A Loudoun County Veterinarian is overseeing the dogs competing in the 2026 Iditarod in Anchorage Alaska which began March 8.
This is Doctor Erika Friedrich’s first year as chief veterinarian, but she is no stranger to volunteering at the event as she has since 2009.
Friedrich’s position as chief vet means she is responsible for the care and treatment of nearly 600 dogs.
She leads a team of 45 other veterinarians who are stationed along the 1,049-mile course through the Alaskan wilderness.
The most injuries Friedrich and her team see in the two weeks of competition are musculoskeletal strains and soreness.
Occasionally a dog will need treatment after being attacked by a moose.
Moose instinctively dislike sled dogs largely because the mom will attempt to protect her calf.
Friedrich is the co-founded of her own clinic in Purcellville which opened last year.
Friedrich is trained as an emergency medicine veterinarian according to the Loudoun Now article.
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