Manuscript available for publication

Lance Mackey and

His Sled Dog Zorro––a true story                                         

Copyright © Lew Freedman

Alaska sled-dog musher Lance Mackey knew that the spirited black puppy would be perfect for his “Comeback Kennel,” where he was born.

    Lighter colored fur rings around the puppy’s eyes, reminded Lance of the movie hero Zorro, who wore an eye mask as a disguise. So Lance named the puppy Zorro.

   For an Alaskan Husky, Zorro was not a large at first. But he was full of energy, running around, yipping and barking. He made it clear to his brothers and sisters that he was the boss of the dog yard. Alaskan mushers like to see these qualities in young dogs they raise to compete in long-distance races across the frozen ice and snow.

Mushers also like frisky dogs. They are fun to play with.  They work hard when pulling a sled.  And they can run like the wind for miles and miles.

Zorro was more affectionate than most dogs. And he enjoyed being petted. Right from the start man and dog formed a bond. When Lance asked for a hug, Zorro jumped up and rested his front paws on Lance’s chest. When Lance asked Zorro to run, he ran.

When Lance asked Zorro to eat, he ate -- a very good sign. It is important for sled dogs to eat heartily on command, even when tired, because they are given only brief rests during races that go on for days.

Many dogs refuse to eat when tired and that means they won’t be good racers. Zorro was just the opposite. He never let a good workout get in the way of his appetite. When Lance brought out the boiling fish mixed with rice, fat, vitamins and minerals in a big cook pot, along with snacks of kibble, Zorro lapped up his dinner quickly. In no time he was ready for seconds. Lance laughed and teased Zorro by saying that he was hungry all of the time.

    Lance named his dog yard “Comeback Kennel” because he had come back from throat cancer. After major surgery he was so weak he could hardly walk. He lost strength in one arm and he lost his sense of taste. When Lance was sick, he spent a lot of time hugging and petting Zorro and the other dogs.

Lance and Zorro became best friends. Doctors did not believe Lance would ever be strong enough take his dogs running again. But as Lance got well, Zorro continued as his best buddy on the trail, too.

The hardest and most famous race in the world is Alaska’s 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The second most famous race is 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race. These long races take nine or ten days for the winner to complete.

    In order to capture first place, mushers and their dogs race day and night with breaks of only a few hours to eat and sleep. To complete these races, the dogs must be hardy and strong. Lance wanted to show the world that he was again hardy and strong, too.

  Lance chuckled when he told people, “Zorro likes to make his opinion known.” At night, Zorro often stood outside his wooden dog house and howled at the stars and moon. And any time Lance walked near, he gave Zorro special attention.

    Zorro was only an eight-month-old pup when Lance first hooked him into a harness. Many dogs become nervous when first attached to a dog sled. However, Zorro naturally took to wearing the harness and pulling with other dogs. He was a fast learner and put his heart and legs into pulling a sled.

    Zorro behaved quite maturely for his age. Lance was proud of him and liked to say that Zorro acted like a young man instead of a teenaged boy.

    Some young dogs do not understand Lance’s commands to turn right, left, and stop. But Zorro did. When Lance chose his lineup for his first 1,000-mile races he showed his trust in 18-month-old Zorro. Most huskies do not race until they are at least two years old.

    Lance soon considered Zorro the best dog in his team. And by then, Lance and Zorro were inseparable friends. Little Zorro grew up to weigh 75 pounds, which is large for a race dog. And his work ethic as a leader inspired the other dogs to do their very best.

  Soon Lance and his dogs were champions. Over the next four years they won the annual Yukon Quest four times in a row, and Zorro helped Lance win first two of his record four straight Iditarod titles..

    Over and over, Zorro proved sure-footed and reliable. Whatever the weather, Zorro was ready to lead. He never turned away from howling winds that blew into the dogs’ faces from above the Arctic Circle. His thick, black coat kept him warm as he ran. His step was smooth on soft snow and on hard-packed snow. Even when the temperature dipped to 40 below zero, he didn't sink into the snow or lose his gait.

