In Memory...
Anna and Kristy have been honored to have so many great people and dogs enter their lives. Alas, some who have entered have also departed. This page, added to our site in early 2025, is a place to remember them.
Jonah ~ 2008 to 2024Jonah was essentially the Dog Father of Seeing Double Sled Dog Racing. Here is his story...
Jonah was won in a bet.
Anna and Kristy worked for Dean Osmar when they first moved to Alaska. Dean would frequently make small bets on anything from a sports match to how long it takes to fillet a salmon, all for a cup of coffee or some nonsense as the prize. In 2008, on a long drive back from a training series in Cantwell, the Iditarod came up in conversation, as it usually did. Dean and Anna were discussing the start of the race and how it has always been on the first weekend in March. “Except that one time.” Anna objected… This statement lead to an investigation by Dean. Back then, you couldn't simply ask Siri for the answer. And the year in question was 1979, which was already stretching popular memory. As it happened, Rick Swenson won the Iditarod in 1979. Dean was certain Anna was wrong about how the start unfolded that year, so he said “Want to bet on it?” Anna nodded while keeping her eyes on the road. This had to be settled in the truck right then and there. So a phone call was made to the champ. Rick answered right away. Failing to begin the conversation with any pleasantries, Dean cut right to the chase. “What day did the Iditarod start in 1979?” Rick replied, “Well that was an odd year. We started on Saturday, February 24th….” Dean hung up on Rick in disgust. “What do you want.” Dean demanded, realizing they failed to agree on the winner's prize before. Anna wasn’t bashful. She nearly shouted: “I want a dog!” |
True to his word, Dean gave Anna a dog named Sally who was pregnant. The deal was, Anna and Kristy could take care of Sally and her puppies until they were six weeks old, then they could have pick of the litter. Sally had five healthy puppies. It was hard to choose just one, but there was something about Jonah.
Jonah grew up to be a smart, sweet, fast and handsome dog. In 2010, when he was just shy of two years old, Jonah ran his first Iditarod with Kristy. It was Kristy's first Iditarod too.
Jonah and Kristy had many firsts together, including the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest and the Northern Lights 300, their first race to claim a championship. Jonah went on to win the Kusko 300 and lead Anna in all of her qualifiers for her first Iditarod in 2012. His race resume is quite impressive having run the Iditarod 8 times along with many mid-distance races from the Tustumena 200 to the Copper Basin 300 and many races in between.
Jonah blessed the Seeing Double Kennel with a litter of puppies and trained many lead dogs. As Jonah aged and eventually retired from racing, he found new joy in teaching puppies to come when they're called on free walks and attended many schools letting children harness, pet and place booties on his feet.
He learned to like cats, the wood stove, and just relaxing in the kennel while dog teams carried on with training and daily kennel life. Jonah lived a long, healthy, fulfilling life of nearly 17 years.
The day he passed the kennel howled and sang a song much different than other days. The pace and notes of this tune were a tribute to Jonah. We all miss him.
Jonah grew up to be a smart, sweet, fast and handsome dog. In 2010, when he was just shy of two years old, Jonah ran his first Iditarod with Kristy. It was Kristy's first Iditarod too.
Jonah and Kristy had many firsts together, including the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest and the Northern Lights 300, their first race to claim a championship. Jonah went on to win the Kusko 300 and lead Anna in all of her qualifiers for her first Iditarod in 2012. His race resume is quite impressive having run the Iditarod 8 times along with many mid-distance races from the Tustumena 200 to the Copper Basin 300 and many races in between.
Jonah blessed the Seeing Double Kennel with a litter of puppies and trained many lead dogs. As Jonah aged and eventually retired from racing, he found new joy in teaching puppies to come when they're called on free walks and attended many schools letting children harness, pet and place booties on his feet.
He learned to like cats, the wood stove, and just relaxing in the kennel while dog teams carried on with training and daily kennel life. Jonah lived a long, healthy, fulfilling life of nearly 17 years.
The day he passed the kennel howled and sang a song much different than other days. The pace and notes of this tune were a tribute to Jonah. We all miss him.