Iditarod Calls: For Local Vet, Mush Ado for This Remote Job

Elizabeth Lyerly with a dog at her practice. Lyerly is prepping for a stint next month as a volunteer vet at the annual Iditarod sled-dog race in Alaska. Photo by Hannah Sharpe.

By Tom Embrey

As of Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Elizabeth Lyerly is the adventurous type.

The longtime Southern Pines veterinarian has traveled the world in search of new experiences. Visiting the Galapagos Islands, walking across England, hiking adventures in Spain and China - Lyerly has done things few others have.

There is, however, one part of all that which she isn't fond of.

"I don't like to fly," she says with a smile. "So the destination has to be worth the flight."

Her next destination - more than 4,000 miles northwest of Southern Pines - definitely involves flight. Next month, she will work as a veterinarian for the Iditarod, an eight-day, 1,200-mile sled dog race through the harsh Alaskan environment from Anchorage to Nome.

Lyerly, who has practiced veterinary medicine in Southern Pines since 1999, said she has always wanted to work the Iditarod, the premier dog-sled race, but it wasn't until she got a gentle reminder from a friend and fellow veterinarian that the fire began to burn again.

"It has always been in the back of my mind," she said. "I saw him at a reunion, and he has participated in seven (Iditarods), and we talked about it, and I decided I was going to try and do it."

The acceptance process for vets is vigorous and includes a lengthy written application. To set herself apart, Lyerly added one unique touch to her application.

"In the white space at the bottom of the application, I wrote in big capital letters, 'I am not a whiner,'" she said.

Maybe, she says, that was what got her application noticed. Conditions are likely to be harsh. Vets will work out of small cabins, roadside tents or native villages. They will be responsible for checking the health of as many as 450 dogs that will participate in the race in 16-member teams.

For more than a week, she will brave the elements and be immersed in the local culture, eating the food they eat, which may be a challenge.

"I don't think there will be too many greens," she said with a smile. "But I will eat whatever they prepare. Hey, it's not forever, and I can handle anything for a while. But I am not looking forward to the whale blubber."

Since she was accepted to work the Iditarod, Lyerly has taken a crash course in sled dogs thanks to a 183-page veterinarian handbook devoted entirely to mushing. She will also get 16 hours of pre-education on sled dogs.

In her studies leading to the race, Lyerly said she has learned plenty of interesting facts. One is that the sport is quite safe for the sled dogs, who have amazing cardiovascular conditioning and love working in the cold temperatures.

"They are exercise machines," Lyerly said of the sled dogs.

As a vet at the race, Lyerly said her job will be to check the animals for signs of dehydration, hypothermia, lameness or even attacks by moose.

"Moose see the dogs as wolves, which are their natural enemies," she said.

As a vet, she is limited to carrying all necessary supplies in a 40-pound bag. Among the items she will take is a sleeping bag that will keep her warm in temperatures that could reach 20 degrees below 0.

"Basically, it is all survival gear," Lyerly said.

Two of the most important pieces of advice Lyerly has learned as she preps for the harsh conditions are keeping her feet dry and always having the right clothing.

"You don't want wet feet, because if they get wet, you will never warm up," she said. "And there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing."

And though her friends and family here may question her wanting to go someplace where conditions can be so unforgiving, Lyerly said her job, compared with the mushers in the race, is easy.

Racers, she said, have to plan their stops, set up food and supply drops along the route, and carry necessary supplies for themselves and their sled teams. All the while, they have to expect the unexpected.

"They are just brilliant," she said of the mushers. "They have to plan for food drops, booties for the dogs, harnesses, anything that they might have to give the dogs. It is really a strategy, and they have to have planned for anything."

Each sled team must complete two qualifying races to be eligible to enter the Iditarod. The team of 16 dogs is harnessed to a sled and is controlled by the musher or driver without reins.

"You have pairs of dogs in front of you that could be 64 to 80 feet in front of you and there are no reins, it's all voice control," she said.

The Iditarod begins the first Saturday in March. Lyerly will leave for the race on Feb. 24. As the race draws closer she said her excitement grows.

"I want to be stationed in a remote village," she said of her dream assignment. "I want to meet the people who come in by dog sled or by plane. I want to be part of that whole different culture."

Contact Tom Embrey at (910) 693-2484 or tembrey @thepilot.com.

More like this story

SledDogAction 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Terrible things happen to dogs during the Iditarod. This includes: death, bloody diarrhea, paralysis, frostbite (where it hurts the most!), bleeding ulcers, lung damage, pneumonia, ruptured discs, viral diseases, kennel cough, broken bones, torn muscles and extreme stress. At least 142 dogs have died in the race, including four dogs who froze to death in the brutal cold.

Veterinary care during the Iditarod is poor. In the 2012 race, one of Lance Mackey's male dogs ripped out all of his 16 toenails trying to get to a female who was in heat. This type of broken toenail is extremely painful. Mackey, a four-time Iditarod winner, said he was too stubborn to leave this dog at a checkpoint and veterinarians allowed Mackey to continue to race him. Imagine the agony the dog was forced to endure.

Here's another example: Veterinarians have allowed dogs with kennel cough to race in the Iditarod even though dogs with this disease should be kept warm and given lots of rest. Strenuous exercise can cause lung damage, pneumonia and even death. To make matters worse, kennel cough is a highly contagious disease that normally lasts from 10 to 21 days.

FOR MORE FACTS: Sled Dog Action Coalition, http://www.helpsleddogs.org

Yukonjohn 3 months, 2 weeks ago

OMG, What a comment. Obviously from someone that knows little about sled dog racing. I am not a musher, but have been involved in long distance sled dog racing organization for 30 yrs. They talk about dog deaths, well, if you were to put over 1000 highly trained dogs in a group, there would certainly be dog deaths happen in a 2 week period anyway, racing or not. These dogs live to run. They LOVE IT!! Go to any kennel when the musher is starting to take off for a training run. The dogs that are harnessed up are so excited to be going, and the ones that are left look sad. I know Lance well, and there is not a person out here that loves dogs more than he does. They are his family!! Almost every musher is just like him. This person is just trying to curtail a sport that is very important to us, and to the dogs that participate in these races. If you do not like how we live here, feel free to never darken our doors!! We do not want you anyway!! And to your sentence about vet care being poor....how dare you. The vets that participate in these races are of the highest quality and give fantastic care to the canine athletes! They also help the mushers to give the best possible care to dogs on the trail. They are stationed at every checkpoint (which are numerous in the Iditarod) and are caring, loving people. From a 33 yr Alaskan resident!!

Thatcher 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Yukon! I had a feeling you might chime in on this thread. Great post! Cheers my friend!

teufelhunden 3 months, 2 weeks ago

I think it will be an amazing adventure for her. I wish I could go and experience all of that. From what I hear about this lady, she is a wonderfully caring, highly trained and experienced vet.

Yukonjohn 3 months, 2 weeks ago

Goodday to both of you!! I hope your days are going well. This will be quite the adventure for her. Flying all over southwest Alaska and the Bering Sea coast....she will have a remarkable time. Thanks to her for volunteering her time and expertise to such a worthwhile endeavor!! Best wishes to you and teufelhunden Thatcher.