounds and infections, we found out that Indio has juvenile cataracts and is almost blind. We think that this contributed in large part to his fears. We took him to a veterinary ophthalmologist for an evaluation and because his retinas are healthy, Indio is an excellent candidate for successful cataract surgery.

Update, 8/28/2008: the current estimate for both eyes is $4,100 - 4,500. To date, we have collected $2,735. We are closing in on what we need - please consider helping us reach our goal and restoring the sight of this great dog!

Since Indio is so young, less than 18 months old, we really want to give him his sight back. This is a huge expense for ASHRA so we need to raise more funds before he can have the surgery. Please help Indio get his sight back. You can donate via PayPal using the button below or send a check to ASHRA, Inc. PO Box 14801, Scottsdale, AZ 85267. All donations are tax deductible.

Lots of Needy Sibes at Local Shelters

As is now the norm, our foster homes are full and there are quite a few Sibes showing up in the valley animal control shelters. If you are considering adopting a Sibe, please consider checking the shelters first! See a list of all area shelters here.

1. While we often hear from people interested in volunteering their time to help ASHRA, our single greatest need is foster homes. The more foster homes we have the more dogs we can save, and we only have a few foster homes right now. Please.. if you are at all interested in fostering a Siberian Husky in need, and you live in Arizona, please contact us to be evaluated for this invaluable and rewarding service. Thank you! Note: We have NO foster space available right now and are even more desperate than usual for foster homes. Please help if you can!!
2. There is an adoption fee for each of our rescued Siberian Huskies of $150.00 regardless of age. This fee is slightly higher if the dog is microchipped.

Our Spotlight Dog

We'll have a new spotlight dog shortly.

Odin & Freya's Husky Pros & Cons

So why do Siberian Huskies have special needs? Like many breeds, they have their little quirks and idiosyncrasies. Any prospective Siberian owner needs to be aware of these before making the long-term commitment to a dog. It is a long-term commitment, too. Dogs can live 15 to 20 years. During that time they will need medical attention, high-quality food, an appropriate home environment and, most importantly, love.

SAVE YOURSELF SOME FRUSTRATION, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

ALL dogs will be spayed or neutered prior to adoption. ASHRA will not adopt out an unaltered animal, period, so don't bother asking! Vaccinations are also included. We require an adoptive home to have a yard with at least a 6' fence around it, preferably with a dog door. If you do not have a fenced yard - you will NOT qualify for adoption. You must be in your majority (not a minor) to adopt a Siberian Husky from ASHRA. Please read our Adoption Requirements.

Please read Odin & Freya's Story on our In Memory page.

Here are some husky cons:

1. Siberian Huskies are escape artists. Most love to dig and many can easily climb fences (especially chain link). Once escaped, you would be lucky to see them again, as they have a poor homing instinct. We recommend micro-chipping your dogs. They absolutely require a fenced yard, preferably one designed so they cannot dig under the fence.
2. Siberian Huskies are stubborn. While very intelligent, they can be one of the more difficult breeds to train.
3. Siberian Huskies love to run. It is generally recommended to NEVER let them off-leash in the open. They will run and run, then realize they don't have any idea where they are and adopt the next person they see.
4. Siberian Huskies can be difficult (sometimes lethal) around smaller pets, especially cats. This is not universal, but quite common.
5. Siberian Huskies are worthless as guard dogs. It is often said they will happily welcome any intruder, as they love everybody.
6. Siberian Huskies are much better off if they are not a solo dog.
7. Siberian Huskies spend an average of 3.5 to 4 months per year "blowing" their coat. Twice each year their undercoat comes out in endless clumps. The quantity of fur a Husky sheds amazes those exposed to it for the first time.

Here are some of the pros:

1. Siberian Huskies are among the most beautiful animals in the world.
2. Siberian Huskies are among the most affectionate and loving dog breeds there are.
3. Siberian Huskies are great with kids and most other dogs.
4. Siberian Huskies bark rarely, instead they talk and howl (usually softly).
5. Siberian Huskies have great personalities (except for being so stubborn) and can be quite entertaining.

Unless noted otherwise, please e-mail ASHRA, Inc. directly, or you can also e-mail Lindsay for further information. You can also contact us by phone at (602) 427-7226.