– There are always discussions after each race and after each season, says race leader Rita Hallvig in Finnmarksløpet about the regulations in dog sledding. The course manager states that the new regulations, which were introduced in 2021, were not implemented well enough in last year’s race. – We needed to get the dishes done, but you also needed to look at all levels. Not only at Finnmarksløpet, but also at confederation level. You have to start there, says Hallvig, who believes that a lot of good has come out of the discussions afterwards. It was in 2022 that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority considered ordering Finnmarksløpet to put new routines in place and place a clearer responsibility on the veterinarians. The case also caused great dissatisfaction among the athletes in the dog sledding sport. Rita Hallvig is race leader in Finnmarksløpet. She says that the dog sport is constantly developing and that new rules will probably be introduced in line with the development of the sport. Photo: news In the report to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, it was stated that Finnmarksløpet had to tighten up to ensure animal welfare. There were no good routines for how, among other things, the vets should take out dogs that are limping. – Has the absolute authority This year there is a clearer role clarification among those responsible for the competition and the dogs. – It will make it safer for everyone, and it will make everyone’s job easier when you know who is doing things. Because if you are unsure of your roles, there will also be more uncertainty among the participants, says Hallvig. Finnmarksløpet has this year put in place a larger team and a separate event vet, who has been given more authority over the dogs in a dog race. – When it comes to dogs, the convention veterinarian has the absolute and greatest authority. What the vet says is what applies, says Hallvig. General manager of Femundløpet AS, Jon Anders Kokkvoll, states that they have good experience with the new regulations that were introduced before this year’s edition of Femundløpet. The same rules have now also been introduced in the Finnmark race. Photo: Joar Elgåen/news Good experiences On the basis of the report from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the debate that followed the Finnmark race in 2022, Norway’s Hundekjørerforbund introduced the new rules after an extraordinary confederation meeting last year. The femund race was organized from 2 to 6 February. The race was the first major dog race to introduce the new guidelines in its race regulations. Leader of that race, Jon Anders Kokkvoll, states that they have good experience with the new competition regulations that were introduced. – What we had done was that we had a clearer role clarification between the race management, the technical apparatus (judges’ ed. note) and the veterinary service. Then comes the new function, which is the event veterinarian, who has overall regulatory responsibility for this type of competition, says Kokkvoll. – All parties were very excited about how this was going to turn out, but the athletes handled this in a professional manner. Many broke the Femundløpet There were 14 out of 41 teams that completed the longest edition of the Femundløpet, but Kokkvoll says that there were good teams that reached the finish line. Although there were many who chose to break this year’s edition of the Femundløpet, the organizer has received good feedback from the runners. – This was a good way of doing it, but we may have been too strict, says Kokkvoll. – We have helped to contribute in the right direction and so have the drivers. The athletes said after the race that it went better than feared. Finnmarksløpet has made some moves that they hope can get more teams to complete this year’s edition of the race, but it must not come at the expense of the dogs. – If you break the race for various reasons, that’s fine. You must not see it as something negative that you make that choice. It must not be the case that you reach the finish line at all costs. Things happen during a competition, so it is important that drivers take responsibility for their own team. That is something we want, says Rita Hallvig. – On the longest race, we have a test, where we pay back the starting fee to those who finish. It can be a motivation to drive nicer and complete the race, says general manager of Finnmarksløpet, Birgit Haugland. Petter Karlsson talks here with veterinarian Arild Jøssund in Kirkenes during the Finnmarksløpet 2020. Jøssund was then the chief veterinarian, but this year he is the event veterinarian. Photo: Hanne Bernhardsen Nordvåg / news Mønstring Rita Hallvig and Birgit Haugland state that animal welfare is a shared responsibility, and that the new regulations should benefit the dogs. This year, a check, mustering, of the dogs will be carried out during the mandatory long rest in the Finnmarksløpet. The vet then goes through the dogs two by two before the team can drive out from the checkpoint, and the race management then gets to see the dogs in motion. – This is to see if there is something the driver needs to deal with or if the dog needs to be taken out of the race, says Hallvig, who adds that this should not take too long. Rules for dog welfare in Finnmarksløpet Dogs/checkpoint: #11 A: At Checkpoint it is not permitted to take dogs into houses, dog boxes or the like, except for any veterinary examination. Participants can still take dog(s) into their own tent which has been brought on the sled from the start. #11 B: The meeting veterinarian has the absolute authority over the dogs that participate in the Finnmark race. The meeting veterinarian, TD and/or Race Director have the