The Iditarod is among the ultimate challenges of man and beast, a sled dog race that subjects mushers to frigid temps, harsh terrain, and long periods of lonliness.
A Minnesota woman is dealing with all of those, plus the agony of losing two sled dogs after a snowmobiler struck them Sunday night near Nulato, Alaska.
Jennifer Freking of Finland, Minnesota and her husband Blake had stopped on the Yukon river to feed their dogs, when they heard machines approaching.
"They heard snowmobiles coming for quite a distance, and he just didn't slow down, and ran through their team," related Freking's sister Cindy Elkins, who runs Jennifer's website. "She felt like she was watching half her team die as it happened".
The snowmobile killed Lorne, a 3 year old female Siberian Husky, and injured Aries, a male. He was airlifted to a veterinary clinic, where he was treated for 2 days and discharged.
After checking the remaining ten dogs and discussing their options, Jennifer and Blake decided to continue.
"They just love it on the trail, Jen and Blake and the dogs, that's just their favorite place to be," Elkins explained. "Out there, runnin'... that's all the dogs want to do."
Elkins is monitoring the race, where the Frekings are currently running 55th and 56th. She expects them to cross the finish line in Nome within 36 to 48 hours, and perhaps set a record for purebred Siberian teams in the process.
Click here for more on Jennifer, Blake, and the dogs.
(Copyright 2008 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
