Four Thousand Paws

"""Four Thousand Paws is [an] engaging account of the many years [Lee Morgan] has spent on the arduous trail. He puts to rest any argument about how inhumane the race is. From extensive prerace physical exams to almost-daily health checks, the dogs' health and safety, Dr. Morgan makes clear, is the top concern of veterinarians and mushers alike."" -- Mark Yost - Wall Street Journal ""Morgan shares a journey that is, like many, from the back of a sled, from a freezing tent and neck-deep in snow. But it’s also about a 10-year love affair with the land, the Iditarod, the mushers that run it and the dogs that make it happen. His front-of-the-line perspective is different, and the race-to-dog balance of the tale is just right."" -- Terri Schlichenmeyer - Wyoming Tribune Eagle ""If you’re the adventurous type or you love dogs, Four Thousand Paws is a book that’s easy to slide into."" -- Terri Schlichenmeyer - Daily Jefferson-County Union ""[A] deeply researched, charmingly narrated, and intensely compassionate behind-the-scenes look at one of the most intense human-animal collaborations in modern history. Readers will leave with a huge appreciation for huskies, the landscape that bred them, and the humans who care for them . . . a captivating, fast-paced, eclectic memoir."" -- Kirkus Reviews ""[A] riveting and joyous account of [Morgan’s] work over the past decade caring for the elite canine athletes... The novelistic narrative captures the excitement of the race, and Morgan manages to be sensitive to the dogs’ interior lives without anthropomorphizing them. Even those with no prior interest in the Iditarod will be enthralled."" -- Publishers Weekly ""Veterinarians are the unseen heroes of the Iditarod—working around the clock in frigid temperatures, deep in the wilderness, giving their all to keep the dogs safe and healthy. At long last, Lee Morgan gives us a glimpse of the stories behind the scenes."" -- Blair Braverman, author of Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube ""In Four Thousand Paws, veterinarian Lee Morgan takes readers on an unflinching, funny, and riveting journey into the fascinating world of the Iditarod’s canine competitors. Skillfully told and with obvious compassion for the dogs themselves, Four Thousand Paws is a standout among the pack: I can’t remember the last time I was so enthralled with a book. This is easily my favorite read of the year."" -- Terry Lynn Johnson, best-selling author of Ice Dogs and Dog Driven"