Scott Janssen on the revival of Marshal from Kyle [email protected] on Vimeo.

Every year during the Iditarod, animal rights groups berate the race organizers and participants for putting these “poor” dogs in harm’s way by asking them to compete.  There’s no doubt the race is grueling, but have you looked at any pictures of the dogs?  They look out of their minds in happiness that they are finally doing what they were bred and trained to do.

And the mushers know the dogs are (a) very expensive and (b) vital to their success in racing.  So most of them are meticulous in the way they care for their dogs.  Check out the lengths to which a musher will go to maintain a good dog.

As Scott Janssen (who calls himself The Mushing Mortician) was running his team down a steep section of the Dalzell Gorge, 9-year old Husky Marshall collapsed.  Janssen picked up the dog and gave him CPR.  Once the dog was revived, he got to ride on the sled into the next checkpoint, where he was treated by a vet, then airlifted home.

Here’s the full story from The Sled Blog in the Anchorage Daily News.

Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!