In this episode of Discussing Dogs in the D, I take you behind the scenes of the CopperDog Sled Dog Race in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. After an incredible weekend photographing the race, I sat down with two of the event’s lead volunteer veterinarians, Dr. Lizzie and Dr. Lara, to talk about what it really takes to care for elite canine athletes. We dive into the world of sled dog medicine — from pre-race veterinary checks and injury prevention to hydration, muscle soreness, paw care, and the realities of emergency preparedness on the trail. They share their personal journeys into veterinary medicine, how they became involved in sled dog racing, and what keeps them coming back year after year. We also address the big questions surrounding animal welfare in sled dog sports, the evolving culture of the sport, and the deep bond between mushers and their teams. If you’ve ever wondered how these dogs are cared for — or what truly happens beyond the cheering crowds — this conversation offers insight, transparency, and heart. And to close the episode, I share the electrifying sounds from the start of the 120-mile race — because sometimes you have to hear it to understand it.
If you would like to follow Dr. Lara's Veterinary practice:
https://www.facebook.com/northernlightsveterinary
https://northernlightsvet.com/
To follow Dr. Lizzie - check out her non-profit Rez-Vet and consider supporting the work they do!
https://rez.vet/
https://www.facebook.com/rezvet
All things CopperDog:
https://www.facebook.com/copperdog150
Hey friends, welcome to Discussing Dogs in the D Podcast, where Detroit's dog lovers come together. Hi, I'm Christine, and whether you're a rescue volunteer, a pet parent, a shelter supporter, or just someone who can't pass a dog on the street without saying hi, you're in the right place. Let's talk about all things dogs, how they change our lives, and how we can possibly change theirs.
00:00:20 Speaker:
Hey friends, welcome back to the podcast. I'm so glad you're here. If you've been following along on my photography page, you know that I just wrapped up an incredible weekend up in the Keweenaw Peninsula at the CopperDog Sled Dog Race, a festival that stretches, like I said, across the Keweenaw Peninsula. It celebrates some of the most driven, joyful, and downright inspiring canine athletes you will ever meet. The snow was flying, the crowds were cheering, the dogs were singing, and it was incredible. But when the race ends, when the crowds thin out and the sleds are packed away, there's a whole other story happening behind the scenes.
00:00:55 Speaker:
After the race ended, after the celebration and all the awards were handed out, I had the absolute honor of sitting down with two extraordinary humans — veterinarians who volunteer their time and expertise to care for these elite sled dogs throughout the entire event. They are people you might not immediately notice in the excitement, but they are essential. They are watching every gait, every breath, every paw, checking body scores. They are checking hydration, heart rates, muscle tone — all the things when it comes to these dogs — and they're making sure every dog runs in a safe, strong, and truly fit, complete manner.
And I wanted to know: what does it take to be responsible for the health of hundreds of high-performance canine athletes? What kind of training prepares you for this? And maybe most importantly, what makes someone give up their whole weekend — actually, long whole weekend — to stand in the cold for hours just to make sure these dogs are okay?
Well, spoiler alert: it's passion. It's deep respect for working dogs. And it's a whole lot of love, too.
So today we're diving into the world of sled dog veterinary care — the science, the responsibility, the adrenaline, and all the heart behind it all. So let's get into it.
00:02:07 Speaker:
Thank you guys for coming out to the podcast. So you're Doctor Lizzy? Yes? Okay. And I also have Doctor Lara. So between the two of you, I would love for you to tell me your background. Tell me maybe where you did your undergrad, where you went to vet school, and how many years you've been doing the Copper Dog.
Yeah, absolutely. I'm Doctor Lizzy. Let's see — my dad was a small animal veterinarian, so I grew up in a clinic in Minnesota in the Twin Cities. So I knew from a very young age I wanted to be a veterinarian. My dad was a vet for the Beargrease in the early nineties, so I was aware of sled dog medicine early on. He decided he couldn't really tough out the cold, but he raised an outdoorsy daughter who decided she fell in love with being outside.
