Veterinarian
Wins Lifetime Award
The 1998 Mush with PRIDE Lifetime Achievement Award was presented
to Dr. Dominique Grandjean, Professor at the College of Veterinary
Science, Alfort, France. Grandjean has been a world ambassador for
sled dog sports and sled dog veterinary medicine for almost 20 years.
He is chair of the Animal Welfare Committee for the International
Federation of Sleddog Sports and an active member of the International
Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association. He is also the vice president
of the French Sleddog Sports Federation and was a founding member
in 1985 when sled dog sports in France were opened to non-purebred
dogs.
Grandjean has worked hard to help develop the international mushing
scene and to ensure that all competing canine athletes receive the
best veterinary care. He has developed international policy on sled
dog drug use and drug tests. More importantly, Grandjean has been
instrumental in developing the role of race veterinarians as helpers
and supporters of racing mushers, not simply enforcers of drug rules.
In Europe he has developed veterinary teams that attend races to
assist competitors with any dog illnesses or injuries.
Grandjean has been chief veterinarian for eight Alpirods; two stage
races in Argentina; the Olympic-venue races in Lillehammer, Norway;
a new Scandinavian stage race "Scandream"; more than ten
European Sled Dog Racing Association Championships; and most IFSS
World Championships since 1990. He has also been a trail vet for
eleven Iditarods.
The author of three books on sled dog nutrition and care and many
chapters in other books, Grandjean has focused his research on topics
such as basic biochemical data on sled dogs, stress-related problems
(stress diarrhea, oxidative stress and vitamin E), joint problems
(he used wrist wraps in the Iditarod as early as 1985, well before
they became standard), a variety of products to improve the treatment
of soreness and diarrhea in racing dogs (Algyval, a peanut oil extract
that reduces inflammation; Smectivet, a fine clay for diarrhea;
L-carnitine to enhance fat metabolism). He received the International
Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association's 1997 Tom Cooley Award,
recognizing outstanding contributions to sled dog medical research.
Grandjean has also worked toward getting the dog quarantine lifted
in Scandinavia so that dogs from around the world may compete without
unnecessary restrictions. He has been instrumental in developing
microchipping as a way to mark and identify sled dogs during competitive
events.
In addition to his interest in sled dog sports, Grandjean is an
officer in the Paris Fire Department and has a search and rescue
dog military unit.
The Lifetime Acheivement Award was presented to Grandjean during
September's International Sleddog Symposium in Fairbanks, Alaska.
More than 250 people were present when he received the award, commemorated
by a framed mushing poster signed by five recent Iditarod champions.
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PRIDE stands for Providing Responsible Information on a Dog's Environment.
The relationship between sled dogs and humans is one of the oldest
bonds of
its kind. Modern sled dog owners are proud of their dogs as canine
athletes that are bred and trained to do what they love -- run as
part of a
team. Mush with PRIDE is an Alaska-based, international organization
that
supports the responsible care and humane treatment of all dogs and
is
dedicated to enhancing the care and treatment of sled dogs in their
traditional and modern uses.
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