FiveSibes: Celebrating 15 Years of K9 Blogging & A Blogiversary Giveaway!

 

Woo! Wow! Happy 15th Blogiversary to us! What a special #FlashbackFriday this is! My FiveSibes blog debut post was this month on February 23rd about Pet Dental Health Month. And what a reception I received from fellow bloggers in Blogville! What a terrific place to be and host a blog. We're like family - a "blogmily" - we have seen each other through the highs of having amazing pets to the lows of losing them. I have made so many wonderful friends here, who also have wonderful blogs of their own.

Enter Our Giveaway for a Custom FiveSibes 
Embroidered Patch At End of this Post!

Here at FiveSibes I was inspired, of course, by my beloved five beautiful Siberian Huskies - Harley, Gibson, Wolfgang, Chloe, and Bandit. Sharing my life with these five amazing dogs was, well nothing short of AH-mazing. When my daughter asked for a Siberian Husky, we already had our sweet, adopted German Shepherd/Akita, Chelsey, who at the time was in her golden years. With my daughter being 17 and ready to handle a dog of her own, we welcomed Harley, a gorgeous black and white, blue-eyed stunning puppy. Harley was our first Husky, and as a result, I absolutely fell in the love with the breed, and eventually wound up with five! (And you all know that story!) What an amazing time in my life. I began writing about them and the breed, and then eventually, after my big fluffy wooly boy, Gibson, was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy, I became an advocate for Epi-dogs (dogs with epilepsy) and added writing about Canine Epilepsy awareness to my docket of writing topics here.

My First FiveSibes Blog Post!

#Flashback ~ Harley ~ February 2010
 
We've come a long way baby! My first blog post was pretty simple. Over the years, I've changed the look of the blog (as technology changes, this dinosaur needed to also), designed it as a more smartphone and tablet friendly site, and as a journalist by trade, I have always continued to bring readers news about Siberian Huskies, rescues, Canine Epilepsy, and all things K9.

I loved, and still love, writing this blog!

A Quick Look Back at Some Posts Over the Years...
  (you may have to give it second for the gif to load)

#Flashback ~ FiveSibes Blog ~ 2010-2025

Nowadays, things are different for me. Having all five of my beloved FiveSibes earn their wings, Wolfie being the last, I questioned whether I would continue this blog. I grieved. A lot. Adjusting to life without my FiveSibes is surreal. I still feel them all around me. I see them everywhere I look. I wound up taking a blogging break. But, five sets of paws who first inspired me, through their love and my honor of being their hu-mom, continue to push at me and encourage me from beyond the Rainbow Bridge, to continue this blog in their name in hopes of bringing smiles and vetted information to my readers.

đź’™ #ForeverFiveSibes đź’™ 
 

Plus, I love hosting the weekly #FlashbackFriday, sharing photos and memories of alpha queen Harley, Gibson who was so in love with her, and the silly, wacky Pupsters - Wolfie and his sisters Bandit and Chloe.

I also enjoy highlighting various rescues and shelters with Huskies waiting for their forever homes in my #WaitingWednesday posts.

Also fun is bringing news and reviews of new books, movies, podcasts, etc., by fellow authors as well as news from me, on my #NewsyTuesday posts. 

In 2012, with encouragement from Robert Forto (producer), I debuted my first podcast episode of "The Sibe Vibe" on Dog Works Radio, which ran through 2019! I do think about doing a few "special" episodes, so who knows? Maybe 2025 is the year! 

#Flashback ~ 2022 ~ "The Sibe Vibe" 10th Anniversary

I miss doing YouTube and Vimeo videos with my Sibes, especially my Canine Cooking Corner with recipes, oh, that was their favorite! I mean, treats, right? I have decided to occasionally do a few more. After all, I have thousands of videos and photographs (!!!) of my FiveSibes that I believe will still bring so much joy to others.

I am beyond thrilled that this FiveSibes blog and my companion #LiveGibStrong K-9 Epilepsy Online Resource Library was awarded the Dog Writer Association of America's prestigious Maxwell Medallion for "Excellence" in 2022 - what an honor and way to pay homage to my furry five best friends.


I have always been able to share wonderful accomplishments with you all, too. From the publications and awards of my dog books and magazine articles, to becoming an official Purple Day® for (K9) Epilepsy Ambassador (for 13 years now!), invited to join Purple Day® Every Day, Presented by the Anita Kaufmann Foundation in 2018 and creating #Paws4Purple - the FIRST canine epilepsy initiative to join a human nonprofit, collaborating on a special "Caring for the Epi-Dog & Caregiver: The Importance of Self Care" video slideshow with The Companion Animal Epilepsy Research Lab at North Carolina State University-College of Veterinary Medicine, and everything in between.

