Visiting a husky farm one morning in summer. You can hear the noise from far away. It's hard to have a conversation next to the husky cages. ‘It's feeding time,’ explains Paul Leveque. The 34-year-old comes from France and worked in the financial sector in Paris for seven years. ‘Then I completely changed my life.’ After spending some time in the French Alps, he finally ended up in Hossa. It is a small village in the centre of Finland, right at the entrance to Hossa National Park. Although the municipality is no longer officially part of Lapland, it feels geographically and culturally connected to this region.
Paul was looking for solitude and wilderness, which is why he ended up at the husky farm. He does not work directly with the dogs, but is responsible for logistics and organisation. But he knows the dogs and always makes time to visit his favourite dogs. Some dogs that have finished their active time as sled dogs enjoy a quiet and privileged life outside the cages. These include, for example, ‘Djekill’, the oldest husky on the farm at 16 years old, and ‘Saga’. They both enjoy getting extra hugs.
The dogs are slowly all getting fed, the excitement dies down and it becomes quiet again on the husky farm. Marlène Pioteyry, the manager of the tourism company, points to a map at the entrance that shows which cage the almost 200 huskies are kept in. ‘We leave nothing to chance here,’ explains the manager. There is documentation on each dog with information on age, character, possible injuries, fitness, eating habits and special events. Normally, the huskies are always in pairs in a cage. "We see who gets along well. Sometimes they are siblings, sometimes dogs that are a good match in terms of character. ‘Sometimes a husky is alone in the cage if it doesn't get on with another dog.’
The dogs are primarily used as sled dogs in the winter season. "We make sure that they are not used too much, but not too little either. On average, they run around 25 kilometres three to five times a week." There are four to six dogs per sled. ‘How many dogs there are per sled depends on the energy of the dogs, but also on the weight of the humans.’
The husky farm also takes care of its own offspring. Fertilisation takes place in spring and in summer two to eight husky puppies are born per litter, which stay with their mother for around three months. "Right from the start, we try to get the puppies used to people. After a training period, they can start working as sled dogs at around one year of age. How long the dogs are harnessed to the sled varies greatly. Some run until they are eight years old, some until they are twelve." Marlène emphasises that all dogs are allowed to stay on this husky farm, even when they are ‘retired’. "We use them for walks with guests. This is possible in summer and winter and is very popular." When there is no opportunity for walks, the dogs are allowed to run around in a large fenced-in area. There they can decide for themselves how much exercise they need.
‘Animal welfare is an important issue for us,’ explains Marlène. ‘People work here with passion, so there is no mistreatment of animals.’ Right next to the cages is a residential building where the dog carers live. ‘One person is on duty every night, which means they listen for irregular noises and can intervene immediately.’ The employees can treat minor injuries themselves in a small ‘husky hospital’. ‘The vet normally comes once a year, but we can visit him whenever we need him.’
Guests are also expected to treat the animals with respect. ‘This includes respecting the animals' characteristics and paying attention to their condition.’ Firstly, guests should build up a relationship with the animals and then start slowly. Then nothing stands in the way of the pleasure of driving a sled through the snowy landscape yourself - either as a musher (driver and commander of the sled) or as a handler (manager and carer of the team in the background). "Guests who have travelled with our huskies don't just take home memories. These experiences shape their lives."
