Dr. Jason Heezen, son of Larry and Darlene Mechtenberg, Slayton, Minnesota was elated when he received word he had been chosen to be part of this year’s 48th Iditarod dog health care team.
For the past 15 years, it was a hope for veterinarian Dr. Jason Heezen of Plankinton, South Dakota, to be chosen after submitting his name to participate as a dog health team member for the 1,000 mile race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.
He received word of the selection while on vacation in Hawaii. With little time to spare, Heezen quickly put things into action and went to the nearby credit union for notarizing and a temporary Alaskan veterinary license was obtained.
After returning to Plankinton, preparations for the iditarod fell in place for Dr. Jason, who was limited to only 40 lbs. of trail gear. Judicious decisions had to be made to include enough veterinary instruments, personal items, and outdoor clothing allowing for a week living in the Arctic wilderness. He commented that even though the temperatures dipped to -38 degrees, the clothing trapped the warm layer of air and was actually very comfortable.
To read the rest of this article – pick up a copy of this weeks Fulda Free Press or subscribe to our e-edition at http://eedition.fuldafreepress.net/sub/account_login.asp
