HUMAN

Name: Lauren Bender

Age: 36

Occupation: Licensed Veterinary Technician.

Residence: Meadow Lakes, Alaska

Years involved with Iditarod: 4 years

Iditarod Roles: I have been on the Canine Urine Collection Team all 4 years.

Current Location: McGrath, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 9, 2022

Temperature: 32F Outdoors & Snowing

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

I first became involved with the Iditarod when working as a technician at VCA Big Lake, which services a lot of the sled dogs in the area. I got to know a lot of the mushers and started to learn a lot about sled dogs and became very passionate about their care and wellbeing.

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

I am here with Iditarod today and involved with Iditarod because I have a strong passion for dogs. They’re my everything. And this is just another way to get to enjoy Alaska and to keep dogs safe.

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

My most memorable Iditarod experience was getting to be a part of Iditarod during COVID when it first broke out, and being in Nome when there were hardly any spectators to welcome the finishers, and getting to be up close and personal and to really feel like I was part of the Iditarod and making a big difference when the team was so small. It was also really nice to get to be there, to support the mushers who didn’t have a lot of fans available at the time.

What in life do you know for sure?

What I know for sure in life is that dogs are nothing but kindness, and we don’t deserve them.