Mackey's dog Zorro expected to recover, but unlikely to race again
Originally published Monday, March 31, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.
Updated Monday, March 31, 2008 at 2:44 p.m.
TACOMA, Wash. -- The veterinarian treating Lance Mackey's sled dog Zorro says he will make a full recovery from injuries suffered when he was hit by a snowmachine.
But Kobi Johnson says Zorro's racing days are probably over. The 9-year-old faces weeks of recovery for four broken ribs and severe bruising suffered when he was hit Friday by the snowmachine near Nome, at the end of the 408-mile All Alaska Sweepstakes.
Johnson says an MRI and an examination by a neurological specialist at The Animal Emergency Clinic in Tacoma found no need for emergency surgery. The clinic is part of the Puget Sound Veterinary Referral Center.
Johnson is an Iditarod trail veterinarian who was part of Mackey's team when the accident occurred and flew Zorro to his clinic Sunday.
In addition to the four broken ribs, Zorro has severe bruising in the spinal cord area of the last rib in the back, severe bruising to back and chest muscles, some lung bruising and some internal bleeding, which has stabilized.
"He's just barely able to start standing today," Johnson said Monday. "A full recovery is expected."
He should be able to be sent home Friday.
"It's probably the end of his racing career, but he probably was retiring soon, anyway," Johnson said. "He'll live a happy life as a pet at the Mackey home."
Meanwhile, the snowmachine driver who hit Mackey's sled dog has come forward.
Mackey put out a plea Saturday in Nome for the driver to identify himself, and that happened Sunday, he said.
Mackey declined to name the individual but said the person was "absolutely devastated by what happened," the musher told Nome radio station KNOM.
Mackey said he expects the person to make reparations. He also said alcohol was involved.
Zorro is the foundation stud dog in Mackey's Comeback Kennel. Mackey is the only musher to record back-to-back wins in the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race and the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. He did it first in 2007 and then again this year.
Mackey finished third in the All Alaska Sweepstakes, being run on its 100th anniversary. Former Iditarod champion Mitch Seavey won the $100,000 winner-take-all race on Friday.
Mackey was in third place at around midnight Friday and closing in on the finish line when two snowmachines came up fast behind his team. Mackey said he shone his headlamp right in the face of the snowmachiner, but he kept coming.
Mackey jumped to the side. He found his sled 30 feet up the trail. The snowmachine's runners had impaled his sled bag, where he was carrying Zorro. Several dogs received less serious injuries.
The driver who hit Mackey and his partner on the other machine helped the musher right his team and then continued on.
Mackey finished the race and did not immediately know Zorro was severely injured. He got some rest and when he awoke he could see his favorite dog was in trouble and called the race veterinarian.
For more information, visit mackeyscomebackkennel.com.
Community Discussion
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I want to send best wishes to Zorro. And Mr. Mackey if you read this know that I am thinking of you. And sending healing thoughts your way.
After reading this article I am so upset that this happened.
I hope the driver of the snowmachine thinks before he drinks and tries to drive a snowmobile .
Just so glad the dogs will be ok.
Was it ever proven that this guy was drinking and driving?,or is it guilty until proven inoccent?
This dog nearly died last year in the Iditarod. He should not have been entered in the much harder Sweepstakes race. He is 9 years old..of course he will never race again...and he is an unreliable breeder. The dog should have been dropped in Safety or one of the two checkpoints aafter the accident occurred...but Mack would have been penalized 10 hours if he had dropped the dog and would have lost the $10,000 third prize. Every other race in Alaska has figured out the best thing is to let mushers drop injured dogs...but the neanderthals who put on this Sweepstakes race penalize mushers who drop an injured dog. This is the same stupid thinking that plagued the Quest for years until they figured out that its better to not run or carry an injured dog for hundreds of miles....
Dirk
Pneumonia a year ago does not say anything about Zoro's ability to run this year. I don't know why you say the Sweepstakes is much harder than the Iditarod. The first 400 miles of the Iditarod involve running on ice for a long distance, the steps at Happy River, the climb to and through Rainey Pass, Dalzell Gorge, and the run through the burn(very rough and often not much snow on the trail). I would think the trail and no drop rule would benefit the dogs because a competitive racer would not push the team to the point of injuring a dog. Safety is the last check point on the course and there are no facilities(other than the bar), Zoro would have still had to come to Nome by sled or snow machine. Unreliable breeder? How did you come upon this piece of information? Since some 40 dogs in Lance's kennel descend from Zoro I would conclude he does not do too badly when called into service.
