11/06/2024
One of our incredible adopters, Elizabeth, shared this beautiful journey of her Final Victory Rescue dog, Iris. We felt like it was too good to keep it to ourselves! Sharing with her permission:
"When I adopted Iris from FVAR in October 2020, she was such an anxious little girl. When I picked her up from transport, she hid, trembling, behind the driver's side tire and I had to gently lift her out and into the car. For the first couple months I had her, Iris seemed to prefer cuddling in her bed or being by my side whenever possible. There were lots of scary things everywhere - trucks, cardboard boxes, the wind, wooden floors, lemons, plastic bags, crunchy leaves, wet floor signs, the bath. Taking her on walks was difficult; she would begin to shake when I took out her leash and refuse to walk.
When the first snow arrived, Iris was completely mesmerized. Walks became more exciting for her. She ran through the snow, stuck her nose in snowdrifts, did her first zoomies, and jumped over snowbanks. We spent that winter on small walks that were spent mostly playing in the snow in the woods. But when the snow melted, Iris seemed more confident in general when it was walk time. Iris took her first hike that summer, and we haven't stopped since. From what I can tell, Iris feels the same way I do about being outside and hiking - she is joyful and excited, calm and relaxed. She is curious, she is brave, she is full of wonder.
In July 2022, at age two, Iris did her first 4000-footer. The 4000-footers of New Hampshire are a series of 48 mountains all at an elevation of 4000 feet or above. They are located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and vary in length, elevation gain, total time, and difficulty. Our first hike checked two of the 48 peaks off our list. As we adventured, other hikers on the trail commented on Iris's agility and acumen on the trail, but the comments about her confidence and her palpable joy were the ones that I held closest to my heart.
Between July 2022 and June 2023, Iris successfully summitted (with me by her side) all 48 of these peaks. Some hikes were day hikes - we woke up early, drove three and a half hours north, spent the day hiking, and pitched a tent somewhere in New Hampshire for the evening. Iris seems to particularly enjoy our backpacking trips, though - we hike up and stay on the trail for a few nights, camping as we go, and at the end of a long day of hiking with gear on our backs, as I set up our campsite and prepare to make our dinner before tucking in, Iris gets her second wind, running circles around our setup.
In April 2024, Iris got her official "NH4" patch and was recognized in the Canine Ceremony of the AMC 4000 Footer Awards Ceremony. She was absolutely thrilled, though I think she would have preferred to be on the trail instead.
Today, Iris remains a nervous girlie inside - a Prozac Puppy, she has not yet conquered cardboard boxes, wooden floors, the hairdryer, or novel indoor environments. But stick her in the woods, on a trail, in a kayak, in a tent, around a fire, among rocks and mountains - and Iris is at home."
