I have had the pleasure of getting to know veterinarian Wayne Randolph during this past year, as he is a fellow alumnus of the College of Wooster in Ohio, like myself. A full time veterinarian in New Jersey, Dr. Randolph has earned many accolades during his career. These include the 1987 Metropolitan New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association “Veterinarian of the Year” award, and the “New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association Distinguished Service Award” in 2007. A self proclaimed “owl guy”, box turtle enthusiast and beekeeper, his animal background is equally diverse.

“Most of the last 30 years I have been a single doc practitioner. I did an externship at the Bronx Zoo which was super cool. I got to work with tigers and had a great, great time at the Bronx Zoo. Early in practice I did some zoo work here [in New Jersey], particularly with big cats and monkeys. I still do some monkeys to this day. Now I do mostly dogs and cats, but early on I did some raptors, some owls and lizards and alligators, but now it’s mostly dogs and cats and a few monkeys.”

Dr. Randolph volunteered for the Beargrease Sled Dog Race in 1999 and 2000, before becoming a race vet for the Iditarod. Although he has only had the opportunity to volunteer for the Iditarod once in 2020, as he says, “It’s an experience of a lifetime, [a memory] you will have forever.” Still working 7 days a week, he enjoys time with his family as well. “Life is good. Most people my age are retired, but I love what I do. It sounds corny, but I love what I do.”

Here is more about Dr. Wayne in his own words. 

How did you first hear about the Iditarod?

“I was at a national meeting of veterinarians getting some CE, we call it continuing education. Many years before that I was at some meeting, usually I take courses in surgery, and medicine and that sort of thing, but I saw a night lecture on the Iditarod by a veterinarian that had done it. His name is Jim Leach. I went to his lecture and I LOVED it. That was it. I said I was going to do the Iditarod, but that was at least 10 years before I did it. After I heard that lecture, I did some reading on the Iditarod and I said, I got to do this. This is a great adventure.”

Favorite aspect of volunteering?

“I simply loved it all. It was an incredible adventure. I loved the medical experience. I like wilderness adventures; I’ve done some others, some interesting things since then. I love trying to push myself to the limit. I LOVED talking with all of the indigenous people. I chatted with Athabaskans in the interior, and the Eskimos on the coast. I loved that, I loved it all, the whole thing.” 

(Since you were only on the trail in 2000) what would make you volunteer for the Iditarod again?

“The fun and the adventure. I love adventure. To be outside again, the dogs are great, the mushers are great, the wilderness is great. I am a single doc veterinarian, and have been for many, many years. I’m a ‘7 day a weeker’ and I have less time. If I could go out, I would do it again in a heartbeat. It’s an experience of a lifetime that you will have forever. It’s just a wonderful experience.” 

Favorite Moment from the Race?

DeeDee Jonrowe hugs a pair of her dogs after finishing 15th in the 2008 Iditarod. Photo Credit: Jon Little Photo by Jeff Schultz/SchultzPhoto.com (C) 2018 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

“Every couple of years, my wife and I look at our slides, and I am just taken aback by the beauty, the wildness, the interesting things we saw. 

Being a veterinarian, I have certain thoughts and concerns for the dogs, but I saw how well, how well these mushers took such incredible care of their dogs. I think we averaged 3 hours [of sleep] a night, but I think the mushers average 1 hour per day. I mean these mushers were always feeding their dogs, caring for their dogs, taking their gloves off… But I’ll never forget this…

At one checkpoint, it might have been Galena, but I could be wrong. It was 3 in the morning. You know we didn’t get much sleep, and it was out back of this one building and I was outside. I might have been looking for food. I look over and I see this one musher in blue. She was on her belly and she was laid down and she was facing a dog. So the dog was on his haunches, not laying down, and not standing, but on his haunches. She had her face two inches from this dog, from his face, and she was talking. This must have gone on for multiple minutes. You know, it was 3 in the morning, dark as [heck], nobody was there – she didn’t know I was there. She was out there at 3:00 in the morning, nose to nose with this dog, talking to this dog, hand on his head. I remember that well. That was DeeDee Jonrowe. She is a wonderful person. But I just watched her, just watched and said ‘Wow, isn’t life great’?”

Teachers: Check out this upper elementary lesson integrating double digit multiplication into Vet Checks. In this lesson, students take on the role of a vet and participate in different activities at each checkpoint along the trail! It comes from 2014 Teacher on the Trail™ Jen Reiter.  Vet Checks Multiplication Lesson.