A local school bus driver and passionate dog lover has written his first childrenB次元官网网址檚 book, about the friendship between his two dogs and their adventures. B次元官网网址淲elcome HomeB次元官网网址� is the first in a planned series called The Adventures of Aussie and Otis.

Rob HuttingaB次元官网网址檚 sled dog, Aussie, was rescued in 2010 from among a group of dogs that were killed following the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. At the time, 56 sled dogs were killed by the employee of a sled dog tour company after business declined. It resulted in international outrage and a provincial investigation.

Aussie, and many others, were not killed, and so were put up for adoption. At the time, Huttinga was looking for a companion dog for another elderly dog of his, Riley.

B次元官网网址淲e walked into the SPCA, we heard about the massacre, and we didnB次元官网网址檛 know how big this was,B次元官网网址� said Huttinga. One of the attendants told him they had a shipment of sled dogs from the company, and recommended one dog in particular: Aussie.

B次元官网网址淥ne look at her brown eyes, and that was it for me. I fell in love with the dog,B次元官网网址� he said. When they met, Aussie was recovering from being spayed, and when she heard B次元官网网址淎ussie, ointment time!B次元官网网址� she rolled onto her stomach and complied right away. Right then, Huttinga knew the 12-year old dog was something special.

In his research, Huttinga learned more about AussieB次元官网网址檚 history. He said she ran the Yukon Quest, a 1000-mile race, twice in her career, and was among several dogs in a CBC TV documentary about the race.

After six months, Riley died, and HuttingaB次元官网网址檚 daughter always wanted a puppy, so eight-week old Otis, a pug, joined the family. Aussie was skeptical of the new dog, but after some time, Huttinga said the older dog began to mother the puppy, and B次元官网网址渢hey became best of friends.B次元官网网址�

The book, called B次元官网网址淲elcome Home,B次元官网网址� is the first in a planned series, which will follow the two characters as Aussie shows Otis the ropes, which he hopes will encourage the adoption of sled dogs.

As a first time author with a day job, he encountered some skepticism before the book got published. Huttinga works for School District 63, and drives Route 2 on school days, at the north end of the district. He transports students to Deep Cove Elementary, North Saanich Middle and Parkland Secondary.

One day, when Huttinga saw both dogs sharing the same bed and walking the same trails together, he thought B次元官网网址渟omeone should write a book about this,B次元官网网址� but he said no one in his family took him seriously. He began to take notes, and he was at the Beacon Drive-In and started writing his story. It took four tries to get it right, but is now available through FriesenPress and on Amazon. He is pitching the book, aimed at readers aged 5-12, to local bookstores as well.

The book is dedicated to Aussie, who died in 2017, but as a character, she lives on in the series.

For more information, visit . A portion of the bookB次元官网网址檚 proceeds go to the Victoria Humane Society.

reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com
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