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If you have ever struggled with the sudden shift in routine imposed by the seasonal "springing forward" and "falling backward" of the clocks, spare a thought for the sled dogs of Ontario, Canada.

This year’s Iditarod was marred by the deaths of three sled dogs during the race and serious injuries to another.

Alaska Natives long depended on sled dog teams to move their supplies as they migrated seasonally to where the resources were, fishing or hunting or trapping.

“I can’t make snowmachiners act responsibly; it’s just not going to happen,” said Dutch Johnson, manager of the August Foundation kennel, which finds homes for retired racing sled dogs.

The Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races have taken place in northern Maine for more than three decades, including a 250-mile event that is the marquee sled dog race in New England.