Iditarod officials seek help finding loose sled dog in Anchorage

A dog in Anchorage that had been dropped from an Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race musher’s team escaped Thursday morning, prompting race officials to ask for the public’s help.

A veterinarian was doing an hourly check on Jimbo, who belongs to Aniak musher Richie Diehl’s team, around 7:15 a.m. when the canine escaped from the returned dog area at the Lakefront Anchorage Hotel, Iditarod officials said in a statement.

The dog’s contacts, plus the race marshal, Anchorage Police Department, local animal shelters and the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport police, were all notified, Iditarod officials said.

Officials are asking anyone who sees Jimbo not to approach or attempt to capture him, but instead report where he was spotted by calling 907-248-MUSH (6874). He’s microchipped and is wearing a red collar with a red tag that says Iditarod #18.

It’s not the first time an Iditarod dog has gone missing in Anchorage. For example, one of Norwegian musher Lars Monsen’s dogs escaped before the ceremonial start in 2018 and was found hours later, and a dog that belonged to Lachlan Clarke was killed by a car after getting loose in 2015.