Joy in the Journey: Laura Slusher

Finding shelter on a snowy day

With many years of agility under her belt, Laura Slusher has been to trials in rain, shine and snow. She often competes in St. Louis, Mo., during the winter and is no stranger to the occasional snowstorm that passes through. One of her standout memories is from the All 4 Fun trial at the Purina Event Center in March 2013, when snow blew in.  

“Most sane people bailed after day one,” Laura recalled. “Both days of the trial went well for us, but on the way home, there was already a foot of snow on the ground. We heard some roads had become impassable and people were getting stuck. I made it to my friend Angie Fink’s house in northern St. Louis before deciding to wait it out.”  

Angie, a member of All 4 Fun who had also been onsite that weekend, understood exactly what Laura drove through to get there. Laura and her dogs spent the night in Angie’s basement before making it safely home the next day. In the end, St. Louis saw more than two feet of snow. 

Laura is grateful to agility not only for the opportunity to play with her dogs but for the friends who open their doors in bad weather. She still competes when she can with her current dog, Diva, and recently earned Diva’s ADCH over the summer.  

Have you had some interesting stories on your way to or from a trial or event? Share photos of your adventure with a brief description by emailing news@usdaa.com for a chance to be featured in our year-long OVERview series!  

As thanks for sharing your stories, each competitor will be given a Purina Pro Plan plush kennel towel (while supplies last).