ID: Dropped Dogs

As of this morning, SP has two more dropped dogs on the trail – one from the Red Team at Unalakleet and one from the Black Team at Koyukuk. We do not yet know which dogs were dropped but will let you know as soon as we know.

The term ‘dropped dog’ seems pretty ominous, doesn’t it? But, truth be told, a dropped dog is treated like royalty.

An Iditarod racing dog can be ‘dropped’, at any checkpoint along the trail, if the musher deems it best for that dog and for his/her team. Dogs are dropped for many reasons – a tweaked shoulder or wrist, a poor appetite, an upset digestive system, or even as part of a musher’s overall strategy. Mushers know their dogs so well that they may notice a glitch in the dog’s attitude or gait that signals that it’s time to drop that athlete at the next checkpoint. Mushers want to protect their precious athletes for future races and they do not want sound dogs to have to compensate for a compromised team mate.

On the other hand, it is to the mushers’ advantage to keep racing dogs as healthy and injury free as possible. This is why you see dog ointment and booties, dog massages, doggie T-shirts, jackets and leggings, scientifically formulated food and professional vet care (to name a few) on the trail. Once a dog is ‘dropped’, it can not be replaced on the team.

A dog is dropped at a checkpoint, in the care of an Iditarod veterinarian. The musher and vet consult on the reason for the drop. The vet performs a complete physical exam and begins a paperwork trail that follows each dog until he/she gets back to the home kennel. Each dog’s microchip is verified before he/she is fed, watered, medicated (if needed) and cared for by checkpoint volunteers specifically trained in dropped dog care. These volunteers excel in safe handling and lots of dog love.

Dropped dogs are then flown back to Anchorage in either small general aviation aircraft, piloted by members of the Iditarod Air Force, or on commercial cargo planes, flown by PenAir as an in-kind donation to the Iditarod. The pilots transporting our elite cargo are aviation professionals of the highest caliber and we thank them for their dedication.

The Anchorage Dog Drop staff and volunteers meet the incoming flights on Lake Hood or at the ANC airport. Dogs are carefully ensconced in dog trucks and driven to the Dog Drop lot behind the Millennium Hotel, the Iditarod Headquarters in Anchorage.  Remember, the dropped dog forms (that paperwork trail) accompanies each dog throughout this trip.

Dog Drop Central, at the Millennium Hotel, is run by experienced Iditarod staff (thank you, Kate!) and manned by Iditarod trained veterinarians and certified dog drop volunteers. When dogs arrive here, they again have their microchips verified and are immediately examined by the assigned veterinarians. They are fed, medicated (if needed), and loved. Boy, are they loved! Usually there are many dog drop volunteers and their main focus is to treat the canine athlete like royalty.

Scout was dropped in 2014 at Skwentna. Dana, our good friend and super volunteer, gives care and love at  Iditarod Dog Drop Central last year.

Once the dogs are ready to go home, an authorized musher representative will come to Dog Drop Central, review and sign the dropped dog paperwork/instructions, and take their dog home.

SP Kennel always has a dedicated dog drop crew in Anchorage waiting for our dropped athletes. This year SP friend and supporter, Linda Steiner, is at the ready. She will be responsible for greeting our dogs at the Millennium Dog Drop, loading them into their very own, familiar smelling dog truck and transporting them to Margie Bauman’s beautiful kennel in Wasilla. There they are cared for in style, on a treed hillside overlooking part of the Cook Inlet, until Aliy and Allen pick them up after the race. Linda and Margie always have back up support from the Miller Family, long time dedicated SP fans.

Linda and Midnight await the arrival of SP dropped dogs in Anchorage. Our dogs will be so excited to see and smell their very own truck.

SP is so grateful to each person, along the way, who cares for the SP racing dogs and all the canine athletes of the Iditarod. They are special folks keenly focused on our dogs’ welfare. A special thanks goes out to SP’s skilled and dedicated dog drop crew – Linda, Margie and Team Miller.

For a look at another fascinating facet of the Dropped Dog procedure here is a link to a 2011 post titled ‘Prison Dog Drop’.

Kennel Mom