 ° f / ° c  |
 |
 March 6  |
/ Press Releases / LOU PACKER SCRATCHES
LOU PACKER SCRATCHES
by STAFF
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Further Information Contact:
Chas St.George, Director Public Relations 907.232.0503
NOME, ALASKA - (March 17, 2009)
PACKER SCRATCHES BETWEEN IDITAROD AND SHAGELUK
IDITAROD XXXVII Rookie Musher Lou Packer (bib #43) scratched between Iditarod and Shageluk at 9 pm yesterday evening (Alaska Time). Packer had 15 dogs on his team when he decided to scratch. Packer and his team had to be airlifted from his location (22 miles north of Iditarod) because of poor weather conditions. Two of Packer's dogs Dizzy, and Grasshopper, (both 5 year old males) had expired when Packer was discovered.
Gross necropsies have been performed on both Dizzy and Grasshopper by a board certified pathologist. In both cases the cause of death could not be determined by visual examination of all organ systems. Further testing, including histopathology, is pending.
