When he was 8 years old, Fernando Ramirez made a sled from a plastic tabletop, hitched up his pet Labrador “Yellow,” and was off to the races. “Yellow and I learned sledding together,” he recalls. “I knew dogs needed to be part of my life.”\
Fernando and his wife Dana opened Rancho Luna Lobos in 2010, a combination dog rescue and rehabilitation center, professional racing kennel and tour stop for anyone looking for a dog sled adventure. The couple and their 5 children live onsite with the pack. “We care for 76 dogs at the moment,” Fernando says. “We have Siberian Huskies, wolf hybrids, even two happy St. Bernards. Our family decided all our dogs must be rescues.”
The couple met when Dana was working at Park City High. “I saw an encouraging letter she sent to graduates, and she sounded genuine and kind,” he recalls. While traveling for track races, Fernando stayed in touch and the two eventually married. “We started talking about dream jobs, how much we loved dogs, sledding, and work that made a difference. Within a week, we had our first team of rescued pups!”
Their “relationship training” helps animals overcome traumas and discover their direction. “The main thing is that every dog lives their best life,” says Fernando, who still races dogs professionally. “That is what we are all about.”
“We are proud to be Parkites,” he says of his hometown, “and we love giving back. We organize food donations to families, and our kid’s volunteer. We want them to be grateful and know how to help others.”
Like their beloved animals, Fernando, Dana, and family are living their best lives with true Park City authenticity. Find out more about this amazing family of humans and animals at lunalobos.com.