This is a far cry from our Inuit Dogs whose dog sledding tour de force is the ability to pull at least 125 pounds each over the most challenging of terrain in the most horrendous weather without quitting. In their native environment, an average good (long) day can be as much as 40 "arctic" miles. 

Despite these contrasts, Inuit Dog enthusiasts may want to keep an eye on the March 5, 2005 Iditarod. Inuit Sled Dog International's European coordinator Ove Nygaard of Årnes, Norway has been contracted to build sleds for the two Norwegian competitors, 2003 Iditarod winner Robert Sørly and 2005 Iditarod rookie Bjørnar Andersen. Ove will also be building sleds for mushers entered in the Femundløpet (February 4, 2005) and Finnmarksløpet (March 5, 2005) races in Norway.

We hope mushers using Nygaard sleds do very well and they keep in mind while spending all those days on the runners that they have put their trust into the hands of an Inuit Dog enthusiast.  Way to go, Ove! Talking about having a foot in each of two worlds! 

Participation is easy and sampling materials are delivered to you free. An approximately 1-inch fine bristle brush on the end of a flexible handle is scrubbed inside the cheek pouch and or along the gum line for ten seconds. Inuit Sled Dog owners worldwide are urged to participate. To learn how you can contribute, write to the project's Breed Contact, Sue Hamilton, 55 Town Line Road, Harwinton, Connecticut 06791, USA or at qimmiq@snet.net. 

A representative of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) Greenland said an effort has been initiated to provide supplemental dog food and raise money to assist hunters in the region.

In an email to the ISDI, ICC Greenland said that so far a couple of tons of dog food plus its transportation to the hamlets in the Qaanaaq region had been donated from Ilulissat. A bank account has been set up for receiving contributions to support this effort and the dog team owners until the sea ice forms and they can go out hunting seals. The sea ice, normally set by the end of September, still had not yet formed in the region as of mid-November.