What can I say? Adopting Kai, now McKinley, has been a dream come true for me. I have been wanting a dog and pining after Siberian Huskies since moving to Wisconsin in 2015. It seems like fate that this miniature husky looking dog ended up at the Humane Society of Burnett County. Shout out to my neighbor Pamela who first sent me a picture of him, as she knew that he would be right for me. From the moment that I met him, I knew it was meant to be. As best as we can determine, he is an Alaskan Klee Kai, probably mixed with Spitz, and/or Siberian Husky.

We felt strongly that his name should somehow be related to Alaska and I named him after the highest point in North America, Mount McKinley (in 2015 President Obama had the name changed to Denali.) In 1896, the people of Alaska named the mountain after presidential candidate William McKinley, hoping that if he was elected President, he would grant them statehood. He did become our 25^th President but did not grant Alaska statehood. My Dad’s middle name was William. Therefore, I renamed Kai “McKinley William Diehl”. We sometimes shorten it to “Mick”.

McKinley is a very high energy dog which is perfect for me because I take a 3.5 mile walk every day. I am thrilled to have Mick as my walking companion. He seems to really enjoy being outside and seeing deer, birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. He also loves to chase the fallen leaves as they blow in the wind. He keeps us laughing with his endless antics. He is such a friendly dog. He loves people and other dogs. We are lucky to have other dogs in our neighborhood that he plays with and one of his favorite activities is going to the Webster Community Dog Park where he has met many new dog friends. At the dog park, he spends time sniffing and sending ‘pee-mail’ and he runs and runs to his heart’s content. He is so fast, and it is obvious that he is full of joy when he can freely run! I do not know the history of the Webster Community Dog Park, but I would like to send my sincere thanks to whomever it was that built it, maintains it and funds it. It is a gem in our community.

McKinley is the first dog that my husband and I have had. I am grateful to so many people who have helped us with his adoption and with our questions and concerns. First, to the staff and volunteers at the Humane Society of Burnett County. You took excellent care of Kai after he was found on the streets, and you were all so kind to me when I came to visit him. You allowed me to participate in the Tails on Trails fundraising event by taking him on a two hour walk. I met so many HSBC volunteers that day who encouraged me to adopt him and answered so many of my questions.

To the parents of Ginger, Bear, Scrappy Doo, Bandit, Remi, Bingley, and Jill who are the most wonderful neighbors and friends. I am honored to now be in this group of dog parents on Bass Lake. I cannot thank them enough for their advice, wisdom, kindness, and patience. They have made so many helpful recommendations and have offered their support countless times. These are the best neighbors ever!