authority to disqualify dogs from starting and/or further participating in the race. Your decision to take a dog or dogs out of the race, or other decisions related to dog care/animal welfare, shall be final. All dogs will be seen and/or examined, as far as possible, at all checkpoints. Meeting veterinarian, race veterinarian, TD and Race Leader can hold back dog teams at any checkpoint if necessary to take care of the dogs’ health. No dog team can leave a checkpoint until the dogs in the current team are able to continue the race. #11 C: The team/dogs must leave the staging area/checkpoint without compulsion. It is forbidden to drag/remove the dogs from the stall/checkpoint when the team is about to leave the checkpoint. Animal welfare and health The convention veterinarian has an independent, superior authority and control function. The meeting veterinarian must secure the necessary auxiliary personnel, including more veterinarians if necessary. The main task of the event veterinarian is to: – check that all dogs are healthy and fit to start or continue in the race – decide that dogs may not start or must end the race. This can possibly be done in consultation with TD/jury – decide that the race should be interrupted, postponed, changed or cancelled. This can possibly be done in consultation with TD/jury. (3.6 NHF) FL must be carried out with a particular focus on the dogs’ welfare and health. FL as organizer and FL participants both have a mutual responsibility for the race’s dogs. 1) The participant in the Finnmarksløpet is at all times responsible for grooming, feeding and looking after their dogs’ welfare and health according to the dogs’ needs. Own and other participants’ dogs must be treated with respect and kindness. Participants must run and manage their race based on their team’s fitness, physical and health conditions and status, and take into account how weather and road conditions affect the dogs during the race. 2) Dogs that are injured or due to other health and/or fitness conditions are not suitable to continue in the race, must be transported in the sled and taken to the next checkpoint for assessment by race veterinarians. Dogs that have been assessed by race veterinarians as not being able to participate further must be removed from the race. Dogs that are limping must be transported in the sled to the nearest checkpoint/finish. Dogs must not limp into, nor out of a checkpoint/into the finish line. 3) Dogs that fall over/throw must never continue in the pack, but must be brought in the sled to the next checkpoint and removed from the race. Dogs that are/have been overheated must never continue in the pack, but must be brought in the sled to the next checkpoint and taken out of the race. Violation of rule #12 may result in the participant being disqualified. Race vets will be available at all checkpoints, and provide the same service to all dogs participating in the race. The race veterinarians must at all times, to the best of their ability based on available medical and diagnostic equipment, available premises and field conditions, examine and carry out adequate treatment of all dogs participating in the race. The meeting veterinarian and Race Leader can, in certain climatic conditions, decide that a dead dog must be picked up outside a checkpoint if this is necessary to ensure sample quality for a possible necropsy. #13 Dead dog: If a dog dies during the race in the track on the way between checkpoints, it must be transported to the first next checkpoint, or to the last checkpoint passed. The dog must be transported in the sled and be covered on arrival at the checkpoint. The participant must notify the meeting veterinarian, race manager and/or TD as soon as possible. The participant can only continue after permission has been given by the Event Veterinarian, Race Manager and/or TD. The participant may be disqualified from further participation if, based on investigations, it appears that the participant has been guilty of mistreating the dog, or otherwise caused the dog’s death. The participant can also be disqualified if death is due to dehydration or overheating. Start and finish are also considered stations in this context. If an autopsy of the dog is required, this shall not be charged to the participant financially. The meeting veterinarian and Race Leader can, in certain climatic conditions, decide that a dead dog must be picked up outside a checkpoint if this is necessary to ensure sample quality for a possible necropsy. (Source: Finnmarksløpet) – The job is not finished The management of Finnmarksløpet says that the regulations in long-distance dog sledding are constantly evolving. Haugland says that there were not 26 vets who followed the Finnmark race when it started 40 years ago. – The dog should benefit from the doubt, says Rita Hallvig, who believes that the new guidelines will contribute to more clarity and greater security for the dog walkers. – The drivers receive concrete and clear messages, but the vets must have a dialogue with the drivers. The dog handlers are primarily responsible, but if they disagree, the vet decides. The race director believes that a lot of good has come out of the debate that has taken place over the past year, but that the sport is constantly developing. – The job is not finished yet. We are still at it, because this is a developing sport. The vets are getting better and we are getting better, then you have to change the rules you have, says Hallvig. General manager of Finnmarksløpet Birgit K. Haugland says that it is important that they and Femundløpet cooperate, because many of the drivers take part in both races. Photo: Hanne Bernhardsen Nordvåg / news
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