A well-known Montana Creek musher is facing possible criminal charges after animal control officers seized several of his dogs, including some they said were so skinny they might not have survived another week.

Seventeen dogs were taken into protective custody in late October from Ron Aldrich , a former Iditarod competitor who last year ran the ''Serum 25'' run, a 756-mile commemorative mushing trip from Nenana to Nome organized by Col. Norman Vaughan.

Aldrich, 71, who last raced in 1995, said he knew the dogs were in bad shape, but he was trying to nurse them back to health.

The dogs, which make up about a third of the 60 Aldrich owns, were underweight and many were infected with lice and parasites, said Anthony Gonzales, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough's animal control director.

One also had sores that made it uncomfortable for it to sit down and others had no shelters from which to escape the elements, he said.  ''Some of the animals were in real sad shape,'' he said. ''They had no body fat to them.''   All have since been put on special medication and vitamins. The rest of Aldrich's dogs were in good shape, Gonzales said.

Several were sprint dogs Aldrich had picked up from a struggling kennel and one was a stray, who wandered onto his property, he said. Another his children found lying by the road.

"I did have some dogs in bad shape," he said. "But it wasn't because of neglect on my part. I hadn't had time to get them back on their feet."

But Gonzales said Aldrich had owned the dogs long enough they should have been in better shape, and those that weren't should have been under the care of veterinarian.   ''If they come to you in this kind of condition,'' Gonzales said. ''They need to be under veterinary care.''  He added that Aldrich had owned some of the dogs since late summer.

No decision has been made on whether to charge Aldrich, Gonzales said. But the musher could face charges ranging from infractions of borough code which carry a fine of up to $250 to charges of misdemeanor animal abuse, Gonzales said.

The musher may also have to pay a hefty bill for the cost of boarding the animals and veterinary care.  The dogs, which are now considered evidence, are being kept at the animal control shelter near Palmer at a cost of $10 a day, Gonzales said.

While the borough might be able to work out a deal on the boarding bill, Aldrich will definitely have to reimburse animal control for the veterinary care that is likely to run over $100, Gonzales said.

Aldrich was unwilling to make any comment about whether he thought the dogs should have been taken from him. Rather, he said, he is waiting to see what decision is made.

Update 6/17/98:  Aldrich has been acquitted of 16 counts of animal cruelty in connection with several dogs taken from his property last year.

Aldrich, who last raced competitively in 1995, contended he had recently gotten the dogs and was trying to nurse them back to health. He was acquitted by a Palmer jury on June 2.

Reference:

Anchorage Daily News