HUMAN

Name: Katie White

Age: 42

Residence: Juneau, Alaska

Occupation: Registered nurse

Years involved with Iditarod: This is my 3rd

Iditarod role: I am a dog handler for the return dog camp

Current Location: Unakaleet, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 16, 2020

Temperature: 28F/Outdoors

What, who or how and when did you first get involved with the Iditarod?

I got involved in Iditarod through one of my best girlfriends who was connected to the community. I came to Anchorage to work for the return dog camp, fell in love with the organization, with the dogs, and started following Liz Millman around because she was so capable and so awesome. I wanted to do whatever she was doing, and now I’m on my year three. So Liz really is the one who got me kind of solidly into this program.

What is your Why? Why are you here TODAY and involved with the Iditarod?

I’m here today and involved with the Iditarod because when I was here last year, the community and the energy you get from the community, the capability, the dog focused capability, is a high you can never, you can’t even really explain. This is the most dog-focused group of people you’ll ever meet. What’s going on with the dogs? How can we work harder to work better for the dogs? It’s how can we work together to be together for the dogs. It’s just amazing.

Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences.

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was 2019 working an overnight shift with returned dogs here in UNC. There was probably about 90 dogs outside and were howling at a big orange moon with the Northern Lights. It was so quiet except for the howling. It was just one vet tech and Lori, one of the vets, and we just were soaking it all in. It was something you’ll never forget.

What in life do you know for sure?

What I know for sure in life is community. Whether it be here, in Juneau, with the Iditarod, it’s your community that kind of gets you through big things and little things.