Zoom Lens: Junior Vet Check

Junior Iditarod is her passion and this year Jayne Hempstead, DVM has been honored for her dedication to the race and the young mushers. The Junior Iditarod Board of Directors chose Hempstead to wear Bib 1 for the start of the Junior race.

Hempstead could take her own team of sled dogs down the trail to the checkpoint she’ll be working but her duties for the Junior Iditarod are far to demanding for that. The Cantwell vet gives tirelessly to the Junior Iditarod working with the mushers and the dogs before, during and after the race. She’s been doing that for some twenty years.

Junior mushers brought their dog teams to headquarters this morning for their pre-race physicals.  Vets Phil Meyer and Jayne Hempstead checked the dogs from nose to nails.  Fourteen year old Jordan Seager who is running Iditarod dogs from Nick Petit and Justin Savidis had the final time slot of the morning.  Here’s Dr. Jayne loving up one of Seager’s athletes.  The blue eyed dog, Tory will also run with Seager in the Junior Iditarod.