Suggestions
I want to thank everyone for the supportive, constructive comments on the previous post & more importantly for the collective will to effect positive changes to the way things look moving forward. I have every respect for the ITC, for the volunteers, the veterinarians, mushers & dogs involved in the race, & it is out of that respect & love for the sport & the Iditarod that I hope we can all agree upon changes. I hope it’s also clear that I encourage & support every opinion to be voiced through this & any adversity, regardless of whether or not I’m in agreement. We all assume the burden of these things individually, even when the brunt of them is not our own, & we process them in ways that are often incompatible or contrary. Even still, I believe that every person inclined toward utterance in the wake of Dorado’s death wants the same thing: the prevention of repeating that tragedy in the future. & I think everyone can agree that nothing is more effective in generating that than a spirit of cooperation, positivity & support.
I’m certain that the ITC is working on solutions as I write this, & I’m encouraged to know that the Board possesses a greater wealth of experience both on the runners & in the administrative battlefields of the sport than I could ever hope to attain. I am nobody of importance in the sport of mushing, but nor do I think one needs be in order to offer solutions. I have not run Iditarod, not yet. I am still wedded to the dream, though, & whether or not that dream moves forward—for myself as, I assume, for many others—will depend on how this mistake is addressed & what solutions are put forward.
I made mention in the last post of revisions to the race rules that would increase transparency & amplify the gravity of the work the volunteers perform on the trail. & I reiterate here that with the proper prefatory organization, this event would never have transpired. The race rules for the Iditarod are written from a rhetorical stance presupposing the musher as exclusive audience. If there is another document not available to the public that outlines the responsibilities, mandates & consequences of failure for those in the role of race officials, volunteers & ITC members, then perhaps all of this is redundant. If not, I think it may be a boon to the organization to include language throughout the race rules that speaks in specific terms to a shared responsibility between all involved parties. If consequences exist for mushers, the same consequences need to exist for anyone handling a dog. If there is a failure on an organizational level, it needs to be anticipated & resolved swiftly. Consistency, regardless of camp.
With a race as with most anything in life, circumstances shift, exigencies arise, accidents happen & even the most well-orchestrated guidelines fall short from time to time. In this case, though, sharing the expectations for all parties involved would mitigate a great deal of speculation. Accordingly, these are some of the amendments to the germaine race rules that I would propose:
*Proposed changes in italics
VETERINARY ISSUES AND DOG CARE RULES
Rule 37 -- Dog Care:
• Dogs must be maintained in good condition. All water and food must be ingested voluntarily.
• Dogs may not be brought into shelters except for race veterinarians' medical examination or treatment. Dogs must be returned outside as soon as such examination or treatment is completed unless the dog is dropped from the race.
• There will be no cruel or inhumane treatment of dogs. Cruel or inhumane treatment involves any action or inaction on behalf of any person involved with the race, which causes preventable pain or suffering to a dog.
• If a dropped dog is in critical condition or a life threatening condition, the musher may be held up to eight (8) hours for investigation.
All mushers, veterinarians, ITC members and volunteers handling dogs at any point in the race will be held to State of Alaska animal cruelty statutes:
Sec. 03.55.100 Minimum standards of care for animals.
(a) The minimum standards of care for animals include
(1) food and water sufficient to maintain each animal in good health;
(2) an environment compatible with protecting and maintaining the good health and safety of the animal; and
(3) reasonable medical care at times and to the extent available and necessary to maintain the animal in good health.
Rule 45 -- Dropped Dogs: All dogs that are dropped from the Race must be left at a designated checkpoint with a completed and signed dropped dog form. Any dropped dog must be left with four (4) pounds of dog food and a reliable chain or cable (16” to 18” in length) with a swivel snap and collar. Dropped dogs may be moved form the originating checkpoint to the closest dog collection area at Anchorage, McGrath, Unalakleet or Nome. Dogs may be shipped from the collection areas to a location designated by the musher at the musher’s expense.
• Dogs dropped in ANCHORAGE, Nome and the re-start are the musher’s responsibility.
• Dogs dropped in ALL OTHER CHECKPOINTS will be transported by the ITC.
Dogs left unclaimed at Eagle River Correctional Center after four days after their arrival will incur boarding charges at the current rate, payable by the musher.