BTW; No need to call you a Neanderthal, as there was no need for you to call the people of Nome such.
Zoro is 9 years old- that is pretty old for mid-distance racing- and nearly died last year of pneumonia in the Iditarod. And that's not a reason to leave him home this year? So why was he in the basket when the snow machine hit him? Obviously it was a mistake to bring him in the team.
The shorter races are run with very little rest because the musher knows it will be over with in a shorter time. Is that harder than the Iditarod? Zoro made it 900 miles in the Iditarod last year and less than 400 in the Sweeps...
Distance races have argued this issue of dropping dogs for years and every other race has concluded that it is better to allow mushers to drop sick and injured dogs.
Of course the mushers had to take good care of the dogs in the Sweeps if they had any hope of winning the $100,000 first prize. If they dropped a dog they were penalized by removing them from the running for the first prize plus a 10 hour time penalty. So if Lance had returned to Safety and dropped the dog or reported the accident at Cape Nome or Fort Davis, the two checkpoints between Safety and Nome he may have been forced to drop the dog and penalized 10 hours and lost the $10,000 third prize.
I'm sure Lance did everything he could to keep his dogs healthy and happy...but in racing doo-doo happens...dogs stumble and break legs, moose attack and sometimes snow machines run over you. That is exactly why every other race gives the musher the benefit of the doubt and allows them to drop dogs without penalty...
I notice that one of the questions asked by akgold to dirk was....How did they come to the conclusion Zorro was an unreliable breeder, had no response.
The lack of a response says a lot.
Best Wishes during recovery to Zorro!
Dirk. Mellow out. Have a little compassion. Best wishes to Zoro's recovery.
"but in racing doo-doo happens...dogs stumble and break legs, moose attack and sometimes snow machines run over you. "
Which of these things is not like the other? Natural accidents != human negligence.
Ok first off. Dogs don't really break their legs pulling a sled. Usually it's a pulled muscle or maybe a minor sprain. I agree the no dog drop is kind of lame, especialy because they were really promoting the dog care in the race. May I point out any 2-6 year in any mushers team could have had an injury that could have resulted in having to carry the dog in the bag? Does that mean none of those dogs should have been racing too? Accidents happen.
Speaking of age. Dirk you made me laugh out loud when you say 9 is so old for a distance dog, verses what a sprint dog? Well I guess you don't hang around dog races much. It is way more common to see an older dog in a distance team than sprint. And also be competetive. Ramey Smith finished 3rd in the Iditarod this year with his main leader Babe, 10, going on 11 this spring. Impressive? Yes very. Can all dogs do that? No. Why? Because all dogs are different. Lance knew Zorro was up to a 400 mile race or he would never have considered it.
Who do you think you are coming off saying he is an unreliable breeder? I think Lance has proven that he is an exceptional stud by winning 4 Yukon Quests, 2 Iditarods and numerous mid-distance races. People are flocking to breed to Zorro and will continue to do so. Jeff King himself said during last years Iditarod that in the end it's the genetics that will come through for a true winning team.
Once upon a time, there was a cool old dog named Kahn, who belonged to Lynda Plettner. Kahn, was 14 when he led my daughter's team to the red lantern in her first Junior Iditarod. He also had red lanterns from the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest. He was old, but, he just kept moving! Also, one year, LaVonne Barve won the Quest with a 14 year old leader. There's no set age to say, "This dog is too old", it depends on the dog, his breeding, his heart, his head, and his work attitude. Poor Zorro, he didn't earn his early retirement but, if he is the dog I suspect him to be, he'll still be giving Lance 100% of what he has! Even if that means retiring from the race. Lance knows what he can give and wont ask more than that of him.
Mr. Mackey, I am so sorry you had this accident experience. I hope the guy that caused it doesn't let you down. I hope he comes through with full restitution for Zorro's medical care. God bless you for giving us a glimpse into your amazing life's work and congratulations on being a super champion! Now, let's get busy lobbying the State for a change in insurance laws that would require everyone to carry liability insurance on all the motor powered toys that run over people! This is just one more incidence that shows there's a need! It would make collecting damages easier and more likely to be successful. That's my thoughts, at least. Thanks for listening!
Hey that's a great idea!!!
Please refrain from giving negative and opinionated comments on someone else's misfortune. But thank you as there's nothing like a big mouth opinionated know-it-all to remind some of us why we like our dogs and the solo sport of dog driving as much as we do.
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