Dog Sledding has been Matt Parr’s passion for many years.
His drive and passion for mushing brought him to Golden, where he and his family opened Golden Dog Sled Adventures.
The small dog sled operation started with one Alaskan husky names Taz, and multiplied to include her litter of 11 pups.
Now, four years after opening in their Donald location, Golden Dog Sled Adventures has a team of 14 dogs, many of which are rescue dogs from other sled dog operations.
This is Parr’s 11th year as a musher. He started making a career from his passion with a dog sled company on the West Coast, in Squamish, B.C.
“When I moved to Golden, my original plan was to sell my team and use the money to get another team and assets,” Parr explained.
However, when he looked into buying a new team, it was quite expensive.
“Then, I started asking people if they had dogs they didn’t want,” he said. “I just started taking in and rescuing dogs, and we have the most beautiful and amazing team out of them.”
What started out as a modest dog sled operation has developed to include a variety of dogs who have grown with Parr and their dog families to create a loving work and play environment.
“We get a lot of calls from people who are looking for dogs. We’re slowly turning it into a rescue rehabilitation work and home,” Parr explained. “They live to work, they love to pull.”
Bringing in rescue dogs has turned into part of the passion for Parr, who was adopted at a young age, but now runs the business with his birth mother and sister.
Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Parr went to find his birth family when he was 17. They bonded right away, but then lost one of their sisters. They decided whether or not to stay in Windsor, or get a breath of fresh air out West. His brother and sister moved out here, and she stayed, but his brother moved to Australia.
He has been in Golden now for 14 years and is enjoying life in the Rockies to its fullest. Golden Dog Sled Adventures offers private dog sled tours. They offer a variety of different dog sled tours, kennel tours, and hikes.
