|
CAPTION FOR PHOTO: Sarah and Paul Thuot have been TSAMC members for 5
years. Paul is on the Board for TSAMC and Sarah is Secretary/Vice
President
of SCAMP.
PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Linda Bates, Photo manipulation by Rhonda Schrader
Paul, Sarah, Andy (9yr) and
Becky (7yr) Thuot are not just your regular dog loving family. They currently reside in Lodi, WI, but their house is for
sale (with 10 malamute size runs if you are interested) and they are
hoping to move north where there is more snow to enjoy with their mals.
They have been TSAMC members for approximately 5 years. Paul is on the
board of
directors and Sarah is Secretary/Vice President of SCAMP, Inc.
Lucky enough to reside at the Thuots home are 13 dogs and 3 foster
dogs. They have been owned by mals for a wee 6 years. Also, among
all those mals is a golden retriever who "is so old he farts
dust," says Sarah. They also have a house cat who is named Rou short
for Russian Roulette, "it's a game
of chance if your a cat living in our house with 4 other dogs and
us!"
Their kennel name is Anemikamek's Malamutes. That means "dog
kennel" in Ojibwa. When asked why they became interested in malamutes, they stated,
"We thought they were cool looking-really, we wanted a different type
of dog that would be good with our kids and had a great temperment."
What sets the Thouts apart from most mal owners is the proud fact that
they have only purchased 2 mals and the rest of the mals in their kennel
are rescue dogs, "we do not breed any of our dogs, and are as proud
of our throw-aways as those with ring champions-after all, a Malamute is
still a
Malamute." What a great thing to be able to say about ones kennel.
|
What keeps them busy is activities they enjoy with their mals which are
weight pulling, recreational sledding, doing public service visits to
nursing homes, elderly centers, schools, family reunions, fundraisers and
community service. When asked what tests their strength about owning a mal
they said, "Constant testing of our kennel security, thus resulting
in a hobo looking patch job on all the runs. Giving you the 'huh' look all
the time-standing in front of the sledge line barking and wagging their
tails
until time is called and then flying down the course at you. Eats poop and
then licks my face."
One mal characteristic that they just love is a mals sense of humor,
"they get squirrelly and jump on your lap and don't think twice about
it." The major thing that drives Thuots nuts is the fur, "I've
often thought of
polyurathaning every single one so I never have to deal with another
hair."
Paul and Sarah are from Wausau, WI and have been together 18 year. They
met in high school, got married, moved to Lodi, WI, had dogs and then
kids. Other activities they enjoy without dogs are wilderness
camping, fishing, rennovating old homes, backpacking, and kids sports.
Paul is a 'Tim the tool man', and Sarah enjoys making hand made quilts.
When asked what their profession is, "We are pro poop scoopers!"
Actually, Paul is division manager of the roofing program at Waunakee
Remodeling, and Sarah works in the Cognitive Development Disabilities
program at Waunakee Intermediate School.
If someone was contemplating getting a Mal, They would say, "Why???,
then... Why only one?? We scare the people off at first, then, if they are
still interested, tell them the good stuff." Also, they take pride in
the fact that they have a natural ability to take in the worst abused dogs
and bring the dog out of its shell.
"We have learned Malamutes are a disease-they infest your skin, and
survival without multitudes is slim to none. The side effects are
expensive and irritating but withdrawal symptoms are unimaginable.
Therefore, one must learn to live with the affliction and continue to
aquire Mal's as
needed," they say. So you see, they are the kind of family that every
dog longs to be a part of. |
|
