Iditarod Race Begins; New Rules Aim to Ease Conditions for Dogs

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The 20th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race began Saturday, with the race designed to be less grueling for the animals.

More than 30 volunteer veterinarians will monitor the dogs’ condition and treatment throughout the race. This year’s changes in some of the rules involving animal care and feeding followed criticism of the race by the Humane Society of the United States, but organizers deny a connection.

Seventy-six mushers and their dog teams--more than 1,200 animals--left Anchorage today for the 1,159-mile run to Nome, on the Bering Sea coast. It usually takes the leaders 11 to 14 days, depending on weather conditions.

Half the entrants this year are rookies; the veterans include defending champion and five-time winner Rick Swenson, and four-time winner Susan Butcher, who last won in 1990. The purse is $375,000; the winner gets $50,000.