The CopperDog race has some great superstars. Yes, we all know the dedication and hard work the “humans” put into this sport, but I am talking about the “4 –legged” Superstars- the dogs. Coined by our Senior Race Advisor Todd Brassard, one of the phrases you may hear during race weekend is “Happy Healthy Dogs”. With a team of skilled veterinarians, as well as a group of mushers that know how to care for these athletes, CopperDog is continuously trying to live up to just that…happy, healthy dogs.

These animals’ health and welfare is one of the highest priorities. Throughout race weekend, the veterinarians on staff work to make certain that these animals are in healthy condition and that no one places them in jeopardy.

We here at CopperDog would be remiss, if we did not do our part, to assist in striving to keep these animals safe and healthy during the race. We want everyone to come out and enjoy race weekend. It’s an exciting event that, thanks to the communities in and surrounding the Keweenaw, we should all be proud of.

We want to keep the dogs out of harm’s way so here are a couple of tips for doing just that- Please keep “Fido” at home. We here at CopperDog love dogs. But during race weekend, keep your pets at home. It is distracting for the sled dogs and can be a health risk for them as well. Sled dogs live, function, and run with a pack mentality. Seeing a dog on a leash close by can disrupt this balance. We also want to keep the community pets safe; we do not want anyones’ beloved bow- wow to get into a situation that could potentially cause harm to them. Please do not come to the race, planning to feed the dogs. These animals are on very specialized diets that their mushers and handlers work hard to devise and maintain. (No hot dogs for these canines during race weekend!)

So hopefully we will see you all race weekend and remember safety first… please leave your pups at home.