A huge "THANK YOU" must go out to all of you, my readers. Your support, comments, and follows, means the world to me. And when I hear that something I've written touched one of you or helped, it once again reminds me of how wonderful Blogville is. Your continued support of my writing is so appreciated!

I don't know if my FiveSibes blog will be here in another 15 years, but I do hope it will be active for a long time to come. I am so thankful for the past 15 years, and while I miss my furry sidekicks so much, they are always right in my heart as I write here on this blog. And, write here I will continue to do for the foreseeable future.

Raffle Time!

Now, 15 years seems like a great time to have a drawing to say thanks for being with us on this ride...so, I'm going to be raffling off a custom-made embroidered FiveSibes patch, with a purple ribbon for K9 epilepsy awareness! 

 

My boy, Wolfie, with our FiveSibes patch!

A little trivia: one of my patches was worn by musher Nicole Forto on the sleeve of her coat (you can see it the photo on the left) when she raced in the Junior Iditarod!

 And pictured below, Nicole below with a closer look at our patch proudly displayed on her jacket. She also took my book Getting Healthy With Harley along for the Iditarod ride! Click on her pic below to read my blog article!


 (Age 18+. *Be sure to comment on the blog how long you've been a FiveSibes reader to qualify!)*

Drawing Ends February 28th at 12 AM EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

One of the portraits of my FiveSibes 
commissioned by the talented artist/illustrator Cameo Anderson 
 
Thank you for 15 years of readership! 
~Dorothy "FiveSibesMom"
 
#Flashback ~ Me and my fur"kids" 2010 (
l-r): Harley, Gibson, Chloe, Wolfie, and Bandit DWAA Interview 2024

 
 
đź’› Memories Are Visits For the Heart đź’›
 

 

Join Us!

The Linky tool will open all week for you to join us in the Blog Hop and share pics from yesteryear or yesterday! Please include our badge and *link back to us*, and  be sure to hop along down Memory Lane with us and visit the other blogs. Don't forget to leave a nice comment!

***If you have to post Anonymously, be sure to add your name/pet name/blog name in the comment so we know who you are!***
 
 Grab Our #FlashbackFriday Badge! 
(You can take a screenshot)

 


Back to our Home Page and Don't Forget to Visit Our Other Pages, including Our #LiveGibStrong On-Line K-9 Epilepsy Resource Page,  About the Siberian Husky Breed, Rescues, Lost & Found, Other K9 Articles by FiveSibesMom, ArcticHouse Gifts & Books Shoppe, and more! Just click on "More" Pages at top of blog.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK: 
 
 FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:

 

Comments

  1. The Florida FurkidsFebruary 21, 2025 at 8:04 AM

    Happy Blogoversary!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AndreaFebruary 21, 2025 at 11:17 AM

    Happy Blogoversary! You've done so much over the years. What a ride!

    ReplyDelete
  3. 24 Paws of LoveFebruary 21, 2025 at 11:45 AM

    Happy 15th Blogoversary, Dorothy! What joy it has to be blogging with you all these years. We, too are coming up on 15 years of blogging. So glad you kept on. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  4. All Things CollkeFebruary 21, 2025 at 12:18 PM

    I’m so glad you are still here! We have been following for almost as long as we’ve been blogging. This May will be 13 years since I started our collie blog. Happy Blogoversary!

    ReplyDelete
  5. messymimiFebruary 21, 2025 at 3:46 PM

    Hooray and congratulations on 15 years of blogging! You've created a beautiful website with so much great info. If I ever get to retire and have a dog, I'll be mining here for info (although I wouldn't bring a poor Husky to the swamps of Louisiana, it's too hot here most of the year for such a beautiful cold-loving breed).

    ReplyDelete
  6. Brian's Home BlogFebruary 21, 2025 at 7:33 PM

    It sure has been an amazing journey. Happy Blogoversary from all of us!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why A Purple Pumpkin for Howloween? Plus, A Gibson Howloween Coloring Page!

