Mackey's dog Zorro returns home
Published Tuesday, April 8, 2008
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Alaska’s most famous sled dog is home recuperating from an injury that will end his racing career, but he still has a key role to play for Iditarod and Yukon Quest champion Lance Mackey.
“Hopefully, he’ll be able to (breed) for a while; that’s what we’ve got in mind,” Mackey said of 9-year-old Zorro, who was injured when a snowmachiner slammed into Mackey’s sled and dog team near the finish of the 408-mile All-Alaska Sweepstakes near Nome on March 28. “Obviously, his racing career is over; he’ll never walk the same again.”
Mackey returned home to Fairbanks with Zorro, his top lead dog, Friday night after spending a week in Seattle, where Zorro was treated for injuries that included four broken ribs and a bruised spinal cord. Zorro was riding in Mackey’s sled with an injured shoulder when a snowmachiner traveling at an estimated 60 mph crashed into Mackey’s sled from behind.
Though veterinarians originally said Zorro might never walk again, they now say he should make a full recovery, but his racing days are over. Zorro is still pretty beat up but seems to be recovering, Mackey said.
“He’s alive, that’s the positive side,” the musher said.
Zorro is the foundation stud dog in Mackey’s Comeback Kennel, a role that Mackey hopes his prize leader will continue.
Mackey is the only musher to record back-to-back wins in the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race and the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a feat he accomplished each of the past two years. He finished third in the $100,000 winner-take-all All-Alaska Sweepstakes behind winner Mitch Seavey and Jeff King, who was second to Mackey in the Iditarod.
Following the crash, which occurred about 20 miles from the finish line of the Sweepstakes, Zorro’s injury gained national attention. The dog was flown to Seattle to be treated for its injuries by Iditarod veterinarian Kobi Johnson of Tacoma’s The Animal Emergency Clinic. Johnson was a member of Mackey’s pit crew for the All-Alaska Sweepstakes.
The publicity of Zorro’s injury surprised Mackey. Some people have sent donations to help cover Zorro’s injuries, though Mackey didn’t solicit them.
“The whole thing has been crazy,” Mackey said. “People definitely care about their animals.”
Mackey said Zorro, even at age 9, still might have had another year or two or racing in him. He finished in Mackey’s winning Quest team this year and was also in his starting Iditarod team before suffering an injury in a fight with his brother, Larry.
“He was one of my best dogs,” Mackey said of Zorro.
While Mackey has talked to the driver of the snowmachine that hit him and said the driver will help pay for some of Zorro’s vet bills, as well as a new sled, he still has declined to reveal the driver’s name or pursue a criminal case against him.
“I think it’s been rough enough as it is on him,” Mackey said of the snowmachine driver, whom the musher said was intoxicated. “I just want him to make right with the vet bills and the sled.”
Zorro’s vet bills are now more than $8,700, Mackey said. The dog still needs help walking and requires medication several times a day.
Mackey said he contacted Alaska State Troopers after the accident but was told the most that troopers could do after the fact was pursue reckless driving charges against the man. Mackey said he’s not interested in making a big deal about the actions of the snowmachiner, even though some people “would like to hang him up by his toes.”
“Accidents happen every day, and it just so happened to me,” Mackey said.
The incident has been an emotional one for the usually upbeat Mackey, a cancer survivor who has captured the hearts and imaginations of Alaskans and Outsiders alike with his success on the trail and his candor with the media.
“It was a tough ordeal to go through,” Mackey said.
Now back in Fairbanks, Mackey said he is thinking about organizing some kind of fund to pay for a trail patrol for the Iditarod and other sled dog races to prevent similar incidents. He is hoping to use some of the money donated for Zorro’s vet bills to get the fund started.
“It’s just a thought,” Mackey said of forming the trail patrol. “We might be able to come up with money to pay for somebody’s gas and time to patrol the trails when a dog race is going on. It seems like there’s something we can definitely do.”
Community Discussion
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My prayers are with Zorro and his family. I have three dogs myself and my husband had passed away at an very early age 3 years ago. If I did not have my 3 dogs to look forward to waking up and spending my time with after dealing with work every day, I can honestly say I do not know where I would be. They are my kids and my life. I look forward to coming home every day to see my girls and not spend it alone at home. Dogs to me are like people, they have personalities, feelings, funny/goofy things they do that make me laugh, and most of all unconditional love!
I'll be keeping in touch.......
Thank God and Jesus that Zorro is ok. We were so worried. Lance is a good friend of my fiance and I can't wait to meet him and his family and their dogs someday.
Tari, I feel like you do about pets. My dog is a little pug/pekingese mix and he is the cutest, smartest, friendliest little guy in the world. He is like our child. His personality is awesome and he keeps us laughing all the time. Needless to say he is spoiled beyond belief! He is definitely worth it!
Take care!
I am so relieved that Zorro will be okay, and hopefully he will live out the rest of his days happily and pain-free. I do find it sad and shocking that criminal charges will not be pursued against the snowmachiner, who was INTOXICATED. Even if he was totally sober, reckless endangerment or driving charges should be levied against this person, who caused damage not only to the sled, but who has possibly altered the future of dog racing for years to come. It's nice that Mr. Mackey harbors no ill will, and that the driver of the snowmachine that could have killed him or his dogs will pay for PART of the damage he caused. It's not enough, though. That driver should be held TOTALLY responsible.
I think it's pretty cool that Lance's celebrity sled dog was here near me in Tacoma this past week. I got to drop off a "Get Well" card to Zorro at the vet's office. The gal at the front desk said she'd put it with "the others" - that means there are lots of us racing freaks here in the NW! Believe me, there are!! So glad that Zorro's gonna be okay, and will be one of the housepets now, living a life of luxury. Good dog!
Hurray for Zorro! He has just proven why he is such a champion dog! My son and I here in Fairbanks, as well as my Mom in NY, have been praying for him and am glad he will be able to walk again. Maybe not race, but still live a good life among people who love him.
And kudos to Lance for going the extra mile, literally, for his animals, as well as having the discretion to keep the matter between himself and the individual who ran him over. I hope something good, aside from Zorro's recovery, does come from this, mainly better safety along the trails. I know recreational snowmachiners are probably going to yell bloody murder about regulations posted during the race, but you know what? Winter lasts a LONG time in Alaska, with plenty of snow, so I think they can manage to not run people over for a few days out of the year.
Way to go Zorro and Lance!
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