Kids experience riding in a dog sled during an open house for Noble Paws Kennel, a nonprofit organization that teaches at-risk and disabled youth how to dog mush. Alena Naiden/News-Miner - Fairbanks, Alaska 
Noble Paws Kennel teaches leadership to kids with mushing
Noble Paws Kennel hosted an open house with kennel and dog sled tours on Saturday. While it was geared primarily toward kids, anyone could show up to meet the dogs and learn about mushing.
“I like to do [open houses] when I can,” Program Director Steve Vick explained, adding that the goal is to expose Fairbanks kids to dogs and mushing.
Since 2013, Noble Paws has worked with Fairbanksans with emotional, intellectual and physical disabilities as well as at risk youth. Vick said the organization’s mission is to teach individuals to run their own teams, regardless of ability. The goal is to “... just somehow get them independent with their own dog team, whether it’s one dog, five dogs, or six dogs,” he said.
Sometimes this requires adapting sleds. For instance, in the first year of the program, one participant was unable to stand on the sled. To accommodate that, Noble Paws created a sled on wheels.
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