    “You are the Most Valuable Player in the team,” Lance told Zorro.  “You’re my best pal. You’re The Man.”

    To keep their friendship strong, Lance sometimes slept with Zorro on the trail. They battled through subzero weather together. Lance hugged and patted Zorro, and Zorro lapped at Lance’s face with his long tongue.

By Zorro’s seventh birthday, he was getting too old to run every race. But Lance decided to take his old friend on the trail one more time. So he entered the 408-mile All-Alaska Sweepstakes, a revival of a long-ago race, that would take only four days to complete.

    On the last night of that race, Lance saw that one of Zorro’s shoulders was aching. They were only 20 miles from the finish, so Lance parked his sled on the side of the trail and zipped Zorro into the sled bag to rest.

    Suddenly, out of the darkness, Lance heard a roar and saw a headlight appear. A speeding snowmobile was roaring toward the sled at more than 60 miles an hour. Lance tried to stop the driver by waving his arms, jumping in the air, yelling and flashing lights.  But the snowmobile smashed right into the sled bag where Zorro was napping. As the snowmobile’s front ski pierced the bag, it made a frightening noise.

    “Oh, no!” shouted Lance. The dogs barked as Lance frantically tried to open the sled bag to see if Zorro was okay. Tragically, the ski hit Zorro’s body with tremendous force.

      Lance knew Zorro was gravely injured and needed a doctor fast. So he rushed the sled to the finish line. After X-raying Zorro, veterinarians said Zorro had suffered broken ribs and a broken disc in his back. They injected medicine into Zorro. He lay still, not moving at all. Lance felt sad and helpless. Having recovered from cancer, Lance knew what it was like to be in a lot of pain.

    Lance wanted Zorro to receive the best medical care possible. To obtain that, he flew his pal to Tacoma, Washington, more than 2,000 miles to the south. When Lance said good-bye, he had tears in his eyes. He was afraid his best dog friend might die.

    People around the world read about Zorro’s accident through wire-service news reports. Thousands sent Zorro get-well cards. They told Lance they were rooting for Zorro to get well. Years earlier, when Lance was recovering from cancer treatments, mushing fans wrote get-well cards and letters to him, too. And that made Lance feel better.

     Lance flew his other dogs safely home to Fairbanks, where he lives with his wife and dog handlers. Then he took a jet to Washington state to be at Zorro’s side.

    When Lance arrived at the animal hospital, veterinarians shook their heads sadly. They told him that Zorro was barely hanging onto life. They said Zorro would not even eat. Not eat? That was not the Zorro that Lance knew. Lance walked into Zorro’s area in the hospital and called out, “Zorro!”

    Zorro had been lying motionless in a box. First he wagged his tail against the floor. Then he slowly raised his head, and his ears stood up. He was glad to hear and see Lance!

    The sight of Zorro perking up, even a little bit, gave Lance hope that Zorro might get better. Lance recalled that he, himself, had been weak and sluggish too. When Lance was sick he learned how good it was to have loved ones nearby. So Lance was determined to stick by his friend. Zorro had serious injuries and was still weak, but with Lance around him every day Zorro got stronger.

  After a few days, Lance brought Zorro home to Fairbanks and began caring for him in his own house. Zorro steadily got better. Pretty soon Zorro was able to walk a little, and then a lot. Zorro’s lively barking told Lance that he was eager to return to the kennel with the other dogs. Zorro’s dog friends welcomed him with joyous yips and barks.

    Zorro’s racing days were over. But the black-masked dog with amazing spirit could run and jump again. Only a few months after his terrible accident, just like Lance, Zorro had bravely fought his way back to health. And Zorro showed that he was ready to handle his new job – keeping the kennel well-stocked with young puppies. It didn’t take long for Zorro to become the father of several dogs that Lance hopes will be strong and fast enough to run in future championship teams.

   “He’s a proud poppa,” Lance said of Zorro.

   And Zorro is still the king of Lance’s “Comeback Kennel.”

   To contact agent Neil Soderstrom