Howl's Trip to Auckland

The doors of the quarantine facility swung open, and before anyone could say a word, Howl came bursting through them like he'd been waiting his whole life for that exact moment. Ears flying, tail a blur, he was jumpy and wild with joy, and it was clear he'd heard their voices before he ever saw their faces.

They dropped to their knees to meet him, laughing, crying a little too, just grateful to have him safe and solid and real in their arms again. The long journey from the United States to New Zealand had asked a lot of everyone, Howl most of all. But here he was.

The moment his paws hit the grass, something in him let loose. Full zoomies, wide circles, joy that couldn't be contained by a leash or a parking lot. On the drive home he propped his head out the window, nose working overtime, drinking in a whole new world of smells: salt air, unfamiliar trees, the green hush of a country he'd never known.

He was shy at first, the way big changes can make anyone shy. He hung back near ankles, watched from doorways, took his time deciding who to trust. But it never lasted long. Within days the real Howl emerged: sweet, funny, endlessly affectionate, the kind of dog who could go from wrestling in the yard to melting into a couch cushion within the same hour, equally happy either way.

And now the adventures are just getting started. There are beaches to sniff out and run along, New Zealand doggie treats to sample one by one, new friends (both the two legged and four legged kind) to meet, and hiking trails winding up into hills he hasn't seen yet.

Howl made it. And by the look of things, he's only just getting started.