In a tragic turn of events during the 2024 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a 2-year-old sled dog named Bog suffered a fatal collapse on Sunday morning, marking the first dog death of this year’s competition. Race officials disclosed that Bog, part of rookie musher Isaac Teaford’s team, fell just 200 feet short of the Nulato checkpoint, which is located at mile 582 along the grueling 1,000-mile race course.
Despite immediate efforts by Iditarod checkers and a veterinarian to save Bog through 20 minutes of CPR, the dog unfortunately did not recover. A subsequent necropsy was performed to determine the cause of death, but initial findings have not provided clear answers. Iditarod Veterinarian Stu Nelson expressed deep regret over the incident and assured that the race’s management would continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Bog’s death to enhance future dog care protocols.
Isaac Teaford, who is experiencing his first Iditarod race, has ties to Utah and currently resides in Talkeetna, Alaska, where he is involved with the kennel of five-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey. Teaford was participating in the race with Seavey’s “B team,” as indicated in a post on Seavey’s official Facebook page earlier in the year.
Following Bog’s death, Teaford made the decision to withdraw from the race on Sunday afternoon, in line with race regulations stating that a musher must exit the competition voluntarily if a dog dies, unless the death results from an “unpreventable hazard.”
This incident has reignited scrutiny over the safety of sled dogs participating in the Iditarod, a topic that has historically attracted criticism and protests from animal rights groups, including PETA, which has called for the race’s termination.
Teaford’s withdrawal was one of four on Sunday, with rookie musher Erin Altemus, Connor McMahon, and Deke Naaktgeboren also exiting the race. Officials stated that these decisions were made in the best interest of their respective teams, noting that all the dogs were in good health.
