Yuka Honda drops out of Yukon Quest in wake of dog death

Musher Yuka Honda dropped out of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog race Friday, several hours before she was due to leave Dawson City on the second half of the race.

When Honda arrived at the Dawson checkpoint, early Thursday morning, she was carrying a dead dog in her sled bag.

She said the dog, a male named Firefly, died not far from the community.

A necropsy showed the dog had eaten several booties and had an enlarged heart.

Nina Hansen, the race's head veterinarian, could not say if either of those two factors contributed to the dog's death.

She said a final report in two or three weeks may have an explanation.

Quest officials said Honda dropped out for the well being of her dogs. She's the fourth musher to scratch -- leaving 17 teams in the race to Fairbanks, Alaska.

On the trail, lead musher Brent Sass has now passed Eagle village, in Alaska, with a lead of about 30 kilometres over Hugh Neff on Friday afternoon.

Race officials have also announced that the finish line will be moved fromits usual spot, on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, up to nearby solid ground.

Ice thickness measurements, taken this week on the river, showed the ice was only six centimetres, or two inches, thick in some spots.

Organizers said that was thick enough for the dog teams, but they didn't want to take a risk with the crowds that usually show up to see the frontrunners come in.