I did my undergrad at the University of Minnesota in Duluth, got a bachelor’s in biology, and then went to vet school at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul. I graduated in 2016. I did a small animal rotating internship at a private hospital in Maryland with a heavy focus on emergency medicine. I decided I loved emergency medicine, and I've been an ER doctor ever since. My day job is doing emergency work for small animals and exotics.
I do locum relief, so I'm licensed in multiple states and travel around to fill in at different hospitals.
So how many years with the Copper Dog? It might only be about five years or so that I've been coming out here.
And for the record, you guys are volunteering your time. We are.
You come up on Thursday and stay through here. Sometimes you stay until Monday. I’m going to leave tonight; we’ve previously sometimes left on Monday and stayed extra time.
I’ve been doing sled dog stuff since I was a vet student, mostly starting with the Beargrease and the U.P. 200, where I definitely fell in love with the U.P. During that time, I befriended the previous head vets, Doctor Tom Gustafson and Doctor Jeanie Wilcox, and they were like, “Well, you should come to the Copper Dog.” And I was like, “Say less. I will be there.”
Doctor Lara:
So my name's Lara Stevens-Brown. I am a veterinarian based in Marquette, Michigan. I grew up in Marquette — had horses, dogs, cats, chickens, goats — all the things. I went to Michigan State for three years and actually dropped out because I got into vet school before I graduated. I was an animal science student and biochemistry and molecular biology, but I didn’t finish that degree. I went to the University of Minnesota, and Lizzy was a couple of years ahead of me.
There was a K-9 club going to sled dog races, and that's how we met in school. When the club dissolved, I started the sled dog medicine club at the university. It was the first sled dog medicine club at a vet school in the world and associated with the International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association, or ISDVMA.
We went to sled dog races across the country. As students, we mostly did races in the U.P., the U.P. 200, the Copper Dog — it was the Copper Dog 150 then — Beargrease, and smaller races in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
After graduation, I did an equine internship focusing on sports medicine and internal medicine in Rhode Island. I came back to Marquette and worked at a practice for a few years. At the end of 2022, I opened my own practice, specifically large animal — mostly equine, about 85–90% horses. The rest is goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, poultry. I also do veterinary spinal manipulation therapy, some second-opinion canine lameness work, joint injections, shockwave therapy, laser therapy, palliative care, in-home euthanasia, and I pick up shifts at an emergency clinic in Wisconsin.
There is no 24-hour emergency clinic in the entire Upper Peninsula. Many small animal practices offer on-call emergency care for their clients, which means they work all day and then are on call all night. It’s very difficult.
(Transcript continues with punctuation cleaned, preserving all wording exactly as provided.)
00:30:02 Speaker:
Before we wrap up today's episode, I just want to say thank you. Truly. Thank you for listening, for caring about these dogs, and for being curious about the incredible humans who stand behind them.
Talking with Doctor Lizzie and Doctor Lara reminded me of something really important — that events like the Copper Dog aren't just about speed or competition. They're about trust. Trust between the musher and the dog. Trust between the veterinarians and the teams. And trust that every single animal lining up at that start is ready, capable, and cared for.
And as we touched on in our conversation, there is this moment right before the race begins. If you've never experienced it, it's hard to describe. The air is cold. The crowd leans in. The sleds are hooked up. And the dogs — the sounds they make are electric.
It's not barking, exactly. It's not even really howling. It's anticipation. It's focus. It's pure, unfiltered drive. It vibrates right through the snow and the air, straight into your chest.
So instead of trying to explain it, I wanted you to feel it for yourself. I'm going to leave you with a little bit of audio from the start of the 120 race this past weekend, just so you can hear that energy — that music of the paws and the voices and the adrenaline building at that line.
Thank you again for being here. I'll see you next time.