First dog dies in Iditarod 2009

March 10, 2009

The first dog died today in the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Six-year-old Victor, part of the team of North Pole musher Jeff Holt, died
between the Rainy Pass and Rohn checkpoints, the Iditarod Trail Committee
said in a press release. This is the same part of the trail where rookie
musher Nancy Yoshida crashed. The Anchorage Daily News says it's unclear
whether the dog died near the site of Yoshida's mishap.

A necropsy will be conducted to try to determine the cause of death.

Holt, a 48-year-old refinery operator, runs Northern Dogs & Dreams kennel
with his wife Gaynel and seven children, according to the official Iditarod
Web site. He was born in Idaho and moved to Alaska in 2001.

Three dogs died in last year's race. Animal rights groups such as PETA have
long protested the Iditarod, saying it's "marked by cruelty, injuries, and
death."

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/mutts/blog/2009/03/dog_dies_iditaro
d_first.html