Hello friends! My name is Christie Stryk. I am the owner/ lead photographer of Gentle Bear Photography (www.gentlebearphotography.smugmug.com) and if you couldn't tell by the title of this blog, I love canines! Especially domestic dogs and wolves. I deeply love all animals, but canines are closest to my heart. My husband and I are owned by a 4 year old AKC German Shepherd named Maximus (pictured above) and a 3 year old AKC Siberian Husky named Storm (pictured below). They keep us on our toes and bring us an exceptional amount of joy and affection.
We recently moved back to our home state of Texas after an almost 3 year long work assignment in Anchorage, Alaska. While in Alaska we had so many incredible adventures! We participated in three Iditarod Sled Dog races and got to see sled dogs doing what they love.
One of the most rewarding experiences of my life involved being a volunteer and later an employee at The Alaska Zoo. The Alaska Zoo is home to a very special pack of 6 Gray Wolves. I formed a very touching bond with them (especially the Alpha female, Windy pictured below) and it was so hard to say goodbye to them when we left the state. I have plans to go back and visit them soon. I think of them every day and can't wait to hear their howls and receive their kisses again.
Now that we are back in Texas, I want to continue to fuel the fire that was truly ignited in me in Alaska. We already had Maximus and Storm in our lives before we moved to Alaska and we were always dog lovers, but now I want to make more of a difference. I have applied to be a volunteer at a wolf and wolf dog sanctuary. This blog will follow these endeavors as I dive further into the canine world in an attempt to create change and form new animal relationships! I will occasionally post about my encounters with other animal species as well. I hope you'll follow along and share this blog with other animal lovers!
Christie