Image
FiveSibes #Flashback Photo ~ Gibson & His Purple Pumpkin ~ 2014 W oo! Or, should I say Booooo! It's that time of the year when pumpkin hunting and carving is fun thing to do! And, while we are all busy carving and displaying our artworks on the gourds, did you remember to make a purple pumpkin?  "Woo! What's in my purple pumpkin? Treats?!"  ~Gibson/FiveSibes       A Purple pumpkin? What?! If you've been a FiveSibes follower, you know how important the color of purple is to us, and why Purple Pumpkins are a staple here.If you are new to us here at FiveSibes, I initially joined in the Purple Pumpkin Project because we made our pumpkin purple for my Epi-dog Gibson. So, you might be asking yourself, Why was Gibson's pumpkin purple? For Canine Epilepsy Awareness!  You can read more about it in our video further down in this post, or by visiting a previous explanatory post HERE.   Follow the Purple Pumpkin Project on Facebook! In a pumpkin shell—as m...
Read more

Acupressure and Ice to Relieve Seizures and A #LiveGibStrong Epi-Tip

Image
*Updated March 2022   Our Vet-Approved FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong  "Cooling Down an Epi-Dog: Where Do I Put Cold Packs?" Informational Poster   Poster Is A Great Resource for:     ✔︎ Veterinarian Offices ✔︎ Vet ER  Hospitals ✔︎ Rescues & Shelters ✔︎ Dog Wardens & Animal Control Officers ✔︎ Trainers ✔︎ Groomers ✔︎ Dog Walkers  ✔︎ Dog Parks  ✔︎ Pet Supply Stores & Boutiques ✔︎ Dog Friendly Businesses ✔︎ Police Departments ✔︎ Fire Departments   To request FREE* printed copies, simply send an Email with #Paws4Purple Materials in Subject line and what you'd like copies of and how many, to: Debra@AKFUS.org  of the Purple Day® Every Day as Presented by The Anita Kaufmann Foundation    For More Info on Canine Epilepsy, Please Visit Our #LiveGibStrong Online Library & Resource Page HERE.   Here's a great tip, diagram and explanation from Tallgrass Acupuncture Institute as to why ice on certain acupressure poin...
Read more

#PrayersForHarley - Dewclaw Tumor

Image
Dewclaws. Such an unnecessary evil for a dog. In August, I noticed Harley limping. At 11-and-a-half, she is a bit stiff-legged at times from arthritis, but this was a more pronounced limp and she was having an extra tough time sitting down. She seemed very uncomfortable. She was also becoming a bit snarley, especially when I was touching her paw, which is something that never typically bothers her. Upon further checking, I noticed an odd lump around her dewclaw on her right leg, thinking it was possibly a pulled dewclaw, maybe a splinter, thistle, or even a bee sting , she became extremely agitated when I touched it.    (Warning: some photos may be somewhat graphic, but I am sharing for educational purposes).   Oddity beneath the dew claw.   Off to the vet we went. At the vet, Harley is protective of her paw by hiding it . Harley's paw was shaved and it uncovered a very large inflamed area surrounding the dewclaw and beyond, as you can see in ...
Read more

The Rainbow Bridge Welcomes A New FurAngel - Buddy, the Christmas Husky - A Forever Symbol of Hope for Rescued Dogs

Image
Original photo by and courtesy of Lisa Byrd; modified by FiveSibes The Rainbow Bridge must be some (p)awesome place to be for it has so many amazing, beautiful angel animals there. My beloved Gibson is there. As is my Chelsey, Sandy, kitty Smokie, bunny Sunny, my fox Ah, many horses, and so many others pets. We have many furfriends who have also crossed The Rainbow Bridge. All of these beloved animals are there...so healthy and happy, with all the dogs enjoying their zoomies and playing Fetch all day in a land that is eternally beautiful. Sounds perfect. Only catch is when our devoted companions are there, we can no longer physically be with them. So while they are in a place where the spirit soars, our hearts are broken as we are missing them here with us. It is a hurt we all as pet parents now way too well.  And today, as unbelievable as it seems as I write this, we have to bid a final farewell to another dear furpal, Buddy, the Christmas Husky , who has now earned h...
Read more

Fit For Our #FiveSibes Alpha Queen: Celebrating Harley's 14½ Birthday

Image
Born on March 10, 2005, our beautiful alpha queen, pupster surrogate momma, and my daughter's and our first Siberian Husky,  turns 14½ today! You may be wondering why are we celebrating her half birthday? Because, as heartbreaking as it is, we now know she will not be here in March to celebrate her 15th Birthday as I once had hoped. Heartfelt thanks to Ann at Zoolatry for this beautiful badge. Thank you all who are sharing it and joining paws for our girl. As amazing and strong as our queen has been, and how proud I have been of how she still could outrun Pupsters Wolf and Bandit, still splash in her pool like a puppy, tear up a dog bed like there's no tomorrow, and chase her tail until the sun sets, our beloved Husky leader has also been dealing with health issues that we have been treating, but are now slowing her down and, heartbreakingly we are preparing ourselves for her journey, that we as pet parents all dread, to the Rainbow Bridge.  “Dogs' lives a...
Read more