Stillwater Living Magazine February 2014 | Page 12

spotlight

Gumbie and Dr. Aichele visit the students at Westwood Elementary.
You can tell that our presence
has been impactful.”
With each talk, Doug reinforces his message of “It’s all
about the dogs.” His message
details the rigorous routine
that mushers and handlers
perform of first taking care of
the dogs before taking care of
themselves.
“You wake, they eat;
then you can eat,” said Doug.
“You stop to stretch your legs
on the long drive from BC to
Alaska, the dogs get a walk
first. Feeding and caring for
20-30 dogs on the road is no
small task. These dogs are
more than just your backyard pets, they’re trained athletes. They require 10,000 calories a day while competing.
They are fed a special diet and
they are cared for immaculately by their handlers and
veterinarians.”
From sp XZ