From Left to Right:
Race Veterinarian Denny Albert, IPSSSDR Race Official Mark Nordman,
Veterinarian Lannie Hamilton and Chief Vetinarian Caroline Griffitts
Caroline Griffitts, DVM
(Chief Veterinarian)
Dr. Griffitts received her veterinary degree from Cornell University in 1988 then completed an internship in small animal medicine and
surgery at Michigan State University. After several years of full time practice as an associate, she started her own mobile house call
practice based out of Loveland, Colorado. She also has worked as a relief veterinarian for emergency clinics.. Dr. Griffitts has been a
trail veterinarian on many races, including the Iditarod , the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, the IPSSSDR , local sprint races in
Colorado, the Yukon Quest, and the All-Alaska Sweepstakes. Dr. Griffits is a two time recipient of the Golden Stethoscope award at the
Iditarod. She has been the head veterinarian for the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race for several years. Sled dog sports
allow her to combine interests in veterinary medicine, travel and adventure. Currently Dr. Griffitts is president of the International
Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association.
Denny Albert, DVM
Denny Albert lives at Denali National Park in Alaska. She graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1986. Her education continued with an internship at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, MA and a post-doctoral program at Harvard Medical School. Presently, small animal clinical relief work in practices around the country keeps her busy, along with a new found interest in assisting with wolf surveys in the National Park. Denny leaves her regular work to volunteer on sled dog races each winter including all Iditarods 1995-2009, all IPSSSDR’s since 1998, as well as multiple John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathons. In 1997 and 2009, she was chosen by the Iditarod Finishers' Club to receive the Golden Stethoscope Award.
She served as chief veterinarian for the Centennial Running of the All Alaska Sweepstakes Race in Nome, Alaska; the Grand Portage Passage Sled Dog Race in northern Minnesota; and races in Ushuaia, Argentina.
Lanier (Lannie) Hamilton
Lanier (Lannie) Hamilton finished veterinary school at Washington
State University in 1991. She worked as an associate and
subsequently owned a practice for her first four years of life as a
vet in Lander Wyoming. The world called however, and she eventually
sold her practice and adopted a career as a relief vet to expand her
horizons and see other parts of the country. She did a fellowship at
Oregon State University in Large Animal Medicine and Surgery in
1998-1999. Currently she splits her time between Wyoming and Alaska.
Pursuing her interest in athletic animals, she accompanied 11 dog
teams by snow machine across Alaska on the 2000 Serum Run. In 2001
and 2002 she worked as an Iditarod veterinarian, and helped out on
the Denali 300 Sled Dog Race in 2002. She is excited to help with
the IPSSSDR, covering parts of her home turf, combining her love of
the outdoors and animal athletes.
