Race officials: Dog buried alive

Officials say a dog that died in this year's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race asphyxiated while getting buried in snow during severe wind.

Race officials disclosed the results of the necropsy Saturday. The dog, a 5-year-old named Dorado, was found dead Friday in Unalakleet, where it was waiting to be flown back to Anchorage.

The dog belonged to rookie musher Paige Drobny's team. The dog was dropped from the race Monday and was being cared for in a dog lot, an area set up to care for dogs dropped from the race.

Drobny continued on to Nome, where the musher finished Thursday in 34th place.

The Anchorage Daily News cited race officials as saying Dorado and other dogs were checked on around 3 a.m. Friday.