Koda Update: Help Needed

for Round Two

You might recall Koda, a sweet 3-year-old Alaskan Malamute who was featured in the February MUSE issue. After his owners’ divorce, Koda was surrendered to a local humane society. Diagnosed with hip dysplasia and arthritis at just 1 year old, Koda’s condition had advanced significantly, leaving him in constant pain and unable to enjoy the simple joys of being a dog.

The Humane Society was unable to afford the costly surgeries Koda desperately needed and reached out to WAMAL for help. On Christmas Eve, a couple visiting the shelter were smitten when they saw Koda and committed to fostering and rehabbing this youngster through the needed surgeries to help him live his best life—a life-changing surgery that will let him run, jump, and play like other dogs his age. 

We’re thrilled to share that Koda has made it through his first hip revision surgery — and what a journey it’s been! Thanks to your incredible support, the surgical team was able to perform a complex surgery to repair Koda’s left hip. Due to his size this was quite an arduous surgery and unfortunately the hip didn’t settle correctly initially.

However, the surgical team was committed to getting Koda the best outcome possible, including printing and practicing on a 3D printed replica of Koda’s hip. Koda and his fosters also had the challenge of learning to trust each other while going through this difficult recovery as the surgery occurred less than a month after Koda moved in with them. But now, he's home, healing, and taking longer walks each day. He’s eating well, sleeping better, and leaning into the love of his foster family — he’s truly becoming part of their trio. WAMAL (and Koda) are so thankful for the fosters’ and surgical team’s commitment to brightening Koda’s future. 

But Koda’s journey is only half over. The next phase of surgery is needed to repair the other hip and give more life to this big, charming guy. So, we are once again reaching out to our amazing community for donations to help fund Koda’s second hip surgery. Every dollar goes toward giving this brave boy the pain-free life he deserves.

Surgery is expected to occur in late July/early August. Won’t you please consider donating or sharing Koda’s story? He’s already come so far thanks to you — let’s get him across the finish line! To donate, click here.

The Magnificent 7... and 7.2!

Back in April, we shared the story of The Magnificent 7—a group of Malamute mixes found abandoned and fending for themselves in Central Washington.

This resilient pack had likely been surviving on their own for six months to a year before a team of dedicated volunteers stepped in.

Through patience, care, and determination, all seven dogs were safely brought in. But the story didn’t end there.

Just five days after their rescue, one of the females surprised us all—by giving birth to seven puppies! That’s right—The Magnificent 7 quickly became 7.2, as we welcomed a new generation of fluffballs into the world.

WAMAL has taken in the puppies and several of the adult dogs, and they’re now looking for loving homes. If you’ve ever dreamed of raising a puppy and making a difference through rescue, this is your chance! Visit www.wamal.com to see photos and learn more about these incredible dogs—you just might meet your next best friend.

Leading the Pack: Exciting Changes

at WAMAL

Please join us in our excitement as we welcome our new Board President and Malley Valley Kennel Caretaker!

NEW BOARD PRESIDENT 

Kristiana de Leon has been a fellow volunteer and WAMAL cheerleader for years. She first got started with WAMAL in 2018, after falling in love with the breed, thanks to Kaiya the Queen, the sassy Mal diva. “In 2018, and after marrying the human who came with Kaiya, we decided to welcome Kyojin, (aka Ivo).

For those who remembered those days, it turned out not to be an easy start and it taught me so much about... well, life, but also more about how to be a better Malamute Mom and advocate. It's nothing short of an understatement to say Kyojin completely changed my life, which is pretty amazing for a dog who only had fur for brains. 

I was so incredibly grateful to every volunteer who not only brought Kyojin into our lives, but who helped us troubleshoot the difficulties that sometimes come with rescue. Since then, I’ve tried to give back however I can—to pay it forward—because while we all have different talents, we share one thing in common: a deep love for Malamutes.

Fast forward to this past year, where I ended up losing Kyojin to a progressive spinal condition. Coincidentally, around that same time I was getting more involved with WAMAL by becoming a Board member and spending more time at Malley Valley. Thanks to that, my husband and I are now proudly owned by two more WAMAL Malley Valley alums, Hutch and Abi, officially making our home the de Leon Home for Wayward Weirdos. 

I'm sharing all this because I really believe in this organization and in this mission, and frankly in you all. We've definitely had, and are going to have some tough growing pains, and my hope is that I can lend my interesting professional portfolio and other extracurricular experiences to this role, because frankly Malamutes have already shaped all my big life decisions, so what's one more.” 

Feel free to reach out to Kristiana and share any of your ideas or insights about things you'd like to see more of at WAMAL so we can pull even harder for more of these sled dogs!

NEW MALLEY VALLEY CARETAKER

Please give a very warm and fuzzy welcome to Stacy Warnick-Hesse, our new Malley Valley caretaker, along with their wife Alyssa, both of whom are owned by Daisy, WAMAL and Malley Valley alum extraordinaire! 

We were extremely impressed by Stacy's clear passion for WAMAL and its mission, for rescue work, and for Malamutes in general. We feel very confident that Stacy will be as eager to learn the ropes of all the work we do with the organization as Daisy will be to help try out the new enrichment activities we plan to bring to Malley Valley. In addition to being a stellar point of contact, Stacy brings both professionalism, compassion, and enthusiasm to the conversation for volunteers, potential adopters, fosters, and more. 

Stacy has always been in love with dogs. As a college undergrad, they moved out of the dorms and into their first apartment solely because they wanted to adopt a dog of their own. Bandit, a German Shepherd/Chow mix, was their constant companion for 14 wonderful years, travelling with them from Florida, to Chicago, to South Carolina over that time. When she passed in 2010, Stacy knew they couldn't live without a canine presence, so along with their now-wife Alyssa they began their adventures in being owned by a Malamute -- quite unexpectedly! Mozilla, the scrawny mixed-breed they adopted in South Carolina in 2010 turned out to be half-Malamute. The more Stacy and Alyssa learned about the breed, the more they realized how much of what they cherished about Moe was common to her Mally roots - her big personality, strong opinions, absolute goofball nature and perfect love bugginess - so when she passed in December 2024, they knew they were Mally Moms for life. They welcomed Daisy (a Malley Valley alum!) into their home and have absolutely fallen in love all over again. Daisy immediately instituted the "Daisy tax," which she enforces any time they move about the house until she has received love and pets to her satisfaction. 

Stacy shares, “I am over the MOON at the opportunity to dedicate my love of dogs—and Malamutes in particular—to the pups of Malley Valley!”

If you are interested in joining our Malley Valley Volunteer Pack (walking, socializing, grooming, cleaning) at our kennel in Puyallup, Washington, please reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator, Lindamari, for more information and to sign up!

Auction Donation Deadline Extended to August 15!

Help! We are still in need of donations for our Online Loot for Moots Auction coming in October!! Got any Malamute, Husky, wolf or nature-themed treasures lying around? Maybe some outdoor gear, adventure paraphernalia, or just plain cool stuff that makes people (and pups) happy?

Know a business that might want to donate a product, gift card, service, or experience? Awesome! We’d love to hear from them (and from you, if you’ve got a connection!). Email us at lootformoots@wamal.com!