Excitement Builds for Rancho Luna Lobos Dog Sled Team
In the rugged mountains of Utah, the Rancho Luna Lobos race team is preparing for their upcoming competition, poised as one of the world's top-ranked dog sled teams.
Each member of this exceptional team of canines has a unique story of triumph, having overcome significant challenges to achieve their current winning status. Many of these dogs were once abandoned or mistreated before finding a new beginning with Fernando and Dana Ramirez, who have been instrumental in helping them rediscover their purpose in life.
Fernando and Dana, along with their five children, provide foster care for nearly 100 dogs on their expansive 55-acre ranch, offering these furry companions a second chance at life and the opportunity to experience love in abundance. Fernando Ramirez's journey in dog sledding began at the tender age of 8, when he started racing alongside his rescue dog, Yellow. Today, he views his vocation as a seamless continuation of those formative years.
"To me, dog sledding is an art form," expressed Fernando Ramirez. "There's a unique beauty in assembling a team of dogs with diverse backgrounds. When they stand together at the starting line, it's like witnessing a masterpiece unfold before your eyes. They move as one, a harmonious blend of individual strengths."
Despite being allergic to dogs, Dana Ramirez finds solace and healing in her deep affection for the pack, viewing it as a therapeutic balm for her soul.
"You look into their faces and there's a powerful connection that resonates into your soul," she explained. "And it changes you, if you're open to listen. It's such a powerful thing that I say all the time, like, I never would have wanted you to have been a doctor or to be something else, like, this is what we were called to do."
Much like their owners, the dogs on the ranch have found a new sense of purpose and belonging through sledding.
"Whenever we're stepping on a sled, there's purpose to it," Fernando Ramirez explained. "And whenever we're going and we're running, there's a mission behind it."
Fernando Ramirez took CBS Mornings along on a training run — one of several he does each day — where the dogs run up to 18 miles an hour to prepare for races as long as 30 miles. The pack is led by Umberto, a blind puppy who has overcome the odds stacked against him.
"This dog with no eyes, he's helping to lead an entire team," Dana Ramirez said. "He ignites a fire in everybody else because he has such passion."
The couple emphasized that even though the dogs work hard, people shouldn't be concerned about their welfare. The animals are not forced to run, Fernando Ramirez said, and the dogs get exceptional treatment, including chiropractic work and massage care, Dana Ramirez said.
"Everything that these dogs get is so ... far above and beyond what the average house dog will ever get," Dana Ramirez said.
Witnessing their enthusiasm for the upcoming race is truly a sight to behold, as shared by Fernando Ramirez. Despite facing challenges and being considered underdogs, the dogs have proudly represented Team USA in three world championships.
"I see it as a metaphor for life - sometimes we are dealt a tough hand," said Fernando Ramirez. "We may not always like the circumstances we find ourselves in, but how we navigate through them with the resources we have is what truly counts."
