One day early this summer while trolling Facebook and Instagram, I came across a site Husky Halfway House. Getting my first Husky, Zoe some 30 years ago, the site immediately piqued my interest. Over the years I have rescued Yukon, Abbey, Brandy, Hope, Cora and just this month Fritz. Having attended the University of Washington, I guess it was only natural I would follow and adopt Huskies.

 

It was last month upon daily viewing and live shots and driving my wife crazy showing her videos of Huskies, that she said to me… “why don’t you drive out there and volunteer your time?” So, I left Charleston, South Carolina and drove 16 hours to Eufaula, Oklahoma home to Husky Halfway House.

 

Upon arrival, I was welcomed by howls of joy and singing from nearly 250 Huskies, all shapes, sizes, and colorings. It fast became my happy place and put a smile on my face as I entered many one-way conversations with this breed I have come to love. The locations over so many acres were all too familiar to me from the presence put out on social media.

 

The woman who is the heart and soul of H3 aka Husky Halfway House, is Jenni Dietsch. Many people are on missions, but I came to find over the next 4 days just how dedicated she was to be saving and rescuing these Huskies for adoption. To rescue A dog takes a commitment, to rescue hundreds almost a thousand takes a desire to solving a continual evolution of a never-ending problem in today’s society.

 

Whether Huskies come from puppy farms, are abandoned, escape, or dumped… they are a breed that are resourceful and need an owner’s attention and commitment. Jenni has a dedicated team with her that take care of feeding, grooming, clean-up/deodorizing, maintaining records, and keeping the good health of all the dogs living at H3. These team members are some committed folks who truly love the animals they care for in what Jenni maintains is a Halfway to finding adopting families nationwide.

 

On my first day with H3 I took a ride with Jenni to the Oklahoma City Animal Welfare shelter, located about two hours from Eufaula. Jenni keeps an eye out for those Huskies that are on the soon to be euthanized lists and takes as many as she can multiple times a week. On this day we rescued two within hours of certain death. 3H has rescued and continues to rescue Huskies from all over, especially California where the problem seems to be out of control.

 

Ten years ago, none of this would even have been possible, were it not for the global reach today of social media. After seeing Jenni at work, I saw her as the Jerry Lewis for Huskies, doing fund raising however possible, whenever needed like Jerry did for his MDA kids. Multiple times throughout the day and week, she updates the audience with what’s going on with the dogs, the latest rescue and those who are being adopted and sent on their ways to new homes across the country, which by the way she and her team provide transport for the dogs to!

 

Currently these dogs eat about 200lbs a day, some of the food comes from charities, but a great deal comes from donations. Whether it be monetary via Zelle etc., shopping lists on Amazon and Chewy, or Stars on Facebook, 3H takes them all in what I can only describe as a never-ending telethon for the Huskies. The results and charitable matches can be staggering for this 501c that is like no other I have ever seen.

 

Of course, this is 2024 and you can’t be doing good in all’s eyes, and 3H has its critics, but Jenni has that heart with a hard-shell finish, and those who choose to take her on, can be advised you are in for a verbal or written response that she defends in the face of hundreds of Huskies.

 

The next few days I spent with H3 I got to know several dozen of the dogs while taking them for walks and letting them run in the new adoption area. Like any rescued dog, they all need a good home, but that comes with responsibility too. I believe we all want to do the right thing in a life that respects one another and the Huskies too. No one I know could do what Jenni Dietsch does, on the standards she sets and the heart she has for these Huskies, all unbelievably whom she knows the names of!

 

When you next have that searching moment, go look up Husky Halfway House and see what this group of people are doing day in day out, hour by hour for these Huskies. I was truly grateful for my time spent with Jenni and her team, and hope more of these dogs get adopted, to free up the space to save more Huskies from our shelters nationwide.

 

By the way, I saved Fritz and brought him home to my two other rescue Huskies and everyone is better off for it.