Missy

Missy was my first real Adventure Dog, and she set the tone for everything that came after. She actually started out in a program to become a service dog, but at around two years old, they discovered she had been born with liver disease. Because of that, she needed more care than she could give, she ended up needing a service human of her own.

She was on prescription food and took daily medication, but none of that took away from how incredibly sweet and gentle she was. Missy didn’t exactly love the adventure lifestyle, especially car rides, which she absolutely hated. But she went along with it all anyway, like she just wanted to be part of whatever was going on. She was right there on the very first trip with the Outback.

More than anything, Missy became the perfect mentor for Zoe. She showed her how to walk off-leash, not get too far ahead, and to always check back in. The two of them spent a lot of time hiking and camping together, until eventually Missy started to slow down and preferred staying home. We said goodbye to her in 2024, but she left behind so much especially in Zoe.

Zoe

I’d been thinking for a while about getting a second dog, and then one day, while sitting at a donut shop with Missy, I met someone who had a dog “just like her.” We started talking, and he ended up giving me the breeder’s information. When I reached out and told her what I was looking for, she said she had the perfect litter on the way.

Zoe was born in February 2023 and came home that May. From the start, she’s had this incredibly outgoing, enthusiastic personality that makes her perfect for the Adventure Dogs. By just 8 months old, she had already hiked her first peak at over 8,000 feet, and a little after her first birthday, she completed her first backpacking trip, a 17-mile, two-night journey.