Iditarod considers tightening security amid doping scandal

Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Iditarod race officials said they are considering security changes after one racer said someone gave four of his dogs drugs, causing them to test positive for doping.

Chas St. George, chief operations officer for the Iditarod Trail Committee told KTUU-TV in Anchorage security is good for the nearly 1,000-mile sled dog race, but, "we can do better, we will do better."

Dallas Seavey, four-time winner of the race from Settler's Bay to Nome, Alaska, said Monday he believes someone else is to blame for four of his dogs testing positive for the pain reliever Tramadol, a banned substance in the sport.

"Sabotage is a likely case," he said in a YouTube post Monday. "If it was not another musher -- and believe me, I hope it was not -- there are many other people that could do the same thing."

He said that after he finished the race in March, he left his dogs unattended for 4 hours to 5 hours when someone could have drugged them.

Dallas Seavey placed second in the March race -- he was beaten by his father, Mitch Seavey -- and won $59,637. Because race officials couldn't prove intent -- required by race rules -- they let Dallas Seavey keep the prize.

"If you look at the intent, why would a musher want to do something like that so close to the finish line?" St. George, said. "That musher knows that he or she is going to be subject to a test. It's speculative, it's not evidentiary, but you have to ask that question."

St. George said there is a team of volunteers and staff who monitor the dog's safety during stops in the race.

The ITC said it is considering installing security cameras for future races.