NPR

Iditarod Sled Dogs Test Positive For Banned Substance

At the end of this year's annual run to Nome, Alaska, several dogs from a single team tested positive for a banned pain killer, the race board says.
Sled dogs at the 45th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Fairbanks, Alaska, in March. The race board says several dogs from a single team tested positive for a banned substance. / Ellamarie Qumiby / Shutterstock.com

It's not your ordinary sports doping scandal: some dogs who mushed this year's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race have tested positive for the opioid pain reliever Tramadol, the event's governing board said Wednesday.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR5 min read
A Woman With Failing Kidneys Receives Genetically Modified Pig Organs
Surgeons transplanted a kidney and thymus gland from a gene-edited pig into a 54-year-old woman in an attempt to extend her life. It's the latest experimental use of animal organs in humans.
NPR4 min read
130 Million Americans Routinely Breathe Unhealthy Air, Report Finds
Climate change is making it harder to meet clean air goals, says the 25th annual State of the Air report from the American Lung Association.
NPR3 min readCrime & Violence
South Koreans Sue Government Over Climate Change, Saying Policy Violates Human Rights
Plaintiffs including 17-month-old boy nicknamed Woodpecker bring landmark climate litigation in South Korea, the first in Asia to get a public hearing.