Westminster – Settling down for the night at a checkpoint at the Iditarod race last year, Dr. George Stroberg felt a little chill. It wasn’t the temperature that awoke him – it was 40 degrees below zero – but a pool of ice that had begun to form beneath his air mattress.
“When we were sleeping, the air went out of the mattress, and I found out it was melting the snow,” Stroberg recalled.
For the past five years, Stroberg has endured the subzero winters of Alaska to volunteer as a veterinarian for the Iditarod. The legendary race covers the 1,150 miles between Anchorage and Nome and includes teams of dogs from all over the world.
This year the race will begin March 3 and will have 37 volunteer veterinarians on the trail, said Stuart Nelson, chief veterinarian for the Iditarod. Stroberg will again be among them.
On Tuesday he will leave his practice in Westminster for two weeks to care for the sled dogs that traverse as much as 130 miles every day.
“He works really hard,” said Dr. Eugene Pei, a veterinarian at Stroberg’s practice. “I think he gets two hours of sleep a night and he sees the dogs every day.”
Despite the adverse environment, Stroberg enthusiastically talks about the dogs he helps and the beautiful terrain.
“I’m amazed at the athletic ability of the dogs,” he said. “It’s a joy to see how much enjoyment they have, and these are trails that run through streams and break through snow.”
A television interview with Susan Butcher, a four-time winner of the Iditarod, inspired Stroberg to volunteer. His 30 years of experience make him a valuable asset.
“George has a lot of experience, and that’s something that we strive for because we’re dealing with 84 teams with 16 dogs,” Nelson said. “Anything potentially could happen.”
Staff writer Gabriela Resto-Montero can be reached at 303-954-1638 or grestomontero@denverpost.com.
To volunteer
For information on volunteering for the Iditarod, go to iditarod.com.
