Four Thousand Paws: Caring for the Dogs of the Iditarod

An intimate account—the first from a trail veterinarian—of the canines who brave the challenges of the Iditarod.

Few events attract as much attention, or create as much spectacle, as the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Each March, despite subzero temperatures and white-out winds, hundreds of dogs and mushers journey to Anchorage, Alaska, to participate in “The Last Great Race on Earth,” a grueling, thousand-mile race across the Alaskan wilderness. In Four Thousand Paws, award-winning trail veterinarian Lee Morgan tells the story of the heroic canine athletes who, using only their muscle and an innate drive to race, carry handlers between frozen outposts, risking injury, illness, and fatigue. From the huskies of Iditarods past to the dauntless dogs of today, Morgan shows how competitors surmount the dangers of the Arctic; how their body language anticipates the race; and how they despair, often refusing to eat, when pulled.

In the tradition of Why Elephants Weep, this is an intimate look inside the animal mind—and a thrilling new account of a storied contest.

About the Author: 

A longtime veterinarian, Lee Morgan runs his own practice in Washington, D.C. For over a decade, Morgan has treated dogs on-site at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.