Sad News - First Dog Death

[musherdeb]

sorry for my emotions.
yes i agree that certain statements can be taken the wrong way. it jsut hurts to hear such things.
these dogs get the best care in the entire world, better than most humans will ever get. to see one die is heartbreaking but harder when it is one of your own dogs.
i did not mean to put anyone down. just frustrations running high.

[jpamusher]

I would really like to see an Iditarod with no dog deaths. I really wonder why dog deaths happen at all,considering that there are vet checks at each checkpoint. I take my dog on long backpacking trips and certainly do not expect him to drop dead on a hike.

[american.swan]

Dogs aren't humans, but if I was eating raw meat and exercising I might drop dead too. I need to read up on dog dietary information.

[mushing loon]

There are no guarantees in life - human or dog. No matter how "healthy" you might seem, the end can be right around the corner. No doctor can prevent nature from taking it's course.

Live each day as if it's your last - you never know!

[missionlady]

Musherdeb,

You and the Holt family have my deepest sympathy. It is always hard losing an animal. I miss all of my past pets terribly.

I also had dreamed of an Iditarod without any dog deaths, but this is life and death always follows. Many animals and people die before what we believe is their time.

I pray for all the mushers and dogs on the trail.

God bless.

[dirtrat]

to musherdeb and the holt family

my deepest sympathy to you all... i feel your pain for we have all lost family and that is exactly who these dogs are part of the family... i spent 5yrs in AK and was a volunteer with the iditarod during that time i met several mushers and some of the dogs and i know that they are treated as part of the family

only time and test results will tell what happened

god bless him and may he happily pull his sled through the heavens

[musherdeb]

the good news is that mushing as a whole has done and excellent job of weeding out the folks that are inhumane with their treatment of the dogs. The deaths we see on the races these days are totally out of our control. most of them are just plain unexplainable.
there are so many in this sport that are trying so hard to make it a no death race and are working hard to that end. I believe that once all the mushers figure out the diet and the needs of the dogs out there that we will see a difference but nature is still in control and we cant control nature.
we cant control a tree in the way that slams into a dog or a human. we do our best but it just wont be a thing that can be controlled. this race is tough and so is the quest. i guess that is part of the draw. i sit here thinking of the race and since i still want to run it , i question how i would handle the tough trail so many are seeing now.
i love this sport and i love the fact that more concern is being given to the dogs. they are the athletes in this sport. they are the number one best cared for species on this planet in a race. and yes at the checkpoints there are vets. but in the trip between checkpoints we are on our own.
cudos to the vets out there. thankyou for your sacrifice.

[Harmony]

That's right cudos to the vets!!!! You guys do a great job!!!! THANK-YOU

[Oye1985]

This post is called "First Dog Death"..

How many dogs useally die in the Iditarod Race?!

Here in Norway, i never heard about any dog fatality in any race, or in any race in Europe or the scandinavia either..

So again i ask: How many dogs useally die in the Iditarod Race?!?

No wonder animal rights extremeist say that musher are animal predators with news headlines like that.
This post, and the head liner in the news atricle implies that many dogs are going to die in this race.
I know several mushers has gotten hate mail, death treaths and similar from people who are extremist.
This just feed right into their extremist minds that musher only care about one thing, top dollar..

I'm sorry for you're loss, Jeff Holt.
It's hard to loose family like that

I have been watching this race sins Robert Sørlie started racing inn it.
And if I dont remember wrong, usually maybe 1 or 2 dogs av died every year.
But i haven`t been too any forums until today, so I am not sure if it is correct.
But I do now that Team Norway lost one dog about 3 or 4 years ago, the dog was inn Kjetil Backen team that year, but Robert Sørlie was the owner of the dog.

I'm sorry for you're loss, Jeff Holt.

[genkeeper]

Update on necropsy...

http://www.adn.com/sports/mushing/story/719120.html

They still don't know what happened to Victor. In the article, they said that he just dropped in his harness, Jeff tried to revive him, couldn't and had to carry him all the way to the checkpoint in the sled. So sad. I just want to run home and give my little doggie a big hug....and give Jeff a hug, and all his other puppies hugs and hugs for everyone who will miss Victor. So heartbreaking.