• Dropped dogs shall be under supervision for the entirety of their stay with confirmed hourly welfare checks that are recorded in a log
• Welfare checks on dropped dogs will be scheduled to specific race staff under the supervision of the checkpoint veterinarian
• A record of said welfare checks shall be provided to any musher or race official upon request
• Race staff responsible for the care of dropped dogs shall have received training specific to their task, including proper care and handling of dogs during inclement conditions
• As long as dropped dogs remain in a checkpoint, at least one race staff will have no other collateral duties assigned to him/her other than the provision of welfare checks to dropped dogs
• A checkpoint veterinarian shall be available for consultation at all times
Outside of amendments to race rules, I also wonder if it might be helpful to think on a number of other possibilities. Has there ever been a musher liaison, for instance, that attends volunteer trainings & “proofs” them? Has it ever been a consideration to pay the dog-care-specific checkpoint staff? In order to drum up that money, what about reducing the prize to, say, last year’s model of a Dodge Ram & using the remainder to ensure dog safety & staff accountability at checkpoints? Throwing a fundraiser specific to that task? Certainly, one would imagine that there are sponsors who will lose face if this doesn’t get addressed, so one wonders if it might be an attractive feather in the cap of a sponsor to contribute to initiating increased vigilance.
In terms of establishing availability of structures to house dropped dogs in the event of blizzards spinning beyond human control, is it conceivable that the ITC could provide a temporary mobile camp for dropped dogs at the major dropped dog hubs? I envision mobile garages, wall tents, base camps & the like, which could go up quickly, serve a valuable function & then leave no trace upon disassembly. Dawson City during the Quest is a fine example of the feasibility of such a thing. Any dog, no matter the severity of injury, improves much more quickly with warmth & shelter. It would also make it easier for the race staff watching the dogs to be away from everything else (weather included) & to pay stricter attention to their duties without all of the distractions of a checkpoint as close at hand.
I would imagine that standardizing checkpoint regulations across the board for all distance races would go a long way toward alleviating any organizational idiosyncrasies. I'm not certain what role the ISDRA could play in that, or if the formation of a new non-profit that could supply standardized educational programs to volunteers & work with race directors might be an option. Holding all races to one standard could prove a difficult wrestling match initially, but I suspect it would clarify operational direction on a number of levels too.
Again, I have confidence that the ITC has thought along similar lines, now & in the past. I would be remiss, though, if I didn’t put forth any specific solutions & merely stood by wringing my hands, even if they are rambling & scattershot.
The Iditarod has a storied history with its roots in the dreams of mushers to preserve & celebrate travel with a dog team. Some of the finest dogs & people one could imagine have run its trails. The ITC has been a distinct part of a tradition that does honor & service to the dogs that we all admire & love. I hope that it does right by them this time around, too. Dogs First.
I’m certain that the ITC is working on solutions as I write this, & I’m encouraged to know that the Board possesses a greater wealth of experience both on the runners & in the administrative battlefields of the sport than I could ever hope to attain. I am nobody of importance in the sport of mushing, but nor do I think one needs be in order to offer solutions. I have not run Iditarod, not yet. I am still wedded to the dream, though, & whether or not that dream moves forward—for myself as, I assume, for many others—will depend on how this mistake is addressed & what solutions are put forward.
I made mention in the last post of revisions to the race rules that would increase transparency & amplify the gravity of the work the volunteers perform on the trail. & I reiterate here that with the proper prefatory organization, this event would never have transpired. The race rules for the Iditarod are written from a rhetorical stance presupposing the musher as exclusive audience. If there is another document not available to the public that outlines the responsibilities, mandates & consequences of failure for those in the role of race officials, volunteers & ITC members, then perhaps all of this is redundant. If not, I think it may be a boon to the organization to include language throughout the race rules that speaks in specific terms to a shared responsibility between all involved parties. If consequences exist for mushers, the same consequences need to exist for anyone handling a dog. If there is a failure on an organizational level, it needs to be anticipated & resolved swiftly. Consistency, regardless of camp.
With a race as with most anything in life, circumstances shift, exigencies arise, accidents happen & even the most well-orchestrated guidelines fall short from time to time. In this case, though, sharing the expectations for all parties involved would mitigate a great deal of speculation. Accordingly, these are some of the amendments to the germaine race rules that I would propose:
*Proposed changes in italics
VETERINARY ISSUES AND DOG CARE RULES
Rule 37 -- Dog Care:
• Dogs must be maintained in good condition. All water and food must be ingested voluntarily.
• Dogs may not be brought into shelters except for race veterinarians' medical examination or treatment. Dogs must be returned outside as soon as such examination or treatment is completed unless the dog is dropped from the race.
• There will be no cruel or inhumane treatment of dogs. Cruel or inhumane treatment involves any action or inaction on behalf of any person involved with the race, which causes preventable pain or suffering to a dog.
• If a dropped dog is in critical condition or a life threatening condition, the musher may be held up to eight (8) hours for investigation.
All mushers, veterinarians, ITC members and volunteers handling dogs at any point in the race will be held to State of Alaska animal cruelty statutes:
Sec. 03.55.100 Minimum standards of care for animals.
(a) The minimum standards of care for animals include
(1) food and water sufficient to maintain each animal in good health;
(2) an environment compatible with protecting and maintaining the good health and safety of the animal; and
(3) reasonable medical care at times and to the extent available and necessary to maintain the animal in good health.
Rule 45 -- Dropped Dogs: All dogs that are dropped from the Race must be left at a designated checkpoint with a completed and signed dropped dog form. Any dropped dog must be left with four (4) pounds of dog food and a reliable chain or cable (16” to 18” in length) with a swivel snap and collar. Dropped dogs may be moved form the originating checkpoint to the closest dog collection area at Anchorage, McGrath, Unalakleet or Nome. Dogs may be shipped from the collection areas to a location designated by the musher at the musher’s expense.
• Dogs dropped in ANCHORAGE, Nome and the re-start are the musher’s responsibility.
• Dogs dropped in ALL OTHER CHECKPOINTS will be transported by the ITC.
Dogs left unclaimed at Eagle River Correctional Center after four days after their arrival will incur boarding charges at the current rate, payable by the musher.
• Dropped dogs shall be under supervision for the entirety of their stay with confirmed hourly welfare checks that are recorded in a log
• Welfare checks on dropped dogs will be scheduled to specific race staff under the supervision of the checkpoint veterinarian
• A record of said welfare checks shall be provided to any musher or race official upon request
• Race staff responsible for the care of dropped dogs shall have received training specific to their task, including proper care and handling of dogs during inclement conditions
• As long as dropped dogs remain in a checkpoint, at least one race staff will have no other collateral duties assigned to him/her other than the provision of welfare checks to dropped dogs
• A checkpoint veterinarian shall be available for consultation at all times
Outside of amendments to race rules, I also wonder if it might be helpful to think on a number of other possibilities. Has there ever been a musher liaison, for instance, that attends volunteer trainings & “proofs” them? Has it ever been a consideration to pay the dog-care-specific checkpoint staff? In order to drum up that money, what about reducing the prize to, say, last year’s model of a Dodge Ram & using the remainder to ensure dog safety & staff accountability at checkpoints? Throwing a fundraiser specific to that task? Certainly, one would imagine that there are sponsors who will lose face if this doesn’t get addressed, so one wonders if it might be an attractive feather in the cap of a sponsor to contribute to initiating increased vigilance.
In terms of establishing availability of structures to house dropped dogs in the event of blizzards spinning beyond human control, is it conceivable that the ITC could provide a temporary mobile camp for dropped dogs at the major dropped dog hubs? I envision mobile garages, wall tents, base camps & the like, which could go up quickly, serve a valuable function & then leave no trace upon disassembly. Dawson City during the Quest is a fine example of the feasibility of such a thing. Any dog, no matter the severity of injury, improves much more quickly with warmth & shelter. It would also make it easier for the race staff watching the dogs to be away from everything else (weather included) & to pay stricter attention to their duties without all of the distractions of a checkpoint as close at hand.
I would imagine that standardizing checkpoint regulations across the board for all distance races would go a long way toward alleviating any organizational idiosyncrasies. I'm not certain what role the ISDRA could play in that, or if the formation of a new non-profit that could supply standardized educational programs to volunteers & work with race directors might be an option. Holding all races to one standard could prove a difficult wrestling match initially, but I suspect it would clarify operational direction on a number of levels too.
Again, I have confidence that the ITC has thought along similar lines, now & in the past. I would be remiss, though, if I didn’t put forth any specific solutions & merely stood by wringing my hands, even if they are rambling & scattershot.
The Iditarod has a storied history with its roots in the dreams of mushers to preserve & celebrate travel with a dog team. Some of the finest dogs & people one could imagine have run its trails. The ITC has been a distinct part of a tradition that does honor & service to the dogs that we all admire & love. I hope that it does right by them this time around, too. Dogs First.
Comments
What I find shocking is for a race of this caliber to not have more specific rules on dropped dogs. To just assume that volunteers will know what to do, and have no one checking to see it has been done is an huge oversight. It is unfortunate that the excellent dog care we have been assured this race provided has been left up to individual checkpoints and varying degrees of compentency and dedication that might or might not be present.
I may not know a whole lot about mushing or the specific care needed for dropped sled dogs, but I do know what is right and wrong. It was wrong to leave those dogs out in that weather without checking on them for 5-6 hours. No amount of rationalization on the part of ITC or excuses for the volunteers will change my opinion. Now a lot of people are stating that there has to be an underlying cause of death, because the other dogs survived. So what if the test results show there was another cause of death. This would absolve the ITC and volunteers? In my opinion this would just make it worse. This is neglect, probably not intentional, but certainly not the excellent dog care we have been assured exist.
There is a difference between blame and accountability. There has been no accountability. Hopefully the proposed changes in the rules will ensure there is. Humans make errors, and accidents will always happen, but rules and oversight will help the odds.