Sled Dog Racing Community Helps Evacuate Almost 250 Dogs From Path Of Greenwood Fire

ISABELLA, Minn. — As the Greenwood Fire grows to 4,750 acres, members of the sled dog racing community rushed to help others who love the sport evacuate their sled dogs this week.

Dr. Jen Freking, a veterinarian and Beargrease competitor who has trained and raised sled dogs for more than 30 years, knew that there wasn’t much time to evacuate the hundreds of sled dogs that were in the fire’s path in Isabella after it ignited from a lightening strike on Sunday.

“That was like 3:30, 4 p.m. that I informed the kennel owners of the fire, and by 7:30 p.m. there were ten dog trucks parked all around these kennels deciding what’s our next move, making a plan,” Dr. Freking said. “It was amazing. I never expected to see that response of that many people that promptly.”

About 20 people helped load up almost 250 dogs from three different kennels into those trucks, less than 36 hours after the fire started, making sure no dogs were left behind.

Now, about 30 dogs each are staying at mushers’ kennels until it’s safe for them to go home again, but how long that will be is still up in the air.

“No one knows how long they’ll be babysitting,” Freking said. “We’re in it for the long haul I’m afraid, it’s just too extremely dry out there.”

Right now, the Freking family has 16 puppies and a couple of mother dogs staying with them, in addition to the more than 60 dogs they already have.

An undertaking like this is something Dr. Freking says she’s never done before, but knows better than ever how tight knit her community is.

“I’ve never been prouder of our mushing community…it’s nice to know everyone’s got each other’s backs,” she said.

For now, the Freking family and all those dogs are safe from the fire’s path, but they’re keeping a close eye on it as a change in wind direction could easily